Markel Insurance, the insurance operations of Markel Group Inc., a specialist insurer providing commercial insurance products and services across a range of sectors, has announced the appointment of Marc Copland as Vice President, Product Line Leader – Property, with immediate effect.
In the newly established role, Copland will oversee the strategic direction and continued development of Markel Canada’s Property portfolio.
He will work alongside underwriting and technical teams to enhance the company’s Property offering, strengthen its specialist capabilities and improve the experience for brokers trading with the business.
The role will also focus on increasing the use of artificial intelligence, data and analytics, and underwriting technology to support faster, more informed underwriting decisions while allowing specialists to dedicate more time to complex risks requiring technical expertise. The appointment is intended to support the continued expansion of its Property business across the Canadian market.
Markel Insurance said the creation of the position forms part of its broader investment in specialist leadership as it continues to grow its operations across Canada. The company stated that its approach, guided by The Markel Style, places an emphasis on collaboration, technical expertise and delivering long-term value for clients and business partners. Property has been identified by Markel Insurance as a key area of strategic growth, with Copland expected to help strengthen the business’s capabilities and market presence.
“Marc is a terrific addition to our Canadian leadership team,” added Cliff Laidlaw, Senior Vice President, Underwriting at Markel Canada. “His technical depth in complex property risk and track record of building and leading high-performing underwriting teams brings exactly the kind of expertise we need as we sharpen our focus on Property and continue building Markel Canada into a leading specialty insurer.”
Copland joins the company with 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. His background includes 16 years underwriting technically complex property risks across both the primary insurance and reinsurance markets, alongside seven years in underwriting leadership roles.
Before joining Markel Insurance, Copland was Manager, Complex Middle Market at Definity (Economical), where he established a new product line, developing its underwriting framework, policy wordings, operational processes, portfolio and team.
Earlier in his career, he spent nearly 10 years with Munich Re Canada underwriting large, risk-managed accounts across industries including mining, energy, heavy manufacturing, real estate, power generation and course of construction. Copland holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and has earned both the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designations.
