With his recent appointment as President of Marsh Risk Canada, Michael Lewis steps into a critical leadership role at a time of unprecedented global uncertainty. Continuing as Chief Commercial Officer, he is uniquely positioned to steer the firm’s strategy through a landscape marked by economic and geopolitical volatility. We sat down with him to discuss his immediate priorities for helping Canadian clients navigate this new reality, his approach to balancing dual executive responsibilities, and his vision for creating a unified, data-driven strategy across the firm’s diverse risk and specialty units.
Your promotion comes at a time of significant economic and geopolitical volatility. What are the first practical steps you will take to help Canadian clients navigate challenges like evolving trade policies and complex global risks, and how will you measure success in these efforts?
My appointment truly does come at a pivotal moment, and my first steps are grounded in direct, practical support for our clients. The immediate priority is to intensify our engagement, moving beyond traditional broking to proactive risk consulting. We’re deploying our specialist teams to actively model the real-world impacts of evolving trade policies and regulatory shifts on our clients’ specific operations. I want them to feel that we are in the trenches with them, anticipating the next challenge. Success for me won’t just be a metric on a dashboard; it will be hearing from a client that our insights allowed them to pivot their supply chain before a disruption hit or to confidently enter a new market because we helped demystify the complex risks involved.
You are now President of Marsh Risk Canada while also retaining your role as Chief Commercial Officer. How will you balance the strategic oversight of the presidency with the commercial focus of a CCO? Please share how these dual responsibilities will complement each other in your day-to-day work.
I see these two roles as intrinsically linked, not as competing priorities. The Chief Commercial Officer hat keeps me grounded in the day-to-day reality of our clients and our people. It’s about feeling the pulse of the market and understanding the commercial pressures firsthand. The presidency provides the strategic altitude to connect those dots, to see the broader patterns, and to ensure our entire Canadian operation is aligned to meet those needs. For example, a CCO-level conversation about a specific industry’s emerging cyber threats will directly inform my presidential strategy on where we must invest in our specialty broking talent and technology. One role informs the other, creating a powerful feedback loop that keeps our strategy relevant and our execution sharp.
Your position involves leading strategy across diverse units, including risk management, corporate client segments, and specialty insurance. What is your plan to create a unified commercial strategy across these areas, and how will you collaborate with various leaders to ensure a cohesive client experience?
Creating a unified strategy is about breaking down internal silos to present one seamless, powerful Marsh to our clients. My plan begins with establishing a common framework for client engagement that is centered on their holistic risk landscape, not our internal structure. This means working very closely with the leaders of each unit to map out how their unique capabilities—from risk consulting to reinsurance and capital solutions—can be integrated. It’s about ensuring that a corporate client seeking specialty insurance also has immediate access to our top risk management consultants without feeling like they’re dealing with a different company. The goal is a cohesive experience where the client feels the full force of our collective expertise, no matter which door they enter through.
Globally, there is a strong focus on using data-driven solutions to turn complex risks into growth opportunities. How do you plan to champion this approach within Marsh Risk Canada, and could you provide an anecdote of how data has already helped a client navigate a challenging situation?
Championing a data-driven approach is at the core of my vision. In today’s volatile world, intuition isn’t enough; we need to help clients make decisions with confidence, and that comes from data. We are actively investing in analytics platforms that allow us to transform complex risk variables into clear, actionable insights for growth. I recently saw this in action with a client in the manufacturing sector facing immense supply chain pressures. By analyzing geopolitical risk data, shipping lane volatility, and commodity price forecasts, we didn’t just help them insure their risk—we helped them identify a more stable, cost-effective sourcing region they hadn’t considered. That’s the magic; we moved from simply protecting their business to actively enabling their growth.
What is your forecast for the Canadian commercial risk landscape over the next 18 months?
Over the next 18 months, I foresee the Canadian commercial risk landscape being defined by a convergence of interconnected threats. Economic volatility will continue to strain balance sheets, making businesses more vulnerable to operational disruptions. At the same time, geopolitical instability will keep supply chains fragile, and the pace of regulatory change, particularly around climate and cyber-resilience, will accelerate. The key for Canadian businesses will be to move from a defensive, reactive posture on risk to a proactive, strategic one. The companies that thrive will be those that use sophisticated data and expert counsel to not only navigate these challenges but also to find the hidden opportunities for growth and resilience within them.
