AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (AXIS Capital) is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions with operations in Bermuda, the United States (‘U.S.’), Europe, Singapore and Canada.
The company’s underwriting operations are organized around its global underwriting platforms, AXIS Insurance and AXIS Re.
Business Strategy
The company is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions and are a leader in many of the markets wh...
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (AXIS Capital) is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions with operations in Bermuda, the United States (‘U.S.’), Europe, Singapore and Canada.
The company’s underwriting operations are organized around its global underwriting platforms, AXIS Insurance and AXIS Re.
Business Strategy
The company is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions and are a leader in many of the markets where the company choose to compete. The company provides its clients and distribution partners with a broad range of risk transfer products and services, and strong capacity, backed by excellent financial strength. The company manages its portfolio holistically, aiming to construct the optimum balance of risks, consistent with the company’s risk appetite and the development of the company’s franchise.
The company’s business strategies include offering a diversified range of products and services across market segments and geographies; underwriting a balanced portfolio of risks, including complex and volatile lines, deploying capital within risk limits, diversification and risk management; and developing and maintaining deep, trusting and mutually beneficial relationships with clients and distribution partners, offering high levels of service and effective solutions for risk management needs.
Segment Information
The company’s underwriting operations are organized around the company’s global underwriting platforms, AXIS Insurance and AXIS Re. The company has determined that the company has two reportable segments, insurance and reinsurance.
Insurance Segment
Lines of Business and Distribution
The company’s insurance segment offers specialty insurance products to a variety of niche markets on a worldwide basis. The following are the lines of business in the company’s insurance segment:
Professional Lines: provides directors’ and officers’ liability, errors and omissions liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, crime, professional indemnity, medical malpractice and other financial insurance related covers for public and private commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations and other professional service providers. This business is predominantly written on a claims-made basis.
Property: provides physical loss or damage, business interruption and machinery breakdown cover for virtually all types of property, including commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, property in transit, onshore renewable energy installations, and physical damage and business interruption following an act of terrorism. This line of business includes primary and excess risks, some of which are catastrophe-exposed.
Liability: provides cover for primary and low to mid-level excess and umbrella commercial liability, and environmental liability risks in the U.S. wholesale markets in addition to primary and excess of loss employers, public, and products liability business predominately in the U.K. Target industry sectors include construction, manufacturing, transportation and trucking, and other services.
Cyber: provides cover for cyber, technology errors and omissions, media and miscellaneous professional liability. Cover is provided for a range of risks including data recovery and bricking, cyber-crime, liability and regulatory actions, business interruption, extortion, reputational harm, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and media liability.
Marine and Aviation: Marine provides cover for a range of exposures including offshore energy, offshore renewable energy, cargo, liability including kidnap and ransom, fine art, specie, and hull war. Offshore energy coverages include physical damage, business interruption, operator's extra expense and liability coverage for all aspects of offshore upstream energy, from exploration and construction through the operation and distribution phases. Aviation provides hull and liability, and specific war cover primarily for passenger airlines but also for cargo operations, general aviation operations, airports, aviation authorities, security firms and product manufacturers.
Accident and Health: includes personal accident, travel insurance and specialty health products for employer and affinity groups, and pet insurance.
Credit and Political Risk: provides credit and political risk insurance products for banks, commodity traders, corporations, and multilateral and export credit agencies. Cover is provided for a range of risks including sovereign and corporate credit default, political violence, currency inconvertibility and non-transfer, expropriation, aircraft non-repossession and contract frustration due to political events. Surety bonds are also provided to large corporate and commercial clients, and to mid to large sized construction clients.
The company produces business primarily through wholesale and retail brokers worldwide. Some of the company’s insurance products are also distributed through managing general agents (‘MGAs’) and managing general underwriters (‘MGUs’). In the U.S., the company has the ability to write business on an admitted basis using forms and rates filed with state insurance regulators and on a non-admitted or surplus lines basis, which provides flexibility in forms and rates, as these are not filed with state regulators. The company’s ability to write business on a non-admitted basis in the U.S. provides the company with the pricing flexibility needed to write non-standard coverages. Substantially all of the company’s insurance business is subject to aggregate limits, in addition to event limits.
