AXIS appoints Michael Baumel to head claims succeeding David Hayward

AXIS Insurance, a business segment of Bermuda-based AXIS Capital Holdings, has appointed Michael Baumel as new chief claims officer, succeeding David Hayward who is retiring in March 2020.

Baumel is currently the head of North American claims, and has held multiple leadership roles in claims and in underwriting throughout his career, both in the US and in Europe. He will assume the new role after the six-month transition period, and join the AXIS Insurance leadership team, reporting directly to CEO Peter Wilson.

Hayward will retire from AXIS following a career that has spanned more than thirty years, with the past seventeen years spent at AXIS. He is said to have played an instrumental role in building the company’s global claims management function.

“Dave’s contributions to AXIS cannot be understated. He has played a fundamental role in shaping our claims management strategy and he conceptualised and implemented many of the approaches that have helped us establish a Claims function that is widely recognised as one of the best in the specialty insurance industry,” said Wilson. “We have a great successor in Mike. During his more than four years with AXIS, Mike has established himself as a respected leader, a trusted partner to our clients and an individual who embodies our commitment to delivering exceptional service.”

Hayward commented: “This is a bittersweet moment for me. I have no doubt that Mike will be a tremendous Chief Claims Officer. Therefore, my decision to retire is made that much easier because I know that I’ll be leaving our Claims team in such capable hands. We have a tremendous Claims team, and I take great pride in the work that we’ve done to build a leading Claims function. I look forward to seeing the practice continue to flourish under Mike’s leadership.”

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