Pearson will report to Canopius group chief financial officer Gavin Phillips and interim Canopius UK CEO Kate Roy. Phillips previously held the role of interim UK CFO and will now revert to his group responsibilities, the company said.
Most recently, Pearson was head of financial planning and analysis at Direct Line, where he led the group’s finance transformation project and IFRS 17 implementation. Pearson has close to 20 years of insurance and financial services experience, having originally trained and worked for PwC in London and Sydney.
“James brings a wealth of Lloyd’s market knowledge from his time at PwC and significant experience in managing change and transformation; a key competence for any finance executive in these ever-changing times for our industry,” Phillips said. “Throughout our search, James stood out as the individual who most ably articulated how he would balance UK executive and board responsibilities with the wider leadership role across our business. We believe James will be a perfect cultural fit for Canopius, complement the UK leadership team tremendously well and I am extremely pleased to welcome him at this exciting time for our business.”
