Insurance company AXA’s subsidiary AXA XL has appointed Matthew Stitham as chief underwriting officer (CUO) of casualty in the Americas.

Based in San Francisco, Stitham will report to Donna Nadeau, AXA XL’s head of large commercial business.

In his new role, he takes over regional underwriting management duties previously handled by Donnacha Smyth.

Smyth moved in November into the position of global CUO of casualty, with responsibility for casualty underwriting activities across AXA XL’s global operations.

Before this latest appointment, Stitham led AXA XL’s West Excess business and served as head of excess casualty.

He joined the insurer in 2007, following earlier roles at Zurich and Travelers, where he began his underwriting career.

Stitham has spent more than 18 years at AXA XL, during which time he has held a range of leadership positions within casualty underwriting.

AXA XL large commercial business head Donna Nadeau said: “Matt’s extensive experience, strategic vision and deep understanding of the casualty market is a tremendous asset for our clients and our organization as he assumes his new role.

“Under his guidance, we are confident that our casualty underwriting capabilities will continue to grow as we serve our clients as a trusted partner. In today’s uncertain environment – marked by rising claim severities, social inflation and emerging liability risks – having seasoned professionals like Matt is crucial.”

Last December, AXA XL appointed Sylvain Eyraud as country manager for Italy, succeeding Saverio Longo.

Eyraud has spent more than 15 years in insurance, holding a range of roles at AXA.  

In July 2025, AXA XL introduced cybersecurity assessment services for its cyber insurance policyholders in North America. 

The insurer launched these services in collaboration with Fenix24, which specialises in ransomware response and recovery.