AXA XL has launched a dedicated prevention-focused business unit, in a move that underscores the growing importance of risk mitigation and services in the commercial and speciality insurance market.
The new unit becomes AXA XL’s fifth business unit – alongside Americas, APAC & Europe, UK & Lloyd’s, and Reinsurance – and places prevention, risk insight and client partnership as a central pillar of its strategy.
The unit, led by Libby Benet (pictured), currently the company’s global chief underwriting officer, is intended to accelerate the development and reach of AXA XL’s risk consulting capabilities and prevention services.
The aim is to provide solutions that help businesses address a range of complex and evolving risks, including climate-related hazards, supply chain disruption, cyber threats and operational resilience challenges.
According to AXA's 2025 Future Risks Report, 86% of experts surveyed agreed that the most concerning risks could be at least partially avoided through preventive measures. As risks become more complex and interconnected, prevention is increasingly seen by large corporates and risk managers as a key lever to anticipate and manage exposures, rather than relying solely on traditional indemnity cover.
“Prevention must be at the heart of how we support our clients. That is why we are making services a core part of our offering. The launch of this business unit marks an important step," said Scott Gunter, CEO of AXA XL. "By expanding our services capabilities, we are strengthening how we support our clients and positioning AXA XL for the future."
The strategic shift comes as carriers across the commercial and speciality market continue to invest in loss prevention, real-time risk monitoring and value-added services as a way to differentiate and improve portfolio performance.
For AXA Group, prevention and data-driven risk management have become central themes in recent years, with the group reporting growth in commercial lines and an improving combined ratio supported by tighter underwriting discipline and risk selection.
The creation of a standalone prevention unit suggests AXA XL is looking to drive further improvement not only through rate and capacity management but also by reducing loss frequency and severity via risk engineering and advisory support. In practice, this could mean more integrated service offerings for large and multinational clients, including sensor-based monitoring, modelling of natural catastrophe exposures, and enhanced advisory support around cyber, supply chain and operational resilience.
AXA has also been developing digital tools to support prevention across its commercial portfolio. Its work on global B2B risk management and prevention platforms points to a wider strategy of embedding analytics into clients’ risk management programmes. AXA XL’s new prevention unit is likely to be a key conduit for these capabilities at the large corporate and speciality end of the market.
Her cyber underwriting background is particularly relevant as cyber remains one of the most closely watched classes for capacity, pricing, wordings and claims trends. With ransomware, data breaches and the use of artificial intelligence all adding to the risk landscape, demand for more proactive, prevention-led support from insurers has grown alongside demand for cover.
“Our clients are looking for more than risk transfer—they want partners who can help them anticipate, prevent and mitigate risk," Benet said. "This business unit allows us to build on what we already do well, deepen our engagement with clients, and better integrate prevention and risk insights into how we serve them globally.”
