Head of Operations

About the team:
Markel operates throughout the Asia Pacific region from its regional hub in Singapore and from offices in Hong Kong, China, India, Malaysia, Dubai and Australia. Our teams operate as part of Markel’s Wholesale division, working together towards our goal to be one of the world’s best speciality insurers. We work collaboratively both within Wholesale and across the wider Markel organisation, and because we work as one, we are able to create the best solutions possible for our clients, and provide exceptional development opportunities for our staff.

This person will oversee Asia's operations and ensure alignment of overall strategy to ensure high efficiency and effectiveness.

What we ask of you:

- Define and set the strategy for the operating model that services underwriting and claims in Asia Pacific (Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, KL, Singapore, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney), influencing key business lines, international operations and IT to obtain buy-in and sponsorship.
- Ensure we operate a lean operating platform that is fit-for-purpose and additive to future business growth.
- Liaise with International operations stakeholders, including the Wholesale Operations Director and International COO to ensure consistent and effective transmission of international operational changes
- Look closely at people, processes and systems to identify best practices as well as opportunities for near-term incremental changes. Embed a culture of continuous improvement and consistency of processes across the business.
- Identify opportunities for automation, outsourcing or off-shoring and implement these where they drive improvements in efficiency, cost and quality of output.
- Take day-to-day responsibility for the risk processing side of the business. Exploring ways to improve the speed, accuracy and costs of these functions. Moreover, defining better ways to implement and structure this alongside the risk underwriting side of the business.
- Assist with the development of digital trading capabilities, working closely with underwriting leadership to identify and deliver on specific digital trading enhancements (broker portal) and new opportunities (direct to consumer).
- Engage with market change initiatives, assessing and implementing changes as required to optimise Markel’s use of the market infrastructure.
- Interface with business owners of internal and external systems.
- Support the data analytics needs of the division to improve management information and data accuracy.
- Work with local office managers to manage the facilities across the AsiaPacific offices including office support, deskside IT support, and office infrastructure (all offices) including physical plant, computing and telephony
- Ensure there is effective operational reporting in place across the division.
- Ensure there is business resilience in place for the division, including relevant contingency plans, in conjunction with the International COO and International BCP team.

What you will bring to the role:

- Ability to help define and articulate the strategic operating vision for Asia Pacific and translate it into implementable tactical steps. To include the capability to make decisions that balance cost, value and business benefit.
- Experience overseeing and improving underwriting, claims and other systems and processes with an emphasis on risk processing and workflow.
- A proven track-record in leading significant change programmes encompassing business operations, IT and data.
- Exceptional ability to communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, with ability to influence a variety of stakeholders.
- A hands-on approach, with high energy levels and self-motivated, with the ability to inspire, mentor and lead others.
- Experience of matrix management and using internal and external teams, including overseeing outsourced arrangements.
- Organisational and political agility with the ability to drive large cross-functional initiatives involving coordination with multiple stakeholders
- Familiarity with the Microsoft suite including Sharepoint, while familiarity with Bizagi, Sequel and other systems (possibly including Eclipse) would be beneficial