AXIS cyber cat bond pioneer promoted to head of ILS

AXIS Capital Holdings has appointed Kyle Freeman as head of AXIS ILS, tasked with making the company a leader in the insurance-linked securities segment. 

Freeman, who led the company's Long Walk Re transaction, where AXIS closed the market’s first 144A cyber catastrophe bond, will oversee the company’s activities related to third party assets under management. He will report directly to AXIS chief financial officer Peter Vogt.

“Kyle is a valued leader within the AXIS organisation who has extensive knowledge and experience in ILS, working with the investor community, and creating alternative reinsurance structures. 

"Further, he has a proven track record of innovation within our company, including most recently leading the Long Walk Re transaction, where AXIS closed the market’s first 144A cyber catastrophe bond,” said Vogt. “We look forward to the continued development of our ILS initiatives under Kyle’s leadership, programmes that will be essential to AXIS advancing its leadership position in specialty.”

Freeman joined AXIS in 2021 as head of ILS structuring, property, and was responsible for managing existing investor relationships as well as capital invested in property catastrophe sidecars, catastrophe bonds, joint ventures, and other ILS structures. 

Prior to AXIS, Mr. Freeman served as head of North America programmes pricing for AXA XL. He also held senior roles at companies such as JPMorgan, AIR Worldwide, and USAA. 

Before entering the corporate world, Freeman served for seven years in the US Navy where he was a nuclear engineer and submarine officer.

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