AXA XL
Head of Sports, Media and Entertainment - UK and Lloyd's
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Head of Sports, Media & Entertainment, AXA XL
A leadership role at the heart of a dedicated group of experts passionate about delivering tailored insurance solutions for some of the most dynamic and fast-paced industries in sports, leisure, productions, events, and entertainment.
About the Role
As the leader of this team, you will oversee the management of complex risks faced by global sports and leisure businesses, productions, events, and entertainment companies, ensuring the provision of comprehensive coverage and market-leading support to guide clients through evolving sector challenges.
If you’re a visionary leader eager to drive meaningful impact in a collaborative yet innovative environment, this is your opportunity.
What You’ll Be Doing
Core Responsibilities
- Develop an annual business plan aligned with AXA XL’s underwriting strategies and objectives.
- Monitor financial, marketing, and client satisfaction metrics, offering intervention if performance diverges from plan.
- Set and drive strategic and operational goals, balancing short-term wins with long-term success.
- Utilise data tools, analytic reports, and underwriting capabilities for performance tracking, budget monitoring, and forecasting.
- Collaborate with business line leaders to cultivate centres of excellence in specialized industries.
- Steer new product development based on market need analyses.
- Accelerate Underwriting Excellence to support sustainable growth by:
- Achieving approved financial goals.
- Developing and executing strategic underwriting plans to align current and future objectives.
- Partnering with business leaders to define appetite, segment strategies, and portfolio management.
- Avoiding earnings volatility while maximizing opportunities through reinsurance strategies.
- Partnering with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Underwriting Governance on emerging risks.
- Drove profitable risk selection, structuring, and pricing.
- Collaborate with actuarial teams to refine pricing models and analytics, supporting risk growth.
- Ensure profitability through advanced underwriting analytics, pricing discipline, and competitor benchmarking.
- Align underwriting initiatives with AXA XL’s sustainable underwriting plans.
- Guide -limiting products and enhancements as integral to strategic coherence.
- Periodically assess underwriting success via audits and loss activity.
- Lead producer relations and maintain market visibility:
- Coordinate with underwriting managers, sales, and regional leaders to meet cross-selling targets.
- Foster brokerage and insured connections to capture new business opportunities.
- Support client retention efforts.
- Act as a mentor and coach, developing a succession plan for the underwriting team.
- Facilitate communication and information flows within the team.
- Partner with actuarial, accounting, claims, and finance teams to implement support for underwriting strategies.
- Assist in crafting reinsurance strategies to reduce earnings volatility.
- Collaborate with risk and compliance leaders to implement best practices (e.g., internal audit, FIC, Regulatory).
- Drive external partner engagement through focused marketing that highlights AXA XL’s value proposition.
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Reporting Structure
- Reports directly to the Chief Underwriting Officer – Specialty UK/Lloyds.
What You’ll Bring
AXA XL seeks an individual with a blend of leadership acumen, commercial insight, and technical expertise to excel in this role:
Essential
- Substantial experience in underwriting management within Specialty sectors.
- Track record of building high-value broker and client (SME focus) relationships.
- Demonstrable success in driving profitable growth.
- Undergraduate degree (postgraduate qualification and/or professional insurance certification beneficial).
- Superior inspired leadership: Act as a self-starter in a team-based environment.
- Non-political, reputable, and messenger of immediacy across internal and external audiences (e.g., brokers, customers).
- Collaborative, influential, and participative with clear communication.
- Balance of strategic and execution savvy: Proof of participation in thoughtful, profitable sectoral growth.
- Financial maturity: Sharp analytical eye for trends, metrics insights, and risk mitigation.
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Technical Ability
- Understands underwriting logic for commercial industries, product pricing, and competitive positioning.
- Ability to simplify complexity and articulate intricate risks and solutions effectively.
Why Join AXA XL
Inclusion
AXA XL prioritises an inclusive culture, fostering growth via diversity and belonging:
- Five Global Business Resource Groups on gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity, disability, and inclusion.
- Flexible working options to balance professional and personal demands.
- Family-friendly benefits, like comprehensive parental leave policies.
- UK Women in Finance Charter signatory, featured in the Diversity Best Practices Index.
- Commitment to progressive value chain fairness through respected practices.
Total Rewards
- Holistic benefits package encompassing:
- Competitive compensation that acknowledges continuous contribution.
- Financial security plans, company wellness programs, and cultural engagement.
Sustainability
AXA XL integrates ESG and sustainability into core operations, backed by the Roots of Resilience initiative (2023–26), including:
- Valuing nature: biodiversity and natural ecosystem protection initiatives.
- Climate action: net zero objectives, risk product innovation, and thought leadership.
- ESG integration: aligning in-house practices with broader sustainability goals.
- AXA Hearts in Action programs, like volunteer leave protocols,
- Matching Gifts, and annual Global Day of Giving.
Who We Are
AXA XL is innovators of risk solutions, combining capital efficiency, technology, and talent agility to provide personalized protection across property, casualty, professional, financial lines, and specialty.
By pioneering data-driven insights, we enable progressive clients—including individuals and businesses shaping the world’s future—to thrive.
Learn more: axaxl.com
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