KYND hires Aaron Aanenson to lead US cyber insurance

KYND has appointed Aaron Aanenson as Head of Insurance, North America, as it expands its US insurance business and sharpens its focus on cyber risk assessment for small and medium-sized firms.

Aanenson will lead KYND's US insurance strategy, working with insurers and brokers on underwriting workflows and portfolio oversight. The appointment forms part of a broader push to deepen how insurers assess cyber exposure in the SME market.

KYND operates a cyber risk analytics platform for the insurance sector, using data on organisations' external cyber posture to provide monitoring and alