AXA XL has announced the appointment of Donnacha Smyth as its new global chief underwriting officer (CUO), casualty, having been at the company since 2007. Smyth will relocate to Ireland from Bermuda, as part of his new role, and will work with regional CUOs to “promote profitable growth, ensure underwriting consistency, and drive the development of innovative products”. Moreover, Smyth will bring over three decades of total experience to his new role, most recently spending time as the Americas casualty team lead at AXA XL — a position he has held since 2018. He oversaw the company’s casualty practice in its most profitable region, including primary risk management, excess risk management, multinational group captives, rail, and eight underwriting teams, throughout the US and Bermuda. AXA XL global chief underwriting officer, Libby Benet, believes Smyth “has demonstrated exceptional leadership” throughout his tenure at the company, adding his “commitment to talent development and relationship-building will be invaluable as he leads AXA XL’s casualty underwriting strategy on a global scale”. Smyth will continue to lead casualty in the Americas until a successor is named.
