Canopius appoints former AXA XL Re Bermuda chief as global reinsurance head
Former AXA XL Re Bermuda chief executive officer Charles Cooper (pictured) is to join Canopius Group as global head of reinsurance and CEO of Canopius' Bermudian entities.
Cooper, who was head of XL Re in Bermuda from 2017 until last year, will report to Canopius Group CEO Neil Robertson and will join the Canopius Group leadership team when he joins Canopius on September 1.
Cooper, who has worked in the Bermudian reinsurance sector for nearly 20 years, will be tasked with driving Canopius’ global reinsurance business strategy.
Canopius said: "Building on solid foundations and benefiting from attractive market conditions in reinsurance, Charles will work with Canopius’s teams of reinsurance professionals in Bermuda, London and Singapore to develop a more significant growth driver for the business."
Robertson, who also serves as interim CEO of Canopius Re, said: “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.
“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.”
Cooper said: “It’s a hugely exciting time to be joining Canopius and I am eager to begin developing what is already a well-respected business. Further, I am looking forward to leading a very talented team of reinsurance professionals across Canopius’s businesses in London, APAC and here in Bermuda.”
Cooper will also be tasked with further developing Canopius’s 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.
As reinsurance chief executive at AXA XL, Charles 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 201, Canopius said.