Reinsurance Segment
Lines of Business and Distribution
The company’s reinsurance segment provides treaty reinsurance to insurance companies on a worldwide basis, written on an excess of loss or a proportional basis. For excess of loss business, the company typically indemnifies the reinsured for a portion of losses, individually and in the aggregate, in excess of a specified individual or aggregate loss deductible. For proportional business, the company assumes an agreed percentage of the underlying premiums and accept liability for the same percentage of losses and loss expenses.
The company’s business is primarily produced through reinsurance brokers worldwide. The following are the lines of business in the company’s reinsurance segment:
Liability: Provides protection to insurers of admitted casualty business, excess and surplus lines casualty business and specialty casualty programs. The primary focus of the underlying business is general liability, workers' compensation, auto liability, environmental liability, and excess casualty.
Accident and Health: Includes personal accident, specialty health, accidental death, travel, life and disability reinsurance products which are offered on a proportional and catastrophic or per life excess of loss basis.
Professional Lines: Provides protection for directors’ and officers’ liability, employment practices liability, medical malpractice, professional indemnity, cyber and miscellaneous errors and omissions insurance risks. The underlying business is predominantly written on a claims-made basis. This business is written on a proportional and excess of loss basis.
Credit and Surety: Credit reinsurance provides protection for trade credit insurance, and credit and political risk insurance. Trade credit insurance protects sellers of goods and services in the event of a non-payment by the buyer of those goods and services. Credit and political risk insurance covers a range of risks predominantly corporate and sovereign non-payment. Surety reinsurance provides protection for losses arising from a broad array of surety bonds issued by insurers to satisfy regulatory demands, contract, and commercial obligations in a variety of jurisdictions around the world. Mortgage reinsurance is provided to mortgage guaranty insurers, the U.S. government-sponsored entities and other mortgage market participants. These entities seek to manage their credit risk exposure emanating from defined pools of mortgage loans.
Motor: Provides protection to insurers for motor liability and motor property damage losses arising out of any one occurrence. A loss occurrence can involve one or many claimants where the ceding insurer aggregates the claims from the occurrence. Traditional non-proportional and proportional reinsurance, as well as structured solutions are offered predominantly relating to European exposures.
Agriculture: Provides protection for risks associated with the production of food and fiber on a global basis for primary insurance companies writing multi-peril crop insurance, crop hail, and named peril covers, as well as custom risk transfer mechanisms for agricultural dependent industries with exposures to crop yield and/or price deviations. This business is written on a proportional and aggregate stop loss reinsurance basis.
Marine and Aviation: Marine includes specialty marine exposures, such as cargo, hull, pleasure craft, marine liability, inland marine and offshore energy. The principal perils covered by policies in this portfolio include physical loss, damage and/or liability arising from natural perils of the seas or land, man-made events, including fire and explosion, stranding/sinking/salvage, pollution, shipowners and maritime employers liability. This business is written on a non-proportional and proportional basis. Aviation provides cover for airline, aerospace and general aviation exposures. This business is written on a proportional and non-proportional basis. The company exited Aviation business effective January 1, 2023.
Run-off Lines
Catastrophe: Provides protection for most catastrophic losses that are covered in the underlying insurance policies written by the company’s cedants. The underlying policies principally cover property-related exposures but other exposures including personal accident are also covered. The principal perils covered by policies in this portfolio include hurricane and windstorm, earthquake, flood, tornado, hail and fire. In some instances, terrorism may be a covered peril or the only peril. This business is written on a proportional and an excess of loss basis. The company exited this line of business in June 2022.
