Canopius becomes standalone firm

Canopius has announced the completion of its acquisition by a private equity consortium led by Centerbridge Partners, LP,  which includes private investment firm Gallatin Point Capital LLC.  Having received all necessary regulatory consents, Canopius is once again a standalone business, led by chairman Michael Watson and group chief underwriting officer Mike Duffy.

Since its foundation in 2003, Canopius has developed into a top-ten insurer at Lloyd’s, and wrote premium income of more than USD1.5 billion in 2017. With Centerbridge and Gallatin’s support, the business is poised for growth on a scalable platform when conditions are conducive, and will continue to focus on underwriting excellence and enhancing its value-added capabilities in support of brokers and clients.

Watson said: “I am delighted to herald the dawn of an exciting new chapter in Canopius’s journey. This has re-energised our exceptionally talented team who, with the financial strength and insights of our new owners, will continue to pursue our ambition of building a world-class specialty (re)insurance franchise.”

Ben Langworthy and Matthew Kabaker, senior managing directors at Centerbridge said: “We’re very happy to have completed the investment in Canopius.  Working with Michael Watson, Mike Duffy and the Canopius management team over the past few months has reinforced our view that this is a business with strong leadership and a clear strategy for the future.  We recognise that 2018 marks a milestone year for Canopius being that it is 15 years since its original foundation. We believe Canopius has a great opportunity to build on its outstanding track record and look forward to helping grow the business responsibly.”