People Moves: HSB Canada Appoints Bellissimo as President and CEO; Canopius Taps Lee From AIG as CEO, Asia-Pacific & MENA

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at HSB Canada and Canopius Group.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

HSB Canada announced the appointment of Barbara Bellissimo as president and chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2024. She replaces John Mulvihill, who has retired after a 34-year career with the Toronto-based specialty insurer.

Under Mulvihill’s leadership, HSB Canada doubled its revenue, introduced a host of new specialty products, and initiated a significant transformation program.

Bellissimo began her insurance career in 1986 and is a Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP). She was former Canadian head for the largest insurance company in North America (State Farm) and one of the top P/C insurers in Canada (Desjardins). She recently served as chair on HSB Canada’s board of directors.

HSB Canada, part of Munich Re, is a multi-line specialty insurer and provider of inspection, risk management and IoT technology services.

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Canopius Taps Lee From AIG as CEO, Asia-Pacific & MENA

Canopius Group, the global specialty and property/casualty re/insurer, announced the appointment of Soon Keen Lee (“SK” Lee) as chief executive officer of Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & North Africa (MENA), subject to regulatory approval.

She will report to Canopius Group Chief Executive Officer Neil Robertson and will join the Canopius Group Leadership Team.

Lee joins from AIG APAC, where she most recently served as head of Commercial Property and SME for APAC. She has worked at a number of high-profile P/C insurance roles throughout her 28-year career, becoming a leading underwriter for the region.

At AIG, Lee managed the Asia Pacific commercial property and SME portfolio, leading a team with diverse backgrounds and cultures. Her most recent tenure at AIG was the second time Lee had worked at the insurer, previously holding a number of property underwriting and management roles over a decade at AIG Malaysia and Singapore. She also previously held both senior insurance and treaty roles at Catlin and Aspen Re Singapore.

Lee will lead Canopius’ APAC Business Unit across both Singapore and Australia, taking over from long-time Canopius APAC CEO Mark Newman, who recently moved to become UK CEO in London. Lee will lead the regional Executive Committee, and is charged with continuing to evolve Canopius’ APAC operations, which grew by 35% in 2023. Lee will join Canopius before the end of Q2 2024.

Canopius is an international specialty and P&C (re)insurer. Canopius underwrites insurance products on several platforms to offer a wide range of specialty solutions, with offices in Australia, Bermuda, Singapore, the UK and the US. It underwrites through Lloyd’s Syndicate 4444 (managed by Canopius Managing Agents Ltd.); a US surplus lines insurer, Canopius US Insurance Inc.; and Canopius Reinsurance Ltd, a Bermuda-based Class 4 reinsurer.

Topics Canada AIG