Practice Leader, Head of Major Case & Excess Casualty Claims, Americas

Practice Leader, Head of Major Case & Excess Casualty Claims, Americas

Hartford | United States of America

Summary of the position/team, etc.

Our Claims team sets us apart. Our experienced Claims professionals use their specialized expertise to handle even the most complex claims seamlessly. How do you make a good thing better? You focus on excellence and creating a culture of continuous improvement. You create an environment that fosters collaboration, customer service and colleague development. And you build a team of passionate and innovative claims experts who see success as a reason to roll up their sleeves and drive for improvement.

Our Casualty Practice Leader, Head of Major Case & Excess Casualty Claims, will be a subject matter expert and knowledge leader for the Americas Claim Region, helping us achieve the best possible outcomes for AXA XL and our clients. As a core member of our Claims team, this role also shares in our commitment to deliver the best client service possible. 

You will play a pivotal role in overseeing, managing and resolving our most complex and high value casualty claims.  As a subject matter expert, you will collaborate with the assigned claims handler, management and business unit leaders to tailor an effective claims management solution to address the specific circumstances.  As a hands-on leader, your interaction will include identifying and monitoring large losses and trends, and providing oversight, guidance, coaching and strategic direction on our most complex casualty claims.

What you’ll be doing

What will your essential responsibilities include?

• You are responsible for managing the company’s highest exposure casualty claims across the Americas Region ensuring strategic oversight and effective resolution.
• Triaging and assessing both existing and potential high severity and complex claims,  including determining case strategies and action plans with local claim teams.
• Monitoring our portfolio of Large Losses and potential exposures to ensure that key processes (including coverage analysis, reserving, negotiation, and resolution) are effectively undertaken to achieve the best possible outcome, along with active participation in the analysis of data and analytics designed to measure and evaluate such key processes.
• Providing ongoing insights and advice to claims handlers, managers and business unit leaders regarding market developments and trends on emerging risks.
• Coordinating and communicating with internal and external stakeholders (including underwriters, actuaries, brokers, policyholders, reinsurers, attorneys and other service providers) on a wide range of Large Loss management and resolution activities including periodic status and outlook.  Ensuring claim best practices are followed for proper and consistent claim performance, compliance, and achievement of financial goals.
• Directly participating in the direction and oversight of high exposure claims to achieve superior total claim outcome.
• Ensuring knowledge sharing on market trends, regulations, industry, and legal changes, with timely reporting on loss trends and exposures to internal and external business partners.
• Coordinating across Claim business units globally in partnership with Global Casualty Practice and Claims Litigation to drive direction and consistency relating to Large Loss management, as well as the timely and accurate reporting of Large Loss matters (internally and externally), especially those identified as posing aggregated risks.
• Working with Claims Litigation to assist underwriting/business partners with the development of policy language.

You will report to the Chief Claims Officer, Americas and work closely with the Head of Casualty Claims, Americas as well as the Global Head of Casualty Claims and the Global Head of Technical Claims and Exposure Management.

What you will bring

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

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Significant experience handling and resolving large and complex casualty claims across multiple jurisdictions and geographies. 
• Bachelor's degree and Juris Doctor degree required.
• The ability to travel approximately 25% of the time.
• A deep level of casualty claims and related litigation expertise, including significant experience with complex liability and coverage issues and a track record of delivering exceptional results.  Deep experience working on aggregate exposures i.e., Opioids, PFAS, Sexual Abuse and other various complex liability and coverage  issues.
• Strong skills in coverage analysis, liability evaluation and damages assessments with extensive knowledge of the litigation process, and an aptitude with relevant case law.
• Proven claim adjudication, negotiation and litigation management skills.
• Collaborative: Ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with insured, brokers, claim handlers, underwriters and legal counsel.  Capable of working and collaborating with a various Claim teams within the Region, providing guidance and seeking input from others as needed to achieve the best result possible.
• Critical Thinking: Skilled in analyzing key issues in complex or ambiguous situations, drawing on broad knowledge of and insight into the internal and external claims climates to develop successful forward-looking solutions. Ability to evaluate metrics, claim data and loss statistics to identify hidden problem areas and create competitive and breakthrough strategies that achieve agreed goals.
• Client Service Orientated: Has an understanding of client needs to integrate into an approach mutually beneficial for clients and AXA XL. Supports and cultivates relationships with brokers of our largest clients and works with key distribution partners and accounts to establish and promote Claims’ value proposition. Capable of taking the lead in identifying solutions in response to the marketplace and emerging client needs.
• Outcome focused: Ability to systematically evaluate business opportunities, targeting those with the greatest potential for producing positive outcomes.  Skilled in educating others and is seen as a role model in upholding standards, as well as Claims’ long-term ability to deliver and support AXA XL’s  goals and objectives.
• Influencing and Negotiation: Accomplished in actively fostering ongoing negotiations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, acting as a role model for sharing and leveraging claim trends and insights including lessons learned with underwriting partners for marketing and business development. Anticipates potential problems and takes actions to ensure credibility and trust are not compromised.
• Emotional Intelligence: Ability to participate actively, calmly and productively in high-stake and otherwise stressful situations. Is seen as a role model for others, actively building constructive and trusting relationships with colleagues and stakeholders in support of Claims’ success.
• Impeccable reputation for ethics, integrity and the highest standards of professionalism.

What we offer

Inclusion

AXA XL is committed to equal employment opportunity and will consider applicants regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and origins, marital status, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic.   At AXA XL, we know that an inclusive culture enables business growth and is critical to our success. That’s why we have made a strategic commitment to attract, develop, advance and retain the most inclusive workforce possible, and create a culture where everyone can bring their full selves to work and reach their highest potential. It’s about helping one another — and our business — to move forward and succeed.

• 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

Learn more at axaxl.com/about-us/inclusion-and-diversity.  AXA XL is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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.

For more information, please see axaxl.com/sustainability.

Who we are

AXA XL, the P&C and specialty risk division of AXA, is known for solving complex risks. For mid-sized companies, multinationals and even some inspirational individuals we don’t just provide re/insurance, we reinvent it.

How? By combining a comprehensive and efficient capital platform, data-driven insights, leading technology, and the best talent in an agile and inclusive workspace, empowered to deliver top client service across all our lines of business − property, casualty, professional, financial lines and specialty.

With an innovative and flexible approach to risk solutions, we partner with those who move the world forward.

Learn more at axaxl.com