GlobeNewswire Inc | Jun 16, 2021 10:12AM EDT

June 16, 2021

Wheeler to lead Trupanions long-term growth efforts to become global insurance leader within animal health

SEATTLE, June 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trupanion, the leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs, announced today that it has hired Simon Wheeler as its Executive Vice President of International Business. A 30-year veteran of the animal health industry, Wheeler joins Trupanion from Swedish-based Agria Pet Insurance LTD, the first and oldest brand in the pet insurance space.

This newly created position underscores Trupanions commitment to expand internationally, with the goal to double its addressable market of veterinary hospitals by 2035.

In his role as EVP of International Business, Wheeler will be responsible for the development of Trupanions international plans for growth across existing markets such as Australia and driving entry and growth into new international markets including Japan, UK, Brazil and Western Europe.

Wheeler joins Trupanion in October and is currently Managing Director at Agria Pet Insurance Ltd with responsibility for the UK marketplace and underwriting branch, Agria Frskring. Wheeler also played key roles at Allianz Animal Health and Pinnacle Pet Health Care in the UK.

In addition, Wheeler worked with Trupanions Co-President, Margi Tooth, while they were both at Allianz in the UK. While partnering together, they realized notable success with Petplan and associated brands, driving pet insurance to become a recognized concept and the norm for every pet owner.

Simon has a wealth of experience and is a very well-known individual in global pet insurance, said Margi Tooth, co-president of Trupanion. His addition to the team is a clear indication of Trupanions resolve in its plans for international growth. As a 30-plus year veteran building pet insurance brands, he is going to be an enormous asset to our company.

Trupanion is a high-growth, vet-centric company and Im excited to join the team and help lead the expansion into new markets across the globe, said Wheeler. As with Trupanions history over the past 20 years in North America, we will continue to align with veterinarians and have them as the foundation in any new international market we enter.

Trupanion recently announced an alliance with Aflac. Currently focused on its partnership in the U.S., the alliance also presents a direct opportunity to explore entering the Japan market where Aflac has customers in 1 in 4 households. In addition to Japan, potential expansion into specific countries could include the UK, Brazil, and potentially parts of Western Europe.

Wheeler attended Oundle School and went on to read Economics at De Montford University. Past chair of the Association of British Insurers Pet Insurance Committee and Trustee of the Petplan Charitable Trust, he has spent his career helping pet parents to access the best veterinary care and proudly includes New Forest Pony Millie and Thoroughbred Spot in his family.

Wheelers role as EVP of International Business for Trupanion starts in October, 2021. He will be based in the UK.

About TrupanionTrupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada and Australia with over 600,000 pets enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet owners with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its proprietary software, Trupanion is the only provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in minutes at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Omega General Insurance Company. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

Contact:MediaRelations@trupanion.com206-607-1930