Ascot Group Ltd has appointed two senior global executives to its board of directors as the Bermudian-based speciality insurer marks its 25th anniversary.

The company said Patrice Walch-Watson and Christopher Gallagher have joined the board, bringing legal, regulatory and underwriting experience.

Kewsong Lee, chairman of Ascot, said the pair would “meaningfully enhance” the board’s leadership and global insight.

Jonathan Zaffino, chief executive and president of Ascot, said he was “thrilled” to welcome the new directors as the company continues to scale its international platform.

Sam Blaichman, managing director at CPP Investments and an Ascot director, said their experience navigating “complex global insurance and regulatory environments” would be valuable as Ascot executes its long-term growth strategy.

Ms Walch-Watson is senior managing director, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at CPP Investments. She serves on its senior management team and investment committee, leading global legal, compliance and corporate secretarial functions, and overseeing internal assurance and advisory work.

She has experience in transactions, regulation and corporate governance, and serves on the board of trustees of Queen’s University and on the advisory council to the dean of Queen’s University Law School. She holds the designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors known as the ICD. D.

Mr Gallagher is a veteran insurance and reinsurance executive with 30 years of industry experience. He most recently served as CEO of commercial property and casualty insurance and executive director at Sompo International, overseeing commercial insurance and reinsurance operations outside Japan.

He joined Sompo International in 2015 as chief risk officer and group actuary and was promoted in 2019. Before that, he held senior roles at Axis Capital and worked in the actuarial practice of Ernst & Young in the United Kingdom. He is a fellow of the UK’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Ascot operates from offices in Bermuda, the United States and London. The group reported $12 billion in total assets at year-end 2024.