Michael E. Morrill
CEO & President, AXIS Re U.S.
 
Michael E. Morrill has been Chief Executive Officer and President of AXIS Re U.S. since August 2002. He also serves as Deputy Chairman of AXIS Re globally. Mr. Morrill has over 21 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry. From 2001 to 2002, Mr. Morrill was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gerling Global Reinsurance Corporation of America. From 1996 to 2001, he served as Chief Underwriting Officer for North America and Senior Vice President at Transatlantic Reinsurance Company. He also has held senior management and underwriting positions at Munich American Reinsurance Company, Cologne Reinsurance Company of America and Christiania General Insurance Company.
E-mail michael.morrill@axiscapital.com
Kevin J. Markowski
Executive Vice President
 
Kevin Markowski has over 33 years in the insurance/reinsurance industry, most recently with Benfield as Senior Vice President and Manager of the New York office. Prior to joining Benfield, Kevin was an Executive Vice President with Carvill America from 1995 to 2003. In addition to his brokering experience, Kevin has held Vice President positions with both Swiss Re and Munich American Re in Marketing and Claims from 1980 to 1995. He began his career with the Travelers Insurance Company in 1972 and also worked at the Hartford Insurance Group before joining Swiss Re. Kevin is a graduate of Notre Dame.
E-mail kevin.markowski@axiscapital.com
Christopher A. Donelan, CPCU, ARe
Executive Vice President, Liability
 
Chris Donelan began his career in the insurance/reinsurance industry in 1990. Prior to joining AXIS, Chris held the position of Vice President, Manager of the Professional Liability Division of Gerling Global Reinsurance Corporation of America. His prior experience also includes ceded reinsurance with American International Group, as well as a Senior Claims Examiner with Tokio Re and Allstate Insurance Company. He also holds a MBA in Insurance and Risk Management from St. John’s University and holds both the CPCU and ARe designations.
E-mail christopher.donelan@axiscapital.com
Michael J. Fokken
Senior Vice President, Professional Liability
 
Michael Fokken has over 25 years of experience in areas of underwriting, risk assessment, risk management and consulting. Prior to joining AXIS, Michael was Assistant Vice President, Special Casualty at Transatlantic Reinsurance, underwriting treaty and facultative business. His prior experience also includes Referral Underwriter at Swiss Re America for Contractor/Consultant Professional Liability, Environmental Liability and Architects & Engineers Liability. Prior to reinsurance, Michael worked in the risk management area in commercial banking and engineering & environmental consulting sectors. Michael has his B.A. from the University of Iowa with Masters work at Iowa and Farleigh Dickenson University.
E-mail michael.fokken@axiscapital.com
James Brown
Senior Vice President, Casualty
 
Jim Brown began his career in the insurance/reinsurance industry in 1987. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Partner Reinsurance in the Specialty Casualty Unit before joining AXIS in September 2009. His prior experience also includes treaty reinsurance underwriting at CNA Re and insurance underwriting at Great American and Travelers. He holds a B.S. degree from Villanova University.
E-mail jim.brown@axiscapital.com
Halina Herc, CPCU, ARe
Senior Vice President, Casualty
 
Halina Herc has over 20 years of experience in the reinsurance industry. Prior to joining AXIS, Halina held the position of Vice President in the Standard Casualty department of Converium. She also held the position of Treaty Vice President at Partner Re and various underwriting positions at Everest Re. She graduated from Seton Hall University with a B.A. in Accounting and holds both the CPCU and ARe designations.
E-mail halina.herc@axiscapital.com
John T. Heins
Senior Vice President, Casualty
 
John Heins joined AXIS Re U.S. in 2009 with over 20 years of underwriting experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry. He previously served as Senior Vice President in the Standard Lines/Regional treaty underwriting team at Partner Reinsurance Company. His prior experience also includes treaty reinsurance underwriting positions at CORE Managers, Inc. and Guilderland Reinsurance Company, as well as commercial lines underwriting positions at the Hartford Insurance Group. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Siena College.
E-mail john.heins@axiscapital.com
James B. Ruden
Senior Vice President, Property
 
Jim Ruden began his insurance/reinsurance career in 1980 as a multi-line underwriter with the Empire Mutual/Allcity Insurance Group in New York City. Prior to joining AXIS Re – U.S., Jim was Vice President and Global Underwriting Manager of the Direct and Facultative Insurance/Reinsurance Division for Everest Re in Bermuda. Before moving to Bermuda, he led the U.S. Facultative Property Division for Everest Re as Vice President and National Underwriting Manager. He also previously was Assistant Secretary and Facultative Property Underwriter with Munich American Reinsurance Company in New York, and Senior Property Underwriter with Royal Globe Insurance.
E-mail james.ruden@axiscapital.com
Jeffrey M. Ryan
Senior Vice President, Surety
 
