AM Specialty Welcomes Michael Watson as a Board Member of AM Holding Company
DALLAS, TX, June 15th, 2026 — AM Specialty Insurance Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Watson to its Board of Directors.
Watson joins the Board following a distinguished career spanning more than 45 years in financial services across London, New York, Bermuda, and Ireland. He is the founder and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canopius Group, a global specialty (re)insurance business writing more than $4 billion in gross written premium.
During his tenure at Canopius, Watson led the business through two management buyouts, two sales to strategic investors, and four major acquisitions. Since its founding in 2003, Canopius grew from a small syndicate into one of the largest syndicates at Lloyd’s, with a network of offices around the world. Today, Canopius operates the largest syndicate at Lloyd’s.
Watson brings deep experience across specialty property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, which has been his primary focus for the past 30 years. His broader financial services background includes commercial and investment banking, trade finance, securities dealing ,and life insurance.
In addition to his executive leadership experience, Watson is a former Member of the Council of Lloyd’s and a former Board member of the Lloyd’s Market Association. He began his career with Arthur Andersen & Co., where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Shevawn Barder, Group Chief Executive Officer of AM Specialty Insurance Group, commented:
“Michael’s appointment to our Board represents a significant addition to the Group. His experience in building and scaling a global specialty insurance business, combined with his deep Lloyd’s market experience and strategic perspective, will be highly valuable as we continue to develop AM Specialty’s platform and growth.”
The appointment reflects AM Specialty’s continued focus on strengthening its governance framework and aligning experienced industry leadership with its long-term, underwriting-first approach to building a leading specialty insurance platform.
About AM Specialty Insurance Group
AM Specialty Insurance Group is a leading provider of specialty insurance solutions. Its holding company (AM Holding Company) owns 100% of its subsidiaries, including AM Specialty Insurance Company, AM Star Claims, AM RE Syndicate, and Pinpoint. The group is committed to technical underwriting, long-term partnerships, and delivering profitable, sustainable growth across the specialty insurance sector. Learn more at www.amspecialty.com
Media Contact:
Javier Sebastian
Sr. Marketing Associate, AM Specialty
javier.sebastian@amspecialty.com