Property: Provides protection for property damage and related losses resulting from natural and man-made perils that are covered in the underlying personal and commercial lines insurance policies written by the company’s cedants. The predominant exposure is to property damage, but other risks, including business interruption and other non-property losses, may also be covered when arising from a covered peril. The most significant perils covered by policies in this portfolio include windstorm, tornado and earthquake, but other perils such as freezes, riots, flood, industrial explosions, fire, hail and a number of other loss events are also included. This business is written on a proportional and excess of loss basis. The company exited this line of business in June 2022.
Engineering: Provides protection for all types of construction risks and risks associated with erection, testing and commissioning of machinery and plants during the construction stage. This line of business also includes cover for losses arising from operational failures of machinery, plant and equipment, and electronic equipment, as well as business interruption. The company exited this line of business in 2020.
Regulation
Bermuda
The company’s Bermuda insurance operating subsidiary, AXIS Specialty Bermuda, is a Class 4 general business insurer subject to the Insurance Act 1978, amendments thereto and related regulations of Bermuda (‘Insurance Act’).
AXIS Reinsurance Managers is regulated by the BMA as an insurance manager. As an insurance manager, AXIS Reinsurance Managers is required to register with the BMA pursuant to the Insurance Act. AXIS Reinsurance Managers is also required to comply with the Insurance Manager Code of Conduct.
AXIS Capital, AXIS Specialty Bermuda, AXIS Specialty Insurance Bermuda, AXIS Specialty Holdings Bermuda Limited, AXIS Specialty Investments Limited, AXIS ILS Ltd., AXIS Specialty Investments II Limited and AXIS Reinsurance Managers must comply with provisions of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda, as amended (‘Companies Act’), regulating the payment of dividends and distributions.
AXIS Specialty Limited (Singapore Branch) is registered by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (‘ACRA’) as a foreign company in Singapore and is also regulated by ACRA pursuant to the Singapore Companies Act.
AXIS Specialty Bermuda has reinsurance permissions in China and the Netherlands. AXIS Specialty Limited (Singapore Branch) has separate reinsurance permissions in China.
The United States
As a resident insurance producer in Arizona, AXIS Group Benefits LLC is subject to regulation and supervision by the Arizona Department of Insurance and is also subject to the regulation and supervision of the other states in which AXIS Group Benefits LLC transacts business.
Ireland
The company’s Ireland domiciled insurer and reinsurer are subject to the Solvency II Directive (Directive 2009/138/EC), as amended (‘Solvency II’). Certain of the company’s European legal entities are subject to Solvency II.
AXIS Specialty Europe is a European public limited liability company incorporated as a non-life insurer under the laws of Ireland. It is a Societas Europaea (SE), or European society company, and has been registered in accordance with EU law. As an SE company, AXIS Specialty Europe can more easily merge with companies in European member states and also transfer its domicile to other Member States of the EU AXIS Specialty Europe is authorized and regulated by the CBI pursuant to the Insurance Acts 1909 to 2000, as amended, repealed or replaced, the Central Bank Acts 1942 to 2014, as amended, repealed or replaced, and EU regulation relating to general insurance and statutory instruments made thereunder. AXIS Specialty Europe is authorized to conduct business in 16 non-life insurance classes throughout the EU and the European Economic Area (‘EEA’), which includes each of the Member States of the EU with the addition of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
AXIS Specialty Europe is subject to Solvency II. In order to maintain business continuity, AXIS Specialty Europe submitted an application to the Prudential Regulatory Authority (‘PRA’) in 2018 for authorization of a third-country branch. This application was approved on October 28, 2022, and the UK Branch of AXIS Specialty Europe is now fully regulated by both the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’).
AXIS Specialty Europe has local regulatory permission to carry on insurance business in Jersey, and has permission to write surplus lines business in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. It also has reinsurance permissions in India, China, Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia and Guatemala.
AXIS Re SE is authorized by the CBI as a composite reinsurer (non-life and life) in accordance with the Insurance Acts 1909 to 2000, as amended, repealed or replaced, the Central Bank Acts 1942 to 2014, as amended, repealed or replaced, and EU regulation applicable to reinsurance and statutory instruments made thereunder. AXIS Re SE is authorized to transact reinsurance throughout the EU and the EEA and is subject to Solvency II.
AXIS Re SE conducts business through its branch in Zurich, Switzerland, trading as AXIS Re Europe.
AXIS Re SE has reinsurance permissions in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.
AXIS Specialty Holdings Ireland Limited is incorporated in Ireland, and is the limited liability holding company for AXIS Specialty Europe, AXIS Re SE, and formerly Contessa Limited, which was dissolved on April 11, 2024.
The U.K. and Lloyd's of London
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. is authorized and regulated by the PRA and regulated by the FCA to conduct insurance and reinsurance business and is a Lloyd's managing agent authorized by Lloyd's to manage the company’s syndicates, Syndicate 1686 and AXIS Energy Transition Syndicate 2050 (‘Syndicate 2050’). Syndicate 2050 commenced underwriting business on April 1, 2024.
Lloyd’s is a society of corporate and individual members that underwrite insurance and reinsurance as members of syndicates. A syndicate is made up of one or more members that form a group to accept insurance and reinsurance risks. Each syndicate is managed by a managing agent that writes insurance business on behalf of the members of the syndicate. Syndicate members receive profits or bear losses in proportion to their respective shares in the syndicate for each underwriting year of account.
Lloyd’s is subject to the U.K. law and is authorized under the FSMA. The Lloyd’s Act 1982 defines the governance structure and rules under which the society operates. Under the Lloyd's Act 1982, the Council of Lloyd’s is responsible for managing, supervising and supporting the Lloyd's market. Lloyd's agrees to syndicates' business plans and evaluates performance against those plans. Syndicates are required to underwrite only in accordance with their agreed business plans. If they fail to do so, Lloyd’s can take a range of actions, including as a last resort, prohibiting a syndicate from underwriting.
Lloyd’s has a global network of licenses and authorizations, and underwriters at Lloyd's may write business in countries where Lloyd’s has authorized status or exemptions available to non-admitted insurers or reinsurers. Lloyd’s licenses can only be used if the Syndicate Business Forecast, agreed annually with Lloyd’s, names those countries. Lloyd’s also manages and protects the Lloyd’s network of international licenses, monitors syndicates’ compliance with Lloyd’s Principles for doing business and is responsible for setting both member and central capital levels.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. operated an underwriting division at Lloyd’s Insurance Company (China) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of Lloyd’s which allowed it to underwrite reinsurance in China. Syndicate 1686 ceased underwriting business on the Lloyd's China platform effective December 31, 2021. This business was placed in run-off effective January 1, 2022.
AXIS Corporate Capital UK Limited
AXIS Corporate Capital UK Limited is a corporate member of Syndicate 1686, providing 70% capital support. It ceased providing capital support to Syndicate 1686 on December 31, 2024.
AXIS Corporate Capital UK II Limited
AXIS Corporate Capital UK II Limited is a corporate member of Syndicate 1686, providing 30% capital support. It provides 100% capital support to Syndicate 1686 with effect from January 1, 2025.
AXIS Corporate Capital UK II Limited is also a corporate member of Syndicate 2050, providing 100% capital support.
AXIS Underwriting Limited
AXIS Underwriting Limited is authorized and regulated by the FCA as an insurance intermediary. AXIS Underwriting Limited underwrites insurance on behalf of AXIS Specialty Europe and at Lloyd's on behalf of Syndicate 1686.
Contessa Limited
Effective December 2019, Contessa Limited ceased writing insurance on behalf of AXIS Specialty Europe and was dissolved on April 11, 2024. AXIS Specialty Europe manages the Contessa book of business on a run-off basis.
