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Markel Group

Three-engine financial holding: insurance, investments, ventures

Product Owner Financial Systems and Technology

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$116.1k - $199.6k+ Annual incentive plan
Senior
Bachelor's
Richmond, VA, USA
HybridRemote work is available, with periodic in-office attendance as required by projects or initiatives.
IT OperationsEnterprise Applications
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent experience.
  • Five or more years of experience in Finance, Financial Systems, or a related field is preferred.
  • Insurance industry experience is preferred.
  • Experience with a leading procure-to-pay technology suite, preferably Oracle Fusion, from a Finance user or Finance IT perspective.
  • Familiarity with AI and automation capabilities across the procure-to-pay process, with the ability to assess applicability and provide informed direction to IT partners.
  • Strong understanding of end-to-end procure-to-pay process flows and their upstream and downstream impact on the general ledger and financial reporting.
  • Familiarity with automation tools and platforms such as Alteryx, Power Automate, or AI-driven process solutions is a plus.
  • Experience with Power BI, SmartView, or other financial reporting and analytics tools is a plus.
  • Familiarity with Agile project methodologies and iterative delivery approaches.
  • Proven people management experience, with a track record of leading, developing, and holding teams accountable.
  • Ability to communicate and process technical information in a business-friendly manner.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of driving issues to closure.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently and reprioritize quickly.
  • Facilitation, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
  • Ability to partner with and influence business and IT stakeholders without formal authority.
  • Commitment to client service and continuous improvement.
  • Ability to work effectively in diverse, global teams under tight deadlines.
  • Flexibility to adapt work responsibilities based on task prioritization.
  • US work authorization is required; Markel does not provide visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.
Responsibilities
  • Serve as the Finance product owner for Oracle procure-to-pay applications, ensuring configuration, functionality, and data integrity support the end-to-end process.
  • Partner with business stakeholders, including senior leadership within Global Disbursements, to understand priorities, communicate planned and in-flight system enhancements, and create a forward-looking product roadmap aligning business needs, technical feasibility, and Finance’s strategic objectives.
  • Act as the Finance point of contact for prioritization and issue escalation across the procure-to-pay suite.
  • Identify and champion enhancements that improve procure-to-pay efficiency, control effectiveness, and reporting quality, working with IT to scope and deliver solutions.
  • Monitor system performance and data quality across procure-to-pay modules, coordinate issue resolution with IT, and ensure root-cause findings are translated into process controls and preventive measures.
  • Maintain a working understanding of upstream and downstream impacts of procure-to-pay configuration changes on the general ledger, reporting, and related financial systems.
  • Provide oversight to the Managed Services team responsible for routine procure-to-pay operations, ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly and established processes and deadlines are followed.
  • Stay abreast of emerging Oracle-native AI and automation capabilities within the procure-to-pay suite, and flag relevant opportunities to the Senior Transformation Lead, Financial Systems.
  • Partner with the Senior Transformation Lead, Financial Systems to evaluate proposed AI and automation use cases against system capabilities, configuration constraints, and data quality considerations.
  • Own the underlying procure-to-pay system configuration and data readiness needed to support AI and automation initiatives led by the Senior Transformation Lead, Financial Systems.
  • Provide subject matter expertise on procure-to-pay processes and controls during the design, pilot, and rollout of AI and automation solutions, ensuring compatibility with existing system architecture.
  • Ensure AI and automation solutions deployed within procure-to-pay comply with internal controls, data governance, and audit requirements after implementation.
  • Own gathering, documenting, and translating procure-to-pay business requirements into technical solutions in partnership with IT.
  • Act as subject matter expert on technical aspects of procure-to-pay solution development and integration, including requests for changes and deviations from specifications.
  • Define and manage scoping, requirements definition, and prioritization activities for procure-to-pay initiatives of significant size and complexity.
  • Lead selection of appropriate business analysis and testing methods, using plan-driven, predictive, iterative, or Agile approaches as appropriate.
  • Own coordination of end-to-end testing efforts for procure-to-pay system changes, including test strategy, user acceptance testing coordination across stakeholder groups, and issue resolution to closure.
  • Ensure system enhancements and configuration changes remain aligned with evolving business requirements across the procure-to-pay suite.
  • Drive continuous improvement across the end-to-end procure-to-pay process, from requisition through payment, in partnership with Procurement, Disbursements, and Treasury.
  • Drive standardization and compliance across business units and geographies to support automation and AI adoption within procure-to-pay.
  • Define and monitor key performance indicators and control metrics, such as purchase order compliance rate, invoice cycle time, and exception management, to drive process improvement.
  • Benchmark performance against best practices and industry standards, identifying and championing process improvements.
  • Foster collaboration across Procurement, Disbursements, Treasury, Finance, and IT teams, and promote accountability and service excellence.
  • Ensure internal controls are in place, functioning appropriately, and documented across the procure-to-pay suite.
  • Own control documentation and remediation activities for the assigned area.
  • Maintain audit readiness across owned Finance processes and assess control impacts of system or process changes.
  • Liaise with external auditors and coordinate responses to information requests.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between the Financial Systems & Technology team and IT, ensuring Finance and business priorities across procure-to-pay are communicated, actioned, and delivered.
  • Translate complex technical information into clear, business-friendly communication for Finance and business stakeholders at all levels.
  • Facilitate meetings with project teams and business and Finance leadership regarding procure-to-pay initiatives, project plans, and status updates.
  • Build and maintain working relationships across Procurement, Disbursements, Treasury, Finance, and IT.
  • Directly manage and develop a team of Business Analysts supporting Oracle procure-to-pay, providing direction, coaching, and accountability for the quality and timeliness of their work.
  • Oversee Business Analyst activities, including requirements documentation, user acceptance testing coordination, and process testing across procure-to-pay initiatives, ensuring outputs meet Finance and IT standards.
  • Hold career development conversations and create opportunities for team members to develop skills and advance their careers.
  • Deliver candid and constructive performance feedback and address performance issues promptly and effectively.
  • Work remotely with periodic in-office attendance as required by projects or initiatives.

