-- Markel's US and Bermuda operations to split into two divisions: US
Wholesale and Specialty and Programs and Solutions
-- Wendy Houser appointed President, US Wholesale and Specialty
-- Alex Martin appointed President, Programs and Solutions
-- Andrew McMellin appointed President, International
-- Glenn Harris appointed Chief Commercial Officer
-- Henry Gardener appointed Chief Risk Officer
RICHMOND, Va., April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel Insurance, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. , today announced a new divisional structure for its US and Bermuda operations and new leadership appointments. The changes, effective today, follow the appointment of Simon Wilson as Chief Executive Officer of Markel Insurance in March and are part of a long-term strategy to simplify and grow the business by giving local teams a greater degree of empowerment and accountability to serve the needs of their customers.
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"The best way to profitably grow a specialized and diversified business like ours is to equip and empower our local experts to serve the needs of the customers that they know best," said Simon Wilson. "These changes are an initial step to ensure that we have the divisional structure and leaders in place to do just that."
Markel's US and Bermuda operations split into two divisions.
Markel's US and Bermuda operations, previously known as Markel Specialty, will now be divided into two business divisions.
-- US Wholesale and Specialty will be responsible for all US specialty
insurance business that flows through the company's core wholesale and
retail channels. This move will ensure that Markel has a team focused
exclusively on its core US specialty insurance business, which will
better position the company as it seeks to be a leader in the excess and
surplus portion of the market. Wendy Houser will lead the division as
President, US Wholesale and Specialty. Houser has been with Markel for
16 years, where she served as Chief Wholesale Officer for Markel
Specialty for the last two years and previously as Chief Territory
Officer. She sits on the board of the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance
Association (WSIA).
-- Programs and Solutions will include Markel's personal lines, Bermuda,
surety, worker's compensation, small commercial general package,
programs and alliances and Insurtech businesses. Creating this
stand-alone division will enable the company to increase its focus on
and investment in these specialized businesses that have been proven
winners over time. Alex Martin, formerly President of Markel Specialty,
will lead this division as President, Programs and Solutions. Martin has
been with Markel for 19 years, during which he held leadership positions
in operations, underwriting, business development, strategy and finance.
Markel announces additional leadership appointments.
In addition, the company announced the following leadership appointments:
-- Andrew McMellin has been appointed President, International, succeeding
Simon Wilson, who was appointed to lead Markel Insurance last month.
McMellin is a highly experienced and respected insurance executive, who
has led Markel's International Wholesale division since joining the
company in early 2022. Under his leadership, the International Wholesale
team increased gross written premium by 43% and underwriting profit by
214%. McMellin brings more than 35 years of experience in specialty
insurance to the role, including chief executive roles at Pioneer
Underwriters and XL Catlin. He has experience managing
multibillion-dollar portfolios of specialty product lines and a track
record of accelerating growth in new and existing markets, including
Asia.
-- Glenn Harris has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer. In this role,
Harris will ensure the voice of the customer has a constant place at the
leadership table by coordinating with major trading partners to develop
and maintain key strategic relationships. He has been with Markel for 15
years in a range of business development roles, most recently as
Managing Executive, Global Distribution Strategies and Business
Development.
-- Henry Gardener has been appointed Chief Risk Officer. In this role,
Gardener will deliver a risk culture that matches Markel's business
ambition, centered around evaluating and taking the right risks to drive
the business forward. He has been with Markel for 11 years, most
recently serving as Senior Managing Director of Legal and Chief Risk
Officer, International.
About Markel Insurance
We are Markel Insurance, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within the Markel Group Inc. , we leverage a broad array of capabilities and expertise to create intelligent solutions for the most complex specialty insurance needs. However, it is our people - and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients - that differentiates us worldwide.
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Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2090808/Markel_primary_logo_Logo.jpg MarkelCONTACT: Chelsea Rarrick, +1.804.965.1618, Chelsea.Rarrick@markel.com
