Artificial intelligence-driven insurtech company mea Platform has appointed Rachel Watts as chief operations officer to strengthen its senior leadership team as it looks to expand market reach.

Ms Watts brings more than 20 years of international experience in client implementation across the insurance, reinsurance and financial services sectors.

She most recently held a senior role at Markel, where she helped shape information technology operations strategy and directed global tech teams.

Her previous positions include vice-president of global operations and head of actuarial systems at Pacific Life Re, where she oversaw transformation initiatives across several regions, and global head of service management at XL Catlin.

She continued in that role through the merger with Axa, later serving at Axa XL with responsibility for worldwide IT operations, service design, business continuity and stakeholder engagement.

Martin Henley, the chief executive of mea Platform, said: “AI in [insurance and reinsurance] will only reach its potential if it is matched by world-class execution. Rachel’s operational expertise and strong leadership record ensure that we continue to surpass execution expectations and commitments, allowing more clients to quickly benefit from mea’s AI products.”

Ms Watts said she was proud to join the company at a time of growth: “The role is a special opportunity to join a company where the commitment to product is matched by the commitment to fantastic and efficient delivery. Having seen first-hand the challenges that mea solves, I’m eager to help our clients gain measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy and profitability.”

Her appointment follows that of Elliott Bundy as chief marketing officer, with further additions to the leadership team expected in the coming months.

Mea Platform, founded by industry veterans, uses domain-specific AI to automate insurance operations. The company said that its platform enabled rapid, non-invasive deployment that reduced costs and improved profitability for insurers and brokers.