About the company

Markel Group operates as a financial holding company with a three-engine model: specialty insurance, investments, and Markel Ventures (a portfolio of non-insurance businesses). Specialty insurance focuses on hard-to-place or niche risks, underwriting and managing risk through its insurance subsidiaries. Profits from the insurance businesses are reinvested into investments and into acquiring and holding profitable non-insurance companies, creating a diversified, resilient enterprise. The group’s investment engine uses generated earnings to fund external acquisitions and capital growth, while Markel Ventures builds a broad portfolio of long-term holdings in various industries. What sets Markel apart is its deliberate diversification across three connected engines and a long-term, capital-accumulation approach known as the

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Post IPO Equity

Headquarters

Glen Allen, Virginia

Founded

1930

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 combined ratio stayed in the low 90s, showing underwriting discipline.
  • Markel repurchased $237 million in Q2 2026, funded entirely by earnings.
  • AI partnerships with hyperexponential and Jump AI are automating Canadian underwriting workflows.

What critics are saying

  • JANA's breakup campaign risks a forced Markel Ventures divestiture and management distraction.
  • Q2 2026 included a $205 million State National reserve charge from a bankrupt capacity provider.
  • If losses persist, Markel's conglomerate premium collapses into breakup pressure.

What makes Markel Group unique

  • Markel’s three-engine model pairs specialty insurance, investments, and Markel Ventures.
  • It targets hard-to-place risks like fine art, construction, and casualty.
  • Patient capital lets Thomas Gayner hold businesses through cycles, unlike quarterly-focused insurers.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Parental Leave
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options

Company News

PR Newswire
Oct 15th, 2026
Markel appoints Josephine Stroud and Jenny McFarlane to London Marine & Energy Liability team

Markel Insurance has made two appointments to its Marine & Energy Liability underwriting team in London. Josephine Stroud becomes head of energy liability, and Jenny McFarlane joins as senior underwriter. The hires follow the launch of Markel's Marine Transportation business, which brings together Hull & Hull War, MECO, Marine & Energy Liabilities, and Transport & Logistics. The unit is led by Grant Smith. Stroud has more than 18 years' experience in liability broking and underwriting, most recently at AXA XL. She will underwrite multi-line, cross-class facilities alongside Rhys O'Neill, head of marine liability. McFarlane joins from Tokio Marine HCC International, with more than eight years' experience in the field. She will help develop new wordings and drive broker engagement.

