AXA XL makes additional changes to its reinsurance leadership team

AXA XL, the property & casualty and specialty risk division of AXA, has made additional changes within its reinsurance leadership team.

The changes are part of AXA XL Reinsurance’s simplified reinsurance organizational structure which was announced in September. The structure is aligned around AXA XL Reinsurance’s key markets and intended to enhance the focus on its Payer to Partner strategy.

Effective January 1, 2020, in addition to leading AXA XL Reinsurance’s International region, John Welch, currently chief executive of AXA XL Reinsurance’s North America region, will become chief executive, domestic markets and will have overall responsibility for that business.

The domestic markets business will focus on business placed locally by reinsurance brokers and AXA XL Reinsurance clients. The global markets business will comprise of AXA XL Reinsurance’s Bermuda and London platforms. As previously announced, the global markets business will be led by Rob Littlemore, currently chief executive, London reinsurance, who will become chief executive, global markets.

Welch, who has more than 30 years of industry experience, has held progressively senior roles since joining the company in 1999 after the NAC Re merger. Those roles have included head of casualty and surety underwriting, chief actuary, and president & CEO of XL Reinsurance America. He also served as strategic planning officer for reinsurance.

Also, effective January 1, Christopher Buse, currently head of casualty reinsurance in North America, will become chief underwriting officer of AXA XL Reinsurance North America.
Buse has more than 30 years’ experience in the North America market. Along with Bertrand Romagne, chief underwriting officer of AXA XL Reinsurance International, he will be responsible for managing the day-to-day underwriting of the domestic markets business. Both Buse and Romagne will report to Welch.

In addition to this, based on their broader roles and experience, Buse, along with Paul Simons, head of property, global markets who will also become head of Bermuda reinsurance and Marcus Gonzales, head of international casualty who will become head of London reinsurance – both to report to Littlemore, have all been appointed to AXA XL’s RLT. The RLT is led by Charles Cooper, chief executive, reinsurance at AXA XL and includes Welch, Littlemore and Romagne as well as other reinsurance leaders.

Commenting on these developments, Cooper said: “As with the executive changes that we announced in September, this underscores our commitment to our client-centric approach and structure which will provide our clients and other trading partners faster and easier access to our expertise and broad product offering.

“We’re pleased to have John lead our domestic markets business, given his vast industry knowledge and experience. Having him take on this expanded role speaks to his respected leadership. We’re also fortunate to have Chris, Paul and Marcus join the RLT. Their diverse professional perspectives and exceptional individual and collective industry experience will be valuable as we focus on strengthening AXA XL Reinsurance’s strategic pillars of underwriting and analytics, client focus, alternative capital and operational excellence in 2020 and beyond.”