KYLE BURNETT
Regional vice president of property, head of excess and surplus property
XL Group Ltd.
New York
Age: 29
Kyle Burnett was recruited to join the excess and surplus property unit of XL Group Ltd., which does business as XL Catlin, in 2016 from Everest National Insurance Co., where he was executive underwriting director. Earlier in his career, he was a senior underwriter with PartnerRe Ltd. Once at XL Catlin, Mr. Burnett was responsible for $7 million in new business in less than six months.
Emerging risks in your specialty
We’re starting to see a lot of cannabis and medical marijuana coming into the market, and I think they are hard-to-place risks. People try to find homes for the business, but not every carrier is comfortable with them.
Best-kept secret about insurance
I think the best-kept secret is the autonomy, the ability to set your schedule. If you’re doing your job right, there’s a lot of travel involved. There’s a lot of fun you can have with the job. I think people think it’s a boring career, but it’s all what you make of it, and I can tell you my career thus far has been fun and exciting.
Something people don’t know about you
Prior to starting in insurance, I was a chef, and I cooked for the princess of Qatar’s wedding. They flew me over there for two weeks to cook for the princess’s wedding. I believe it was the king’s third daughter.
Hobbies and interests
I’m a big fan of travel with my fiancée. We like to see the world as much as we can, and I take that opportunity every chance I get.
Dream vacation
Dubai. I like seeing a lot of different places. Every time I see a picture of Dubai, it makes me want to go there even more.
The 2018 Business Insurance Break Out Awards highlight the potential future leaders of the insurance and risk management sector from across the United States.