Brit CEO takes leave of absence, interim CEO announced

Replacement was president and CEO of a national P&C insurer

Brit CEO takes leave of absence, interim CEO announced

Insurance News

By Bethan Moorcraft

Brit Ltd, a global specialty (re)insurer and subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, has announced that its group CEO, Matthew Wilson, is taking an indefinite leave of absence due to health reasons.

The Brit team have extended their well wishes to Wilson and look forward to his return. Prem Watsa, Fairfax Financial Holdings chairman and CEO, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Matthew Wilson and his family as he begins a program to fully regain his health. He has our full support during this challenging time, and we look forward to his return.”

During Wilson’s absence, Martin Thompson has been appointed as interim group CEO, subject to regulatory approval.

Thompson joined Fairfax in September 2021 as an executive officer. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of RSA Canada. He started his career with RSA in 1997 and stayed with the insurer for over 20-years taking several senior executive roles running commercial and specialty lines operations across the UK, Canada, and Scandinavia. Today, Thompson is also chair of the Insurance Institute of Canada and an associate of the CII.

“We are fortunate to have Martin Thompson available to step into the role of CEO of Brit,” said Watsa. “Martin brings ample senior executive experience, most recently having served as CEO of RSA Canada. His interim appointment will minimize disruption to Brit and its related operations during Matthew’s absence.”

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