Axis Capital Holdings Ltd has appointed Stan Galanski to the company’s board of directors, effective January 1.

The company said Mr Galanski would serve on its risk committee.

“Stan is an outstanding addition to our board of directors, bringing more than 40 years of experience in the property and casualty space as a public company CEO and with C-suite roles at leading major and mid-size insurance carriers,” said Henry Smith, chairman of the board of directors.

“We will benefit from his experience guiding companies to drive underwriting excellence and operational transformation, as well as his deep knowledge of the specialty insurance space on a global scale.”

Mr Galanski most recently served as president and chief executive of The Navigators Group, a Nasdaq-listed global specialty insurer that he grew from $150 million in premiums to $2 billion, while leading the company from 2003 until its 2019 acquisition by The Hartford.

Axis said Mr Galanski’s appointment reflected a multi-year succession planning strategy to ensure balance between longer-tenured directors and perspectives of newer directors.

With the addition of Mr Galanski, the board will consist of 12 members, 11 of whom are independent.