Head of Middle Market, Americas

USA

As the Head of Middle Market, Americas you will embody these values, lead the Middle Market Underwriting unit, be responsible for developing and executing on the Americas strategy for this segment, while working with the region's other underwriting business leaders and partners and our Global Underwriting Office. This role has full P&L responsibility and reports directly to the CEO Americas, as part of the Leadership team in the Americas.

What you'll be doing

What will your essential responsibilities include?

• Development and successful execution of a strategy that returns profitable growth in the Middle Market segment by delivering on all four of our strategic drivers: solutions that matter most, valued beyond the policy, data that deepens relationships and focused; fit and fast.
• Growing the unit organically by building the critical market assets (product portfolio, distribution network, operating platform) as well as looking into other ways to accelerate our organic growth.
• Provide strategic direction and data driven decisions for your team on risk assessment and portfolio management to drive underwriting excellence, profitable growth, and optimizing our performance.
• Execute long-term underwriting goals and a cycle management strategy to enable outstanding underwriting performance and profitable growth. Set and achieve qualitative and quantitative targets (technical and operational) for the underwriting team.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the underwriting team and across the organization to proactively address emerging risks and leverage new technologies.
• Ensure the effective and inspirational leadership and management of the underwriting team and create a high-performance culture.
• Align the underwriting proposition with the Company's brokers and clients / develop new relationships within the market to increase production and profit for AXA XL. Represent AXA XL in industry forums and engage with key stakeholders internally and externally to enhance relationships and business opportunities.
• Build and promote AXA XL's brand, underwriting, risk services, claims and client experience leadership in the external insurance market and take full advantage of the Group's capital standing and global reach.
• Lead continuous underwriting operational improvement/transformation and help maintain a sound governance framework for the business.
• Develop productive relationships with the AXA XL and AXA Group leadership to help promote a shared view of the performance and potential of the Americas Programs and E&S segment, and the investments and strategies necessary to succeed.
• Ensure that the business adheres to underwriting governance / compliance principles and regulatory standards.
• Drive the identification and prioritization of opportunities and allocate appropriate levels of resource to deliver high levels of customer service.
• Develop and implement underwriting strategies that optimize expense ratios, monitoring and analyzing underwriting expenses, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and collaborating with finance and operations teams to control and reduce underwriting expenses.
• Set individual objectives, reviewing performance / appraisals, and providing on-going feedback on a formal / informal basis so that all team members are aware of what they are required to achieve and how they are performing against their objectives.
• As a member of the Americas Leadership team, you will provide visionary leadership, innovation, thought partnership, and effective communication to successfully collaborate and influence other executives to deliver outcomes that achieve our organizational objectives at the Large Commercial, Americas XL, AXA XL, and AXA levels.
• Effectively take advantage of AXA Group's international reach and navigate AXA Group organizational culture and global footprint, using empathy, collaboration, and inclusion to create business impact.

What you'll bring

We're looking for someone who has these abilities and skills:

The Head of Middle Market, Americas will have the experience, leadership and technical skills needed to own the P&L and to directly lead the associated underwriting function in the Americas for AXA XL.

They will therefore bring to AXA XL:

• A very deep understanding of the Americas P&C Insurance market, pricing and underwriting techniques in insurance.
• Relationships and credibility with critical distribution partners.
• Ability to influence and inspire colleagues to deliver on the overall objective of the business while working in collaboration with other colleagues and leaders across the organization to achieve our goals and strategy.
• Attract and develop technical and leadership strength on the team at all levels of the organization.
• Exemplary behaviors that demonstrate commitment to our corporate values and behaviors, including a demonstrated commitment to "start with the client", "own it", "solve it together" and "actually make it better.".
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for staying abreast of key market and industry trends (e.g., underwriting, competition, technology and data, regulatory)
• Take action to manage your own personal development and encourage others to do the same.
• A history of leading diverse teams, creating robust engagement, and building high performance for self and others to reach new heights in pursuit of common goals.
• Gravitas, self-composure and comfort level with an outward facing role in the market.
• A market profile and the ability to promote AXA XL alongside the other members of the Americas and AXA XL Leadership team.
• Motivation and a desire to challenge the status quo wherever appropriate.
• Challenge conventional wisdom in the business and make difficult decisions when required.

What we offer

Inclusion

• Five Business Resource Groups focused on gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity and origins, disability and inclusion with 20 Chapters around the globe.
• Robust support for Flexible Working Arrangements
• Enhanced family-friendly leave benefits
• Named to the Diversity Best Practices Index
• Signatory to the UK Women in Finance Charter

Total Rewards

AXA XL's Reward program is designed to take care of what matters most to you, covering the full picture of your health, wellbeing, lifestyle and financial security. It provides competitive compensation and personalized, inclusive benefits that evolve as you do.

We're committed to rewarding your contribution for the long term, so you can be your best self today and look forward to the future with confidence.

Sustainability

At AXA XL, Sustainability is integral to our business strategy. In an ever-changing world, AXA XL protects what matters most for our clients and communities. We know that sustainability is at the root of a more resilient future. Our 2023-26 Sustainability strategy, called "Roots of resilience", focuses on protecting natural ecosystems, addressing climate change, and embedding sustainable practices across our operations.

Our Pillars:

• Valuing nature: How we impact nature affects how nature impacts us. Resilient ecosystems - the foundation of a sustainable planet and society - are essential to our future. We're committed to protecting and restoring nature - from mangrove forests to the bees in our backyard - by increasing biodiversity awareness and inspiring clients and colleagues to put nature at the heart of their plans.
• Addressing climate change: The effects of a changing climate are far-reaching and significant. Unpredictable weather, increasing temperatures, and rising sea levels cause both social inequalities and environmental disruption. We're building a net zero strategy, developing insurance products and services, and mobilizing to advance thought leadership and investment in societal-led solutions.
• Integrating ESG: All companies have a role to play in building a more resilient future. Incorporating ESG considerations into our internal processes and practices builds resilience from the roots of our business. We're training our colleagues, engaging our external partners, and evolving our sustainability governance and reporting.
• AXA Hearts in Action: We have established volunteering and charitable giving programs to help colleagues support causes that matter most to them, known as AXA XL's "Hearts in Action" programs. These include our Matching Gifts program, Volunteering Leave, and our annual volunteering day - the Global Day of Giving.

The U.S. base salary range for this position is USD 350,000 - 400,000.

Actual pay will be determined based upon the individual's skills, experience and location. We strive for market alignment and internal equity with our colleagues' pay.

At AXA XL, we know how important physical, mental, and financial health are to our employees, which is why we are proud to offer benefits such as a competitive retirement savings plan, health and wellness programs, and many other benefits. We also believe in fostering our colleagues' development and offer a wide range of learning opportunities for colleagues to hone their professional skills and to position themselves for the next step of their careers. For more details about AXA XL's benefits offerings, please visit US Benefits at a Glance 2025.