Canopius Group has appointed Adrian Phipps as its new chief people officer, effective June 2026, as the global specialty re/insurer builds out its leadership team following a record year of profitability.
Phipps will lead the company's people strategy, with responsibilities covering talent development, culture and growth initiatives. He will report directly to group chief executive officer Neil Robertson, succeeding Barbara Turner, who has served as Chief HR Officer for nearly a decade and will retire later this year.
The incoming CPO joins Canopius from luxury travel deals company Secret Escapes, where he held the same title. Prior to that, he served as People Director at broadcast technology firm Arqiva and as HR Director for UK Personal Insurance at RSA.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Canopius and its leadership team at a time of such fantastic progress and ambition," Phipps said. He added that he has been impressed by the culture the company has developed in recent years.
The appointment comes as Canopius rides a wave of strong financial results. According to the company's latest filings, insurance contract written premium rose 26% to US$3.53 billion in 2024, up from US$2.80 billion the previous year. Profit after tax increased 10% to US$401.3 million, while return on opening tangible equity reached 27.7%.
Momentum has continued into 2025, with net insurance revenue rising 42% to US$1.39 billion in the first half, compared to the same period a year earlier. In June 2025, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance announced an additional US$570 million equity investment in the firm.
Phipps' hiring is part of a broader leadership overhaul at the reinsurer. In December 2025, the company appointed Katherine Letsinger, Torbjörn Magnusson, and Tom Bradley as independent non-executive directors.
Letsinger, who has nearly 40 years of specialty insurance experience, will chair the audit committees for Canopius Group Limited and Canopius Managing Agents Limited starting March 2026.
The company has also expanded its regional leadership throughout 2025, bringing in new heads for Australia and New Zealand, Property & Specialty APAC, and Reinsurance UK.
The appointment follows the launch of Canopius' "Talent Manifesto" at the end of 2025, an internal initiative outlining the company's approach to building what it describes as a high-performing, purpose-driven culture.
Robertson said the company aims to become defined by its performance and talent. "That's why we're so excited to welcome Adrian at this important moment – we've committed to making significant investments to bring in new talent and to also cultivating the talent we have in our business," he said.
