LONDON—Guy Carpenter & Co. L.L.C. on Wednesday named Henry Keeling as president and chief executive officer of its international operations unit.

Mr. Keeling, who takes the role effective Aug. 1, will chair New York-based Guy Carpenter's international board and be responsible for its operations in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, Bermuda, continental Europe and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Keeling, who will be based in London, also will handle marine and energy, aviation and retrocession business globally. His role is a new one for Guy Carpenter as the reinsurance broker seeks to further establish its presence internationally.

Mr. Keeling, a longtime executive in the industry, joined Mid-Ocean Ltd. when it was launched as the first highly capitalized property catastrophe reinsurer in Bermuda in 1992. He then joined XL Capital Ltd. when it bought Mid-Ocean in the mid-1990s, rising to become chief operating officer.

Mr. Keeling, who was widely seen as a potential successor to longtime XL CEO Brian O'Hara, left the company last year a few months after Michael McGavick was named CEO.

Mr. Keeling most recently served as an operating partner of Stone Point Capital L.L.C., an investment and global financial services firm.