AXA XL’s Design Professional insurance business has promoted Michaela Kendall to the newly created role of Strategic Partnerships manager to oversee and strengthen key industry and market relationships.
Kendall will be based in AXA XL’s Atlanta office, and report to Douglas Strong, Chief Underwriting Officer, Design Professional.
She will lead a team directing Design Professional’s business development, marketing, and industry partnering initiatives.
Her responsibilities include supporting AXA XL’s national program partnerships with key architect, engineering, and design industry associations, including American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), The American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC).
Her team will also liaise with agent partners in the Professional Liability Agents Network (PLAN) and assume management of the Design Professional Risk Control Group (DPRCG) program, a risk management group comprised of some of the nation’s premier architectural and engineering firms.
Prior to her new role, Kendall served as an underwriting manager, later transitioning to Design Professional underwriting after spending three years as a senior claims specialist.
Before joining AXA XL in 2015, she spent just under 10 years in private legal practice, where she served the insurance industry working on E&O and Commercial P&C claims litigation.
Strong commented: “We’re excited to see Michaela step into this newly created position. These broad ranging relationships are critical to our success, keeping us connected to the A/E firms that we serve.
“These close ties help us monitor the issues important to the design industry, serving to drive product and risk management innovation to address the evolving need of our customers.
“With Michaela’s diverse underwriting, claims and legal background, she has a comprehensive view and understanding of the professional liability issues our A/E clients face every day, is well versed in delivery of customer centric loss prevention and risk management programs, and avidly supports our partner brokers addressing complex technical matters.
“Our design firm customers are sure to value her perspective and benefit from her hands-on underwriting and claims experience.”