AXIS Specialty UK Holdings Limited
AXIS Specialty UK Holdings Limited is incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, and is the limited liability holding company for AXIS Managing Agency Ltd., AXIS Corporate Capital UK Limited and Novae Group Limited.
Reinsurance
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. remains able to conduct non-life facultative, proportional and excess of loss reinsurance throughout the EEA via Lloyd’s Europe. UK regulated firms' access to EU markets generally depend on the rules each Member State applies to third country regulated firms.
AXIS Re SE transacts reinsurance business in the EEA pursuant to European law. In November 2020, the U.K. granted equivalence under Solvency II to EEA supervised reinsurers, including AXIS Re SE, allowing such reinsurers to continue operations without interruption.
Switzerland
AXIS Re SE's branch in Zurich, Switzerland trades as AXIS Re Europe and is registered in Zurich as AXIS Re SE, Dublin (Zurich Branch). The CBI remains responsible for the prudential supervision of the branch. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority does not impose additional regulation upon a Swiss branch of a company exclusively engaged in providing reinsurance.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. is eligible to use Lloyd's licenses to write all classes of insurance business, except life, sickness and legal expenses in Switzerland, and is authorized to write the same classes of reinsurance business in Switzerland.
Singapore
AXIS Specialty Bermuda historically conducted insurance and reinsurance business from its branch in Singapore, AXIS Specialty Limited (Singapore Branch), subject to the supervision of the BMA and the MAS. The BMA and the MAS impose significant regulations relating to capital adequacy, risk management, governance and audit and actuarial requirements. AXIS Specialty Limited (Singapore Branch) is registered by ACRA as a foreign company in Singapore and is also regulated by ACRA pursuant to the Singapore Companies Act. AXIS Specialty Bermuda ceased writing new business through its branch in Singapore, effective January 1, 2024, and plans to close this branch, subject to meeting all regulatory and legal requirements.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. is eligible to use Lloyd's licenses to write insurance from Singapore with the exception of certain compulsory classes and life business. Singapore business may also be written from outside Singapore in certain circumstances where it is placed with a Singapore intermediary licensed by the MAS to place business at Lloyd's or by dealing directly with the insured.
Canada
AXIS Re U.S. conducts insurance and reinsurance business from its branch in Canada, AXIS Reinsurance Company (Canadian Branch), subject to the supervision of the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (‘OSFI’), the federal regulatory authority that supervises federal Canadian and non-Canadian insurance companies operating in Canada pursuant to the Insurance Companies Act (Canada). The branch is authorized by OSFI to transact insurance and reinsurance. In addition, the branch is subject to the laws and regulations of each of the provinces and territories in which it is licensed.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. is eligible to use Lloyd's licenses to write insurance in and from Canada, subject to the laws and regulations of each of the provinces and territories in which it is licensed, with the following exceptions: hail insurance in respect of crop in the province of Quebec; home warranty insurance in the province of British Columbia; life insurance; credit protection insurance; title insurance; surety; and mortgage default insurance. AXIS Managing Agency Ltd., through Lloyd's, is authorized to write reinsurance in and from Canada subject to certain restrictions relating to life reinsurance.
Belgium
AXIS Specialty Europe conducts insurance from its Belgium branch, AXIS Specialty Europe SE (Belgium Branch), which is subject to CBI prudential supervision and limited regulation by the NBB.
Non-Admitted Insurance and Reinsurance
The company also insures and reinsures risks in many countries, including the above countries, pursuant to regulatory permissions and exemptions available to non-admitted insurers and reinsurers.
AXIS Managing Agency Ltd. is eligible to use Lloyd's licenses to write insurance and reinsurance business where Lloyd's has authorized status or pursuant to regulatory exemptions available to non-admitted insurers and reinsurers.
Trademarks
The company uses its trademarks, including among others, the company’s ‘AXIS’ trademarks for the global marketing of the company’s products and services.
History
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited was founded in 2001. The company was incorporated under the laws of Bermuda in 2002.
