AXIS Capital has announced that W. Marston Becker will be taking over as non-executive chair of the company’s board of directors from Henry B. Smith in May. Smith, who has helmed the board since 2020, will step down from his role but will remain an active board member.
Expressing his full confidence in Becker’s abilities, Smith said: “There is no better individual to succeed me as chair of the AXIS board of directors than Marty Becker. Over the past four years, the company has benefitted enormously from Marty’s wisdom and deep understanding of the specialty property and casualty space.”
The outgoing chair praised Becker for his extensive experience in leading insurers through transformative changes that enhanced shareholder value, emphasizing that his role will be crucial as AXIS pursues its goal of becoming a leader in the specialty sector.
The immediate past chair of the QBE Insurance Group board, Becker has been with the AXIS board since June 2020. His four-decade-long career in the (re)insurance industry includes executive and governance positions in Bermuda, the UK, the US, and Australia.
Becker, in his remarks, thanked Smith and called it “a privilege” to be the chair’s successor. He highlighted the significant progress AXIS has made under Smith’s chairmanship and voiced his excitement to work alongside chief executive Vince Tizzio and the rest of the board to continue building on the company’s momentum.
Commenting on the upcoming succession, Tizzio said: “Our team at AXIS is deeply appreciative of Henry for his leadership as chair and continued service on our board. Moreover, I have tremendous gratitude for Henry’s support and counsel as I transitioned into the CEO role.
“I look forward to working closely with Marty in his new capacity, and our leadership team will profit significantly from his counsel and expansive knowledge of our industry.”
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