Markel has announced the appointment of Phil Schmidt (pictured above) as Head of Strategy.

Effective now, Schmidt will lead Markel’s global strategy team, which will operate from its base in Bermuda. Schmidt joined Markel in October 2023 as Managing Director.

“Schmidt brings strong global and strategic experience to the role of chief strategy officer. He has demonstrated a close fit with Markle’s people-driven culture, which we believe is an important asset,” said Jeremy Noble, Markle’s president.

Leading strategic initiatives

In his new role, Schmidt will participate in key strategic initiatives and corporate development activities pursued across Markel globally.

He will work closely with Markel’s national and Nephila divisions to address clients’ most complex risk management needs by leveraging the company’s broad platform in insurance, reinsurance, front-end and insurance-linked securities.

“We are confident that his leadership of the global strategy team will keep Markel focused on the priorities and resources needed to lead the industry. I look forward to partnering with Phil in this work,” Noble said.

Schmidt’s extensive background

Prior to joining Markel, Schmidt was a managing director at Burg, an investment bank providing M&A, fundraising and strategic advisory services. During his 13-year tenure at Burg, Schmidt held roles of increasing responsibility, including Chief Investment and Strategy Officer at Babbel and Senior Vice President of Strategy at Pearson.

Schmidt holds degrees from the University of Freiburg, the University of Bedfordshire, and an MBA from the London Business School.

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