Markel has announced the appointment of Phil Schmidt (pictured above) as chief strategy officer.
Effective immediately, Schmidt will lead Markel’s global strategy team, working from his base in Bermuda. Schmidt joined Markel in October 2023 as a managing director.
Schmidt “brings strong global and strategic credentials to the role of chief strategy officer," said Jeremy Noble, president of Markel. "He also has demonstrated a close alignment with Markel’s people-driven culture, which we believe is an important asset.”
In his new role, Schmidt will engage with major strategic initiatives and corporate development activities pursued across Markel globally.
He will collaborate closely with Markel’s state national and Nephila divisions to address clients’ most complex risk management needs by leveraging the company’s extensive platform in insurance, reinsurance, fronting, 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 for industry leadership. I look forward to partnering with Phil in this work,” Noble said.
Before joining Markel, Schmidt served as managing director for Burg, a boutique investment bank providing M&A, fundraising, and strategy consulting services. During his 13-year tenure at Burg, Schmidt took on roles of increasing responsibility, including chief investment and strategy officer for Babbel and SVP strategy for Pearson.
Schmidt holds degrees from the University of Freiburg, the University of Bedfordshire, and an MBA from London Business School.
