Canopius Group and Athene, two insurers with operations in Asia, each named a new executive to lead parts of their regional business this week, the companies said in separate statements.
Canopius, which underwrites specialty and property and casualty (re)insurance, said on July 1, 2026, that Winnie Tay (pictured) has taken on the role of underwriter, financial lines, at its Singapore office. Tay will report to Robert Barnum, who leads the company’s financial lines business for the Asia-Pacific region, and her work will centre on the company’s financial lines underwriting in that region. Tay previously worked at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty for more than a decade, taking on financial lines positions in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia. Her last position there was senior financial lines underwriter and professional indemnity lead for Southeast Asia, a role in which she managed underwriting and portfolio matters for a professional indemnity book covering several markets.
Barnum was quoted in the statement addressing the hire. “Winnie brings deep financial lines expertise and a detailed understanding of the regional market. Her appointment further strengthens our Singapore platform as we continue to grow and enhance our financial lines capabilities across APAC,” Barnum said. Canopius writes business through Lloyd’s Syndicate 4444, overseen by Canopius Managing Agents Limited, along with Canopius US Insurance, Inc. and Canopius Reinsurance Ltd., a Class 4 reinsurer based in Bermuda. The insurer has underwriting bases in Australia, Bermuda, Singapore, the UK, and the US, and does business in over 130 countries.
Athene, a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc. that provides retirement products, said on June 30, 2026, that Larik Hall has been appointed senior vice president and head of Japan. According to the statement, Hall will work out of Japan and take charge of the company’s plans to expand its retirement product offerings there. Athene CEO Grant Kvalheim commented on the appointment in the statement, pointing to demographic and economic conditions shaping the Japanese market. “Japan is one of the most important retirement markets globally, shaped by an aging demographic, a growing need for long-term retirement security and a new economic regime that has demanded a new playbook. Larik’s strong track record of building retirement businesses and meaningful experience leading large-scale insurance platforms in the Japanese market makes him exceptionally well suited to expand Athene’s footprint locally,” Kvalheim said.
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Hall has spent over 30 years working in the retirement sector, with more than 10 of those years focused on Japan specifically. Before this appointment, he held the position of managing director at Goldman Sachs Ayco, heading its insurance practice, and he has also worked in senior positions at AIG, MetLife Alico, and MassMutual. Hall addressed his new role in the statement. “I am honoured to join Athene and lead its Japan strategy at such an important time. Japan is one of the world’s most sophisticated insurance markets, with unique demographic and retirement needs. I look forward to building on the company’s strong foundation, deepening trusted relationships, and delivering new and needed retirement solutions at scale to support Japan’s long-term retirement security,” he said.
Since completing its first deal with a Japanese cedent in 2020, Athene has reinsured over US$20 billion in assets through eight separate transactions in the country, the statement said. Athene described this activity as part of an effort to help local insurers with risk management, efficiency, and policyholder service. The statement also noted that Athene’s ties to Apollo bring together capital, retirement-sector experience, and asset management functions, which the company linked to demand in Japan for long-term capital and yield products. As of March 31, 2026, Athene reported total assets of US$448 billion, with business operations spanning the US, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan.
