Markel Group Names Simon Wilson CEO of Markel Insurance
RICHMOND, Va., March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL) has announced the appointment of Simon Wilson as Chief Executive Officer of Markel Insurance. This new designation encompasses the company’s three primary underwriting businesses: Markel Specialty, Markel International, and Markel Global Reinsurance.
This leadership transition is part of a broader strategic effort to sharpen the company’s customer focus. The goal is to empower the individual teams to address the distinct needs of their respective markets. This approach fueled Markel’s growth from its origins as a small U.S. insurer in 1986 to a global specialty insurance leader.
Simon Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Markel Insurance
Wilson brings over two decades of experience in scaling the operations of large specialty insurance organizations. He joined Markel in 2010 to lead international business development. He was the primary architect of Markel International’s expansion beyond London, scaling operations in Europe, Canada, and Asia. This expansion collectively grew to $2.5 billion in annual gross written premium last year.
In January 2020, Wilson became Managing Executive of Global Strategy for Markel, where he directly supported all underwriting operations. Since becoming President of Markel International in 2021, the division increased gross written premiums by nearly 40 percent and net underwriting profit by over 250 percent. Prior to joining the company, Wilson led the Lloyd’s Asia platform in Singapore.
“Simon is a proven leader with extensive insurance expertise, and his leadership approach aligns with both the Markel Style and our current needs,” said Tom Gayner, Chief Executive Officer of Markel Group. “Markel’s growth has been impressive, but it also brought new challenges and unnecessary complexity, as confirmed by our ongoing Board-led business review. At times, we unintentionally made it harder for our people to serve our customers. I’m confident in Simon’s vision for growing this fortress of an insurance business through teams that are focused on serving the customers and markets that they know best.”
“I am deeply honored by this opportunity,” said Wilson. “Markel is at its best when our leaders are given equal parts empowerment and accountability. Our work going forward will ensure that we make decisions as close to the customer as possible, reduce complexity, and restore our commitment to being a market leader in each of our pursuits.”
As a result of this leadership transition, Jeremy Noble will be leaving the company. Gayner added, “I’ve worked alongside Jeremy for more than 20 years and am immensely grateful for his relentless efforts on behalf of the business, in particular during the past few years as he worked to strengthen the foundation of our insurance operations.”
Alongside this leadership transition, the State National and Nephila leadership teams will continue to operate with a high degree of autonomy. They will now report directly into Markel Group, alongside Markel Insurance. These three businesses will continue to actively collaborate where opportunities exist in the marketplace.
About Markel Group
Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL) is a diverse family of companies that includes everything from insurance to bakery equipment, building supplies, houseplants, and more. The leadership teams of these businesses operate with a high degree of independence while maintaining the core values known as the Markel Style. The specialty insurance business forms the core of the company. Through consistent underwriting practices, the insurance team has provided the capital base from which Markel built a system of businesses and investments that collectively increase the group’s durability and adaptability. This system provides diverse income streams, access to numerous investment opportunities, and the ability to efficiently allocate capital to the best ideas across the company. Most importantly, this system enables each of the group’s businesses to advance the shared goal of helping customers, associates, and shareholders succeed over the long term.
Visit mklgroup.com to learn more.
Source: Markel Group
