Canopius opens Manchester office as second-largest hub

Canopius has opened a permanent office in Manchester, which will become the insurer’s second-largest location after London.

The office at 100 Barbirolli Square will serve as the group’s Centre of Operational Excellence, bringing together global operational functions including technology, data, project management and other operational roles.

Canopius has signed a 10-year lease, signalling a long-term commitment to the city as it expands its presence outside London. The office has been designed to support flexible working.

The move formalises a presence that began with shared workspace in Manchester in 2022. Since then, Canopius has built a local team and created 90 technology and data roles, from entry-level positions to senior jobs.

Manchester is becoming an increasingly important hub for the insurer’s support and operational activity. The office will house global operational functions rather than underwriting operations.

Canopius traces its roots to 2003, when it began as a small underwriting business within the Lloyd’s of London market. It has since grown into an international insurance group with more than 1,000 employees across the UK, US, Bermuda, Australia and Singapore.

The group underwrites through Lloyd’s Syndicate 4444, Canopius US Insurance and Canopius Reinsurance in Bermuda, and provides insurance products in more than 130 countries.

Manchester base

The choice of Manchester reflects the city’s growing role in UK financial and professional services, as insurers and other firms continue to expand technology and operations teams beyond the capital. Regional offices are increasingly being used to tap local talent pools and reduce reliance on London for functions such as data, operations and change management.

For Canopius, the new office also brings together teams already working in the city, consolidating expertise across technical and operational disciplines in one location.

Kate Roy, Group Chief Operating Officer, Canopius, said: “Manchester offers an outstanding talent pool that we have already benefitted from enormously. Its commitment to supporting the financial services sector creates the ideal environment for businesses like ours to thrive.

“Our new office represents our long-term investment in the region and reflects our belief that Manchester is perfectly placed for us to realise our ambitions and deliver even more practical solutions for our clients. It will be a place where we can build, share and develop technical and operational skills by bringing together top expertise and empowering exceptional people,” said Roy.

Global support

The Manchester office will support the group’s underwriting business and wider support functions across its international network. By concentrating technology, data and project management staff in one base, Canopius is adding more structure to functions that underpin its broader insurance operations.

The insurer operates in the specialist and property and casualty reinsurance market, where firms are under pressure to modernise internal systems, manage data more effectively and improve operational processes. Regional centres have become one way to organise those efforts while broadening recruitment beyond London’s established insurance market.

Manchester has been a major beneficiary of that trend, attracting investment from banks, insurers, law firms and technology employers. For Canopius, the opening creates a permanent foothold in a city where it has already been hiring and building teams for several years.

The office will be home to expertise in technology, data, project management and operations, building on the 90 local technology and data roles already created.