PR Newswire
Oct 8th, 2026
Markel International launches CORE property offering for US chemical, oil and gas businesses

Markel Insurance has launched its Chemical, Oil & Gas related Energy Property offering for small to midsize US-domiciled businesses. The new CORE product provides tailored cover for property damage, business interruption, and equipment breakdown, with protection against natural catastrophe exposures including flood, windstorm, and earthquake, offering limits up to $50 million. Candice Walker has been appointed Head of First-Party Energy to lead the new offering's development. Walker brings over 20 years of property insurance experience and has been with Markel since 2015. Michael McClain joins as Senior Underwriter – Energy, reporting to Walker from Texas. McClain previously served as Manager of Technical Operations at Tomorrow RNG, an Enbridge subsidiary, and held senior roles at Aethon Energy managing multimillion-dollar oil and gas infrastructure projects. The offering strengthens Markel's US First-Party Energy proposition across chemical, oil, gas, and broader energy sectors.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 4th, 2026
Markel posts Q2 revenue of $4.02B but misses profit by 35% on $205M reserve charge

Markel Group reported Q2 revenue of $4.02 billion, beating analyst estimates but remaining flat year-on-year. However, adjusted earnings per share of $19.79 missed expectations by 35.3%, falling short of the $30.57 consensus. The profit shortfall stemmed from a $205 million reserve charge related to a credit loss in the State National business — the first such loss in over 40 years. CEO Thomas Gayner attributed this to "a unique and unfortunate confluence of events". Despite the charge, core insurance operations showed improvement, with a combined ratio in the low 90s and 10% growth in continuing business lines. Markel is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to enhance underwriting efficiency. The company launched Cortex, a new unit for hard-to-place casualty risks, and deployed AI tools across six business lines. The insurer repurchased $237 million in shares during the quarter, funded by earnings.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 29th, 2026
Markel Group beats Q2 revenue estimates with $4.02B as CEO touts improved underwriting

Markel Group reported Q2 2026 revenue of $4.02 billion, beating analyst estimates of $3.97 billion by 1.2%, though sales remained flat year on year. The specialty insurance company's GAAP profit of $92.76 per share exceeded consensus estimates by 13.9%. Net premiums earned reached $2.07 billion, surpassing expectations of $2.03 billion despite a 3.3% year-on-year decline. The combined ratio came in at 93%, slightly missing the analyst estimate of 92.1%. Chief executive Tom Gayner highlighted improved insurance underwriting and strong cash flow generation in the first half of 2026. The company continued share repurchases funded from net earnings. Over the past five years, Markel Group has grown revenue at a 9% compounded annual growth rate. However, recent performance shows slowing momentum, with annualised revenue growth of 2.6% over the last two years.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 2nd, 2026
Markel Group dropped from multiple Russell growth indexes at once

Markel Group has been removed from several Russell growth and midcap indexes in a single rebalancing, with changes taking effect at the latest Russell index reconstitution. The exclusion prompted adjustments by index-tracking funds and may affect trading activity, liquidity and visibility amongst institutional and passive investors. The diversified financial holding company, which operates across insurance, reinsurance and investment operations, reported flat first-quarter revenue and a $273 million operating loss driven by $727.6 million in net investment losses. However, its combined ratio improved from 96% to 93%. The index removal reflects how certain investor groups view the stock rather than changes in underlying operations. Active investors may monitor fund flow data and liquidity trends to assess whether index-related selling continues to influence trading volumes.