AXA XL has appointed Donnacha Smyth as its new global chief underwriting officer for casualty, effective November 3.
Currently head of casualty for the Americas, Smyth (pictured above) will relocate from Bermuda to Ireland in 2026 as part of his move into the global role.
Smyth will work with regional chief underwriting officers to drive profitable growth, ensure consistency across portfolios, and develop new casualty products. He will also oversee underwriter development, focusing on technical training, compliance, and underwriting standards.
Libby Benet, AXA XL’s global chief underwriting officer, said Smyth played a key role in reshaping the company’s excess liability appetite and executing portfolio changes that supported consistent underwriting performance.
Smyth has more than 30 years of industry experience and has been with AXA XL since 2007. Since 2018, he has led the Americas casualty team, overseeing primary and excess risk management, multinational group captives, rail, and eight underwriting teams across the US and Bermuda. He will continue to lead casualty in the Americas until a successor is named.
Smyth assumes the global casualty role as the market contends with persistent pressure from social inflation, litigation financing, and a widening set of liability exposures, including cyber and environmental risks. Insurers are working to balance disciplined underwriting and rate adequacy with client demand for bespoke solutions and broader capacity for large corporate risks.
Under Smyth’s leadership, AXA XL is likely to emphasize portfolio discipline, targeted product development, and underwriter capability building to manage volatility and protect margins. The firm may also expand risk engineering and loss prevention services to support pricing and client retention.
Competitors across the global casualty market are pursuing similar strategies. Large carriers have been adjusting excess and umbrella appetites, refining multinational program offerings, and investing in data and analytics to improve risk selection and pricing. Some underwriters are also reallocating capital toward specialty lines and alternative solutions, while others are broadening professional and financial lines capabilities to offset pressure in traditional casualty classes.
Brokers and risk managers can expect continued focus on capacity negotiation and program design, with an emphasis on demonstrating risk mitigation and governance to secure more favorable terms. Reinsurers’ approaches to litigation-related exposures and large casualty accumulations will remain a key variable for primary carriers as they set portfolio limits and product terms.
Smyth’s track record in excess liability and talent development positions him to coordinate AXA XL’s global response to these dynamics and to align regional practices with a consistent global strategy.
