Aon and Markel Insurance have announced key leadership moves to strengthen their presence in Asia and Australia.
Starting January 1, 2026, Simon Chisholm will take on the role of chairman for Asia at Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions. Based in Singapore, Chisholm will lead efforts to grow relationships with major clients in Japan and Thailand. He brings nearly 40 years of experience, having worked across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., and has held leadership positions serving Aon’s largest global reinsurance clients. His appointment highlights Aon’s focus on providing tailored support to multinational clients. Chisholm will report to Soeren Soltysiak, the CEO of Reinsurance Solutions in Asia.
Rupert Moore, Aon’s APAC CEO for Reinsurance Solutions, said Chisholm has been a key player in supporting important insurers across the region. He praised Chisholm’s deep market knowledge and long history with the company as strong reasons he’s the right choice for this role.
Meanwhile, Markel Insurance has named Scott Luxford as head of Distribution and Managing General Agent (MGA) Strategy for Australia, effective immediately. Luxford will be based in Sydney. His job will be to work closely with Australian brokers, MGAs, and partners to find new opportunities and help them benefit from Markel’s extensive trading relationships.
Luxford’s role is part of Markel’s plan to build a strong local team in Australia. He’ll also join the global wholesale distribution and broker development team headed by Dan Martin, focusing on creating new partnerships and strengthening ties with international MGAs. Luxford reports to Rory Morison, managing director for Australia.
Before joining Markel, Luxford was head of Distribution at Harland Green and played a key role in building the firm from the ground up. He also founded a specialist underwriting agency and held senior positions at QBE Australia and Zurich Financial Services Australia. His early career included financial lines underwriting roles at Allianz Australia and ACE Group, now part of Chubb.
Morison commented that the Australian MGA market is lively and important. He expressed excitement about having Luxford on board to boost Markel’s partnerships with brokers and MGAs, and to help the company offer strong and lasting value in the country.
These appointments by Aon and Markel demonstrate their commitment to expanding leadership teams and deepening client relationships across the Asia-Pacific insurance markets.