A wave of senior appointments have been announced across the US insurance industry in the last 24hrs.
AXA XL has appointed Ainsley Keating (pictured top, left) head of the East region for general industries, mid-market, Americas. Reporting to Adele Smith, head of general industries and excess casualty – US mid-market, Keating will oversee broker relationships supporting middle-market business across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. She joins from Marsh, where she spent more than 10 years in placement broking and leadership roles, most recently senior vice president, specialties placement leader.
AXA XL organizes its general industries, mid-market operations into three zones: East, led by Keating in New York; Central, led by Zach Hauer in Chicago; and West, led by Chris Kelly in Los Angeles. Smith said the structure supports consistency, speed, and value delivery, alongside selectivity in broker appointments, relationship focus, product density, and execution.
Hub International Limited has named Andrea Baldrica (pictured top, right) chief sales officer of US employee benefits, placing her in charge of national sales strategy and growth across employee benefits services. Baldrica has more than 25 years of industry experience and has been with HUB since 2014, following the acquisition of Baldrica & Company in Colorado Springs. Her responsibilities include shared service adoption, talent management, and sales execution practices.
HUB has also added Ellen Sue Bernards to its complex risk team as alternative risk solutions practice leader, a newly created role reporting to Mary-Beth Hahn. The position advises middle-market and large commercial clients on captive insurance, collateral alternatives, and structured risk financing. According to HUB’s 2026 Profitability & Resiliency Survey, 62% of North American business leaders are actively exploring alternative risk transfer solutions. Bernards brings more than 11 years of alternative risk experience and holds CPCU, ARM, and CPA credentials.
Relm Insurance appointed three executives to its leadership team: Becky Vernon as chief legal officer, Henry Paddison as chief operating officer, and Shane Doyle as chief underwriting officer. Vernon and Paddison are based in Bermuda, while Doyle is based in the United Kingdom. The appointments draw on experience from global reinsurers, specialty insurers, financial institutions, and professional services firms, including AXIS, Zurich, Ariel Re, MetLife, HSBC, and international law firms.
AF Group has promoted Mike Valiante (pictured immediately above) to president of commercial markets. Valiante joined the organization in 2011 and most recently served as senior vice president with responsibility for small commercial markets.
“Our goal is to transform our products and service offerings, deliver specialized multiline solutions and further anchor our agent partnerships,” Valiante said.
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association has hired Meagan Myers Hanson as department vice president, advocacy, campaigns, and coalitions.
Hanson will lead integrated advocacy efforts across legislative, regulatory, and judicial arenas. She previously served as chief counsel for legal policy at Koch Capabilities, led Georgians for Lawsuit Reform, and served in the Georgia General Assembly.
