Where former RSA Canada president and CEO Martin Thompson is now

Martin Thompson, until recently CEO of RSA Canada, will be stepping in as interim Group CEO of Brit Ltd., which is owned by Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

Brit, which covers complex risks, said in a press release Tuesday that Group CEO Matthew Wilson will be taking an indefinite leave of absence due to health reasons. “The whole of Brit wishes Matthew well, and look forward to his return.”

Thompson will step in as interim Group CEO, subject to regulatory approval. Brit said it has a major presence in Lloyd’s of London, with “significant U.S. and international reach.” It underwrites a broad class of commercial specialty insurance, with a strong focus on property, casualty and energy business.

Thompson was appointed president and CEO of RSA Canada in October 2016. He was with RSA for over 20 years, having started his career with the insurer in 1997.

After Intact Financial Corp. and Danish insurer Tryg A/S announced in June that they completed their acquisition of London-based RSA plc, Intact said that Thompson would be leaving the company. As part of the acquisition, Toronto-based Intact acquired RSA Canada and some of RSA’s international operations.

Thompson joined Fairfax as an executive officer in September 2021, Brit reported. He has held senior executive roles running commercial and specialty lines operations across the U.K, Canada and Scandinavia.

He is also chairman of the Insurance Institute of Canada and an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, a professional body in the United Kingdom.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Matthew Wilson and his family as he begins a program to fully regain his health,” said Fairfax Financial Holdings chairman and CEO Prem Watsa in the release. “He has our full support during this challenging time, and we look forward to his return. In the meantime, we are fortunate to have Martin Thompson available to step into the role of CEO of Brit. His interim appointment will minimize disruption to Brit and its related operations during Matthew’s absence.”