AXA XL unveils new appointment to advance in professional lines market

Re/insurer  AXA XL has appointed a new errors & omissions (E&O) product line leader of its Bermuda insurance professional lines business.

Mike Gazzard (pictured), who was previously a vice president and senior underwriter, has been promoted to the role of senior vice president and E&O product line leader. He will be responsible for managing and setting the Bermuda professional lines team’s E&O insurance portfolio strategy.

Additionally, Gazzard will have underwriting authority for multiple professional lines products including directors and officers (D&O), employment practices liability (EPL) and wage & hour (W&H).

Gazzard, who reports to Matthew Irvine, AXA XL’s Bermuda professional lines chief underwriting officer, joined AXA XL in 2019.

Prior to joining AXA XL, Gazzard was a professional liability underwriter at Liberty Specialty Markets, where he was involved in the underwriting of UK and US E&O and D&O business. Before joining the insurance industry, Gazzard worked for 11 years at SMN Investment Services where his primary function was commodity trading for a Managed Futures Fund.

Irvine said: “Since joining AXA XL, Mike has played a critical role in strategically strengthening our E&O portfolio and advancing our Professional Lines market leadership position. His commitment to enhancing relationships with brokers and clients, especially during the past two challenging years of the pandemic, has been extremely valuable and is commendable.”

Patrick Tannock, CEO of AXA XL’s Bermuda insurance operations, added: “Mike is certainly an asset to our Professional Lines business which is one of the largest and longest providers of E&O in the Bermuda market. Our position as a market leader is not fortuitous. It is the result of our commitment to attracting, developing, and advancing talent at all levels of the organisation while cultivating a culture that is collaborative, inclusive and innovative which allows us to be user friendly and solution-oriented in meeting the needs of our clients.”

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