Canopius Managing Agency appoints new UK CFO

Global specialty (re)insurer Canopius Managing Agency has today (12 December 2022) appointed James Pearson as its new UK chief financial officer (CFO).

Pearson joins from Direct Line where he was employed as head of financial planning and analysis and brings nearly 20 year of insurance and financial services experience to Canopius.

He originally trained with and then worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in both London and Sydney.

Pearson will report to Canopius Group CFO Gavin Phillips, who will return to his main role after filling in as interim UK CFO for Canopius Managing Agency while a candidate for the role was found.

Wealth of knowledge

Commenting on the appointment, Phillips said: “[Pearson] brings a wealth of Lloyd’s market knowledge from his time at PwC and significant experience in managing change and transformation – a key competence for any finance executive in these ever changing times for our industry.

“Through our search, [Pearson] stood out as the individual who most ably articulated how he would balance UK executive and board responsibilities with the wider leadership role across our business.”

Pearson added: “I am thrilled to be joining Canopius at an exciting time for the business and the London market – I look forward to working with my new UK leadership team and engaging all our finance expertise in support of the strategic ambitions of the group.”