People Moves: Arch Insurance Taps AXA XL’s Martins as Head of Executive Assurance for France; DUAL Europe Announces Key Cyber Appointments

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Arch Insurance and DUAL Europe.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Arch Insurance Taps AXA XL’s Martins as Head of Executive Assurance, France

Arch Insurance announced the appointment of Julien Martins as head of Executive Assurance for France, with immediate effect.

Martins joins Arch Insurance (EU) dac (AIEU), which provides specialist property and casualty insurance solutions within the European Union.

In this newly created role, he is responsible for developing the company’s executive assurance portfolio, writing directors & officers (D&O) coverage for commercial clients, financial institutions and SMEs, as well as specialist blended coverage for select sectors.

Based in Paris, he has a territorial focus on French-speaking countries, including France, Monaco, Belgium and Luxembourg.

A prominent figure in the French insurance market with technical underwriting experience across financial and casualty lines, Martins joins Arch from AXA XL where he was most recently regional product leader Casualty APAC & Europe. He has also held underwriting roles at Liberty Specialty Markets and XL Catlin.

Commenting on the announcement, Matthew Brophy, chief underwriting officer, AIEU said: “Julien’s appointment marks the next phase in our product expansion within France, following the successful launch of our cyber and casualty portfolios. France’s executive assurance market is among Europe’s largest and most sophisticated, with strong buyer demand for new capacity and expertise. Julian’s reputation, deep market knowledge, and strength of broker relationships ideally position us to support our clients locally.”

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DUAL Europe Names Key Appointments in Cyber Team

DUAL Europe, the managing general agent and unit of insurance intermediary Howden, is reinforcing its position in the cyber insurance market with a strategic leadership appointment and a newly aligned regional structure designed to meet the needs of brokers and clients across Europe.

In response to evolving cyber threats, DUAL Europe said it is expanding its cyber capabilities with the appointment of Marek Stanislawski as head of Business Development, Cyber Europe, effective Sept. 3.

In addition, DUAL European also announced the promotion of Erika Chemello and Johan Hedenstedt as head of Cyber Southern Europe and head of Cyber Northern Europe, respectively, effective Oct. 1.

Stanislawski joins DUAL from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) where he worked more than 15 years in various roles, including most recently as global cyber underwriting lead (June 2020-August 2025), according to his LinkedIn account.

Stanislawski joins DUAL with a pan-European remit, based in Stockholm, and brings deep expertise in cyber risk and insurance innovation. His role will focus on developing market-leading client offerings and enhancing broker partnerships in each market to deliver scalable and forward-thinking solutions.

DUAL Europe said the promotions of Chemello and Hedenstedt reflect the company’s continued commitment to building a pan-European cyber ecosystem that combines local expertise with cross-border collaboration. Chemello will oversee southern Europe, including Italy, and Ibérica, while Hedenstedt will lead Northern Europe, covering the Nordics, Ireland, and Benelux.

This new structure delivers strategic alignment across these markets, while other core European countries – including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France – continue to benefit from DUAL’s established cyber framework, ensuring consistency and continuity in delivery.

DUAL said the appointments mark a key milestone in DUAL Europe’s journey to become a leading force in cyber insurance, combining local expertise with regional scale to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex digital landscape.

Topics Cyber Europe New Markets France