Jeff Ryan specializes in contract and commercial surety reinsurance business. Prior to joining AXIS Re, he served as Senior Vice President, Surety & Credit with ACE Tempest Re USA and was responsible for surety underwriting on a global basis. Jeff’s prior work experience also includes Transatlantic Reinsurance Company, where he was part of the Guaranty division and had primary responsibility for Trade Credit, Political Risk and Financial Guarantee underwriting in addition to managing a portfolio of surety clients. He began his career at Seaboard Surety Company in 1991. Jeff graduated from the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond with a BSBA in economics.
E-mail jeffrey.ryan@axiscapital.com
Nicholas M. Leccese
Executive Vice President & Actuary
 
Nick Leccese has over 25 years experience in the insurance/reinsurance industry as an actuary. Prior to joining AXIS, Nick was a Vice President in the Actuarial Department of Gerling Global Reinsurance Corporation of America. His prior experience included pricing primary insurance at Reliance National and Insurance Services Office. Nick became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society in 1993 and has a B.A. in Mathematics from Queens College.
E-mail nicholas.leccese@axiscapital.com
Ana Cifuentes
Vice President, Professional Liability
 
Prior to joining AXIS Re U.S., Ana Cifuentes had been Vice President, Underwriter for European Auto & Personal Accident treaties at AXIS Re Europe in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously she worked for Swiss Re in Madrid, where she was Head of P&C Treaty Underwriting Team and Casualty Underwriter, for Spain and Portugal. She began her Reinsurance career in 1996 as a Non Life Treaty Underwriter in Gerling Global Re’s Madrid office. Ana graduated with degrees in Economics and Actuarial Science from Complutense University in Madrid.
E-mail ana.cifuentes@axiscapital.com
Jonathan M. Colello, CPCU, ARe
Vice President, Professional Liability
 
Jon Colello began his career in the insurance industry in 1999 as a treaty underwriter with AXA Re in New York. Prior to joining AXIS, Jon served as an Assistant Secretary, Casualty Treaty Underwriter, at Odyssey America Reinsurance Corporation. Jon is a graduate of The University of Vermont, where he received a B.S. in Business Administration. He holds both the CPCU and ARe designations.
E-mail jon.colello@axiscapital.com
Mike McCarthy, ARe, ChFC
Vice President, Professional Liability
 
Mike McCarthy has over 20 years of underwriting experience. Prior to joining AXIS in October 2009, he served as Vice President – Underwriting at AEGIS and before that, he was Vice President with Everest Re, where his responsibilities included underwriting professional facultative and casualty treaty reinsurance. Mike also previously held various positions at CNA underwriting fidelity, D&O, professional liability and related products. He began his career in 1988 with AIG. Mike is a graduate of Syracuse University and holds both the ARe and ChFC designations.
E-mail mike.mccarthy@axiscapital.com
Paul Pipia
Vice President, Professional Liability
 
Paul Pipia has over 14 years of experience in the insurance/reinsurance industry. Prior to joining AXIS Re in 2009, he had been on the brokerage side as a Vice President with Willis Re and Guy Carpenter. He also formerly handled ceded reinsurance at AIG, and previously held various underwriting positions in both primary and reinsurance operations at Great American, American Re and Transatlantic Re. He began his career at CNA. Paul holds an MBA from Adelphi University and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Hofstra University.
E-mail paul.pipia@axiscapital.com

David L. Smith, CPCU, ARe
Vice President, Casualty
Dave Smith has over 30 years experience in the reinsurance industry after four and a half years of primary underwriting at General Accident and Kemper. He began as a Casualty Facultative Underwriter at Employers Reinsurance, moving in 1975 to Munich American Reinsurance where he was Facultative Casualty Manager and New York Regional Manager. In 1990, he moved into the Casualty Treaty Department and shortly after the announced merger with American Reinsurance in mid-1996, he became Acting Casualty Treaty Manager until the effective merger in early 1997. He served as Vice President Treaty Underwriter following the merger until leaving American Re in August 2002. He subsequently did underwriting review work and other reinsurance consulting activities until January 2006, when he joined AXIS Re’s General Casualty unit.
E-mail david.smith@axiscapital.com

Ted Muenkel
Vice President, Casualty
Ted Muenkel began his underwriting career with Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in 1989. Prior to joining AXIS Re U.S. in 2009, he was a Vice President at Platinum Underwriters Reinsurance Corporation. Ted also held officer positions at Converium N.A. and Employers Reinsurance Corporation. He graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in Banking and Finance.
E-mail ted.muenkel@axiscapital.com

Xanthe R. Effros, ARe
Assistant Vice President, Property
Xanthe Effros began her career in reinsurance in 1987. Prior to joining AXIS in May 2006, she was an Assistant Secretary and property underwriter at Converium Reinsurance. She also formerly was Assistant Secretary in the Property Division at Gerling Global and previously held positions at Le Blanc de Nicolay and Sedgwick Re, intermediaries specializing in international reinsurance. Xanthe graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in International Relations and French.
E-mail xanthe.effros@axiscapital.com
  © AXIS Capital