Global specialty lines insurer Canopius Group has opened a trading office in Melbourne, with the operation to be led by David Mutton, who has joined as Casualty Underwriter for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Canopius, which already has a Sydney office, will initially underwrite casualty business from Melbourne and broaden its offering as it expands. Plans are underway to make new hires in the coming year.

“The opening of our trading office in Melbourne marks a significant point in our APAC growth journey, Canopius CEO APAC Mark Newman said.

“Melbourne provides an ideal platform for us to continue to scale rapidly as a lead carrier for specialty risk in Australia, while attracting some of the region’s top talent.”

Mr Mutton brings more than two decades’ experience to his new role, specialising in corporate and commercial casualty lines. He joins the business from Axa XL, where he was Senior Underwriter, Casualty for Australia.

“His leadership skills and relationships built over many years, combined with his strong technical capability and knowledge of the local market, complement our team of specialists and places us well to seize the wealth of opportunities in Australia,” Mr Newman said.

Canopius opened its first office in Australia in 2019 with plans to strongly grow in the region. The insurer and reinsurer also has underwriting operations in Bermuda, China, Singapore, the UK and the US.