People Moves: Canopius Taps Former AXA XL Exec Cooper as Head of Reinsurance & Bermuda CEO; AXIS Re International Appoints Chubb’s Kent as President

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Canopius and AXIS Capital Holdings.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Canopius Taps Former AXA XL Exec Cooper as Head of Reinsurance & Bermuda CEO

Canopius Group, a leading global specialty (re)insurer, announced the appointment of Charles Cooper as global head of Reinsurance and CEO of Canopius’s Bermudian entities.

He will report to Canopius Group Chief Executive Officer Neil Robertson and will join the Canopius Group Leadership Team. Cooper will join Canopius on Sept. 1, 2023.

Cooper joins from AXA XL, where he most recently served as the chief executive for Reinsurance in Bermuda, a role he held since 2017. Cooper has worked in the Bermudian reinsurance sector for nearly 20 years and is one of the island’s most respected and experienced senior executives.

As reinsurance chief executive at AXA XL, Cooper was responsible for the business’ global reinsurance operations and a member of the AXA XL leadership team and AXA Partners Group. He led a large team and had responsibility for the profitability of a multi-billion-dollar global portfolio. He also established and implemented a global reinsurance strategy and operating model following the acquisition of XL Group by AXA in 2018.

Cooper will be tasked with driving Canopius’s global reinsurance business strategy. He will work with Canopius’ teams of reinsurance professionals in Bermuda, London and Singapore to develop a more significant growth driver for the business.

Cooper will also be tasked with further developing Canopius’ Bermuda platform, which was established in 2007. In 2021, Canopius was granted a Class 4 Reinsurer license by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, which significantly expands the business’ scope and will allow Canopius to take advantage of more opportunities in the market.

“I am thrilled to welcome Charles to Canopius. We are gearing up to take full advantage of the opportunities for Canopius in Bermuda and develop it alongside the exciting growth plans we have for our business, and our people in the UK, APAC and the US,” commented Robertson, who also serves as the interim chief executive of Canopius Re.

“We see opportunities where we can be distinctive in the global reinsurance market, and within Bermuda. We believe Charles is the right person to lead these initiatives and position us for sustained success,” Robertson added.

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AXIS Re International Appoints Chubb’s Kent as President

AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. announced the appointment of Lauren Kent as president, AXIS Re International. Kent reports directly to Ann Haugh, CEO of AXIS Re and is part of the reinsurance executive team. She is based out of the company’s Zurich office.

In this role, Kent is responsible for leading the international division of AXIS Re and shaping its strategy in alignment with the strategic priorities of the global reinsurance business and the broader company. This includes driving the profitability of a casualty and specialty portfolio, leading the underwriting and underwriting support teams, and enhancing our value proposition through relationships with brokers and new and existing customers.

Kent brings more than 25 years of experience in reinsurance spanning London, European and U.S. markets. Her expertise extends across multiple specialist lines of business, with a strong focus in the casualty treaty market. Most recently, Kent was senior vice president, International Casualty manager at Chubb Tempest Re in Zurich. She has also held positions at companies including Endurance Specialty Ltd., Endurance Worldwide Ltd., GE Employers Reinsurance Corp. and Zurich Reinsurance.

Topics Reinsurance AXA XL Chubb