People Moves: Stanford Named Interim CEO at Aspen UK; Canopius Appoints Crane as Head of UK Distribution; Miller Taps Carpenter’s Sinniah to Lead Reinsurance, Capital

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Aspen UK, Canopius Group and London-based broker Miller.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Aspen UK Names Stanford as Interim CEO, Succeeding Milner

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. announced the appointment of Sarah Stanford as interim CEO, Aspen UK, effective immediately.

She takes over from Richard Milner, who will be leaving Aspen on March 31 to pursue other opportunities.

Stanford is currently active underwriter, Lloyd’s Syndicate 4711, which represents approximately 75% of Aspen’s UK business. Under her leadership, Aspen said, the syndicate has seen substantial progress, reporting significant growth to £838.6 million (US$1.1 billion) in GWP and delivering a 75.4% combined operating ratio in 2022, while becoming one of Lloyd’s best performing syndicates of the year.

In 2023, Stanford led the creation of Aspen Digital, which provides additional, digital-only follow capacity, in an industry-first partnership with Ki.

Stanford has over 25 years’ experience in the industry. She joined Aspen in 2007 and has held several senior roles, including head of International Management Liability and Professional Lines, before being appointed active underwriter of Aspen’s Lloyd’s Syndicate 4711 in 2019. Before Aspen, she worked in underwriting positions at Limit MJ Harrington Syndicate 2000/QBE.

Stanford will continue to report to Mark Cloutier, executive chairman and group CEO, and to be a member of the Group Executive Committee. A formal selection process is underway to confirm a permanent CEO, subject to board and regulatory approval, which will be announced in due course. In the meantime, and in addition to her interim UK CEO responsibility, Stanford will continue as active underwriter.

“I am pleased that Sarah is stepping in as interim UK CEO. As active underwriter of Syndicate 4711, Aspen’s core platform in the UK, she brings an impressive track record and credentials in the form of a robust performance, innovative progress, and a solid market reputation for the syndicate,” commented Cloutier.

Cloutier went on to thank Milner for his contributions to Aspen over the past four years and wished him well in his future endeavors.

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Canopius Appoints Crane as Head of UK Distribution

Canopius Group, the global specialty and property/casualty insurer and reinsurer, announced the appointment of Matthew Crane as head of UK Distribution. He takes up the newly created role with immediate effect and will also serve on the Canopius UK Executive Committee.

Crane will be responsible for enhancing Canopius’ relationships with its global brokers, regional distribution partners and strategic clients, supporting the business as it looks to realise new growth opportunities.

Crane brings nearly two decades of senior market experience to Canopius. He joins most recently from PIB Group where he was CEO of Q Underwriting.

Crane spent 15 years at QBE, where he progressed to managing director UK and Ireland. Following from this, he served as CEO of Amwins Global Risks where he oversaw the business’ London and Lloyd’s market, Europe, Asia and LatAm operations.

Canopius has also appointed Uwe Schoberth as head of Distribution, U.S. and Bermuda. Schoberth and Crane will collaborate closely, ensuring alignment of Canopius’ distribution strategy and clear points of access and lines of communication for Canopius’ partners in both markets.

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Miller Taps Carpenter’s Sinniah as Head of Reinsurance and Capital

Miller, the London-based independent specialist re/insurance broker, announced the appointment of Shaun Sinniah as head of Reinsurance and Capital, as the firm builds out its reinsurance offering and international presence. Shaun will be based in London.

Sinniah was previously head of Placement & Distribution and chief operating officer of Guy Carpenter’s International & Global Specialties divisions. Prior to this, Sinniah held various roles at Willis Re including managing director, global head of Sales & Client Management. Sinniah joined the insurance industry from Goldman Sachs where he worked in London & Hong Kong.

His appointment aligns with Miller’s growth plans and accelerated reinsurance buildout. Sinniah will lead the expansion of Miller’s reinsurance offering, deployment of innovative data driven approaches and enhanced strategic advisory capabilities.

Miller has made a number of senior reinsurance appointments over the past 18 months in Bermuda, London and APAC, including the build out of a new APAC treaty reinsurance team. In his new role, Sinniah will also support the business’ broader international strategy, following the formation of Miller International at the start of 2023.

“We have a clear strategy to grow our reinsurance footprint in areas where it aligns with both client needs and our ambitious strategy. I’m delighted to be welcoming Shaun to the team as part of this. His wealth of experience will be invaluable as we continue to build out the reinsurance part of our business,” commented Miller CEO James Hands. “Since 2022, Miller has launched 12 new teams and welcomed over 200 new employees. Bringing in experts such as Shaun will allow us to accelerate this exciting trajectory and bolster our specialty offerings.”

Topics Reinsurance