Trupanion, the Seattle-based medical insurer for cats and dogs, is pursuing an international expansion and has hired an executive to help guide the effort.

Simon Wheeler will be its executive vice president of International Business.

A 30-year veteran of the animal health industry, Wheeler will join Trupanion in October from Swedish-based Agria Pet Insurance Ltd. He will be based in the UK.

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

As Trupanion’s EVP of International Business, Wheeler will be responsible for the development of Trupanion’s international plans for growth across existing markets such as Australia and will drive entry and growth into new international markets including Japan, UK, Brazil and Western Europe.

Wheeler is currently managing director at Agria Pet Insurance Ltd. with responsibility for the UK marketplace and underwriting branch, Agria Försäkring. Previously, Wheeler had key roles at Allianz Animal Health and Pinnacle Pet Health Care in the UK.

Wheeler worked with Trupanion’s Co-President Margi Tooth when they were both at Allianz in the UK.

“Simon has a wealth of experience and is a very well-known individual in global pet insurance,” said Tooth. “His addition to the team is a clear indication of Trupanion’s 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 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 one in four households.

Founded in 2000, Trupanion provides medical insurance for cats and dogs in the United States, Canada and Australia with over 600,000 pets enrolled. With its proprietary software, Trupanion can pay veterinarians directly within minutes at the time of checkout.

Source: Trupanion

*A version of this story ran previously in our sister publication Insurance Journal.