AXIS appoints new board member with two set to retire next year

AXIS Capital Holdings has appointed Anne Melissa Dowling to its board of directors, effective January 1, 2020. Dowling will serve as a member of the audit, corporate governance and nominating, and finance committees.

Dowling as held leadership roles in corporations and in the public sector, where she helped businesses increase productivity and profitability. She was most recently director of insurance for the State of Illinois department of insurance, before which she served as Connecticut’s deputy commissioner of insurance and then acting commissioner. She has also worked at Massachusetts Mutual, Aetna and Travelers.

Michael Butt, chairman of AXIS, described Dowling as “an exceptional leader whose career in insurance has been highlighted by innovation and achievement, as well as expertise in helping organisations navigate the intersection of insurance and innovative and transformational technology.”

Dowling said: “Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving re/insurance marketplace, AXIS has clear and sound strategies to innovate across its businesses, all with a view toward scaling in areas of strength and building the new specialty businesses of the future to drive profitable growth.”

Meanwhile, Robert Friedman and Maurice Keane will retire from AXIS on May 31, 2020. Friedman has served on the board of directors since the company’s inception in November 2001. Keane has served as a director since September 2002.

Dowling’s appointment brings the size of the board of directors to 13 members, 11 of whom are independent directors.

Butt praised the integral leadership roles Friedman and Keane have played in growing AXIS into the global player it is today. “The level of insight, strategic counsel and guidance that they provided cannot be overstated,” he said.