AXA XL announces new Energy Underwriters in Canada

TORONTO, March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA XL has appointed Kate Zhou as Senior Underwriter and Ian Lui as Underwriter for its Energy business in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ms. Zhou and Mr. Lui report to Jennifer Arezes, Head of Property, Construction and Energy, Canada.

Commenting on the appointment, Ms. Arezes said: "Kate is one of the top energy underwriters in the country and her experience will not only bolster our underwriting capabilities but reaffirm our commitment to the energy sector in Canada. She brings 25 years' experience underwriting the most complex energy risks across multiple sectors and regions throughout continental Canada. She is an excellent addition to our overall Property, Construction & Energy team and will be an invaluable risk management partner to our Energy industry clients."

Ms. Zhou joins AXA XL from Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada where she served as Technical Account Manager for Global Specialty Lines. Before that she was the lead underwriter for AIG's Energy and Engineering Risk for over 12 years. Ms. Zhou holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Shanghai, Shanghai, China.        

Mr. Lui who will report to Ms. Zhou, joins from FM Global where he held various risk and account management roles between 2012 and 2022. He is a graduate of Queen's University Smith School of Business and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Toronto.

"We are pleased to add Ian to our roster of skilled underwriters in Canada. He has wide-ranging experience across risk management for large commercial companies and will bring a fresh talent perspective to our team," added Ms. Arezes.

In Canada, AXA XL provides energy companies with specialized property insurance solutions for their oil rig, oil & petrochemical, chemical, and power generation insurance needs. AXA XL rounds out its risk management approach with specialized risk engineering for energy companies and specialized claims handling capabilities to minimize risk and loss of property assets.

In October 2021, AXA announced global policy revisions  limiting exposure in its investment and underwriting portfolios of unconventional Oil & Gas activities, or methods other than traditional vertical well extraction, and ceasing to underwrite new insurance coverage for new upstream oil greenfield exploration projects or projects in place where there has been minimal to no previous exploration.  AXA continues to underwrite insurance for Energy "transition leaders" -- Oil & Gas companies with the most far reaching and credible transition plans to achieve net zero emissions. 

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¹AXA XL is a division of AXA Group providing products and services through four business groups: AXA XL Insurance, AXA XL Reinsurance, AXA XL Art & Lifestyle and AXA XL Risk Consulting.

SOURCE AXA XL