Global insurer AXA’s property, casualty and specialty risk division, AXA XL, has appointed Laurent Richème to succeed Juergen Cherreck as Global Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO), Property.
Cherreck, who has held his current role at the firm since October 2020, is set to retire in July after 21 years of service at AXA XL. His successor, Richème, has been with the AXA Group since 2008, and brings more than 25 years of experience in the insurance and risk engineering industry to his new role.
As Global CUO, Property, Richème will lead the company’s underwriting strategy for its Property, Construction & Energy businesses, working closely with regional teams.
Richème joined AXA Corporate Solutions in 2008 as a Senior Property Underwriter, and the following year was promoted to Property Technical Manager, a role he held for three years. In 2012, he was appointed Head of Property Underwriting for France and Belgium, and in 2017 took over as CUO for France, before joining AXA XL in 2019 as Head of International Property. In 2021, Richème was named CUO, Property, Energy & Construction for APAC and Europe at AXA XL.
Libby Benet, Global Chief Underwriting Officer at AXA XL, commented: “Our clients are navigating an increasingly complex risk environment shaped by climate volatility, evolving supply chains, digital infrastructure expansion and changes in the global energy landscape. At the same time, the rapid growth of data centers, major infrastructure investments and large-scale energy projects is increasing demand for underwriting expertise that combines technical excellence with prevention-focused risk insight and resilience capabilities.
“Laurent’s deep technical expertise, market knowledge and collaborative approach make him exceptionally well positioned to support our clients and drive the continued development of our Property, Construction & Energy businesses.”
