- Second deputy chair: Kean Driscoll, chief executive officer of Validus Reinsurance.

The ABIR's immediate past chair, Kevin O'Donnell, the president and chief executive officer of RenaissanceRe Holdings, continues to serve as an ABIR officer and currently also serves as chair of the Global Reinsurance Forum (“GRF”), an international group of companies that advocates for the reinsurance industry.

Mr. Benchimol, who began his term January 1, was appointed president and chief executive officer of AXIS in 2012, having previously served as a director and chief financial officer for the company. He formerly held senior roles at PartnerRe, Reliance Group, and the Bank of Montreal. Mr. Benchimol also has been appointed as an external member of the Lloyd's Council.

“I'm proud to help advance ABIR's mission and look forward to working with the ABIR board and member companies to advocate the Bermuda reinsurance market's interests around the world,” Mr. Benchimol said. “I'd also like to thank Kevin O'Donnell for his tremendous service as ABIR chair during these past two years of challenges and change. The Bermuda market is well positioned, and ABIR will continue to advocate for open, well-regulated, competitive insurance markets globally.”

Mr. O'Donnell said, “Albert is ideally suited to carry ABIR's proud legacy forward and lead our industry into the island's exciting future. ABIR's efforts to advocate for addressing the global protection gap between economic and insured losses are critical to societies around the world, particularly for perils like flooding, earthquakes, storms, cyber and terror risk, drought, and other catastrophic exposures.”

ABIR members wrote $97 billion in global gross written premium during calendar year 2017 and have paid over a quarter of a trillion dollars to policyholders and ceding companies in the United States and Europe over the past 20 years.

“ABIR continues its rich history of leadership in international reinsurance markets with these new officers,” said John M. Huff, the president and chief executive officer of ABIR, which marked its 25th anniversary last year. “Bermuda's reinsurance and insurance markets are critical to managing risk and thereby providing stability to international economies. ABIR members are proud of Bermuda's success in helping to solve some of the world's toughest risk challenges.”

ABIR member companies include AIG, Arch, Argo Group, Armour Group, Ascot, Aspen, Assured Guaranty, AXIS, Chubb, Enstar Group, Fidelis, Hamilton Re, Hiscox, Lancashire, MS Amlin, PartnerRe, Qatar Re, RenaissanceRe, Sirius, Third Point Re, Tokio Millennium Re, Validus Re, Watford Re, and AXA XL. Broker advisory cabinet members include: Aon, Guy Carpenter, and Willis Towers Watson.