XL appoints chief exec of global professional lines

XL Group has announced the appointment of Kelly Lyles to lead its global professional lines of business.

XL’s GP lines provide professional liability insurance for directors and officers, financial institutions, architects, engineers and other businesses and service professionals.

Lyles will be based in London, reporting to Greg Hendrick, chief executive of XL’s global insurance operation.

She assumes the role from Bernard Horovitz, who has led the team since 2008 and remains at XL, stepping into the newly created role of senior vice president, insurance special projects.

According to Hendrick, "Attracting and keeping top industry talent is a critical part of our business strategy. As we continue to extend our professional liability capabilities globally, we're excited to have someone of Kelly's calibre and experience join our team. At the same time, we're equally pleased to leverage Bernie's actuarial and underwriting leadership skills in a whole new way."

Lyles most recently served as head of specialty lines for AIG Property Casualty's Europe, Middle East & EMEA Region. She was responsible for developing AIG's specialty lines portfolio and expanding its presence in the EMEA region.

Hendrick concludes, "Our profitable growth plans rely on our ability to quickly identify and assess new opportunities and connect multiple pieces of our strategy, and we will immediately benefit from Bernie's experience in this key role."