"James’ breadth of experience, relentless desire to deliver for our customers and fantastic market insight means he’s well-placed to take on this role."
Nicholson has held the post on an interim basis since predecessor David Nichols switched to become UK head of retail at the insurer.
Nicholson joined Zurich as a graduate 26 years ago and has since held a variety of senior roles including commercial property claims manager, head of property and specialty claims and head of global corporate claims.
He most recently served as head of expert and commercial insurance claims, before taking on the role of interim chief claims officer in December 2022.
Tim Bailey, Zurich UK's chief executive, said: "James’ breadth of experience, relentless desire to deliver for our customers and fantastic market insight means he’s well-placed to take on this role.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this team go from strength to strength in James’ capable hands.”
Nicholson added: “I’m honoured to take on this role, we have a really strong claims team and we are in a great position to deliver for our customers. I’m excited to see what’s next and what we can achieve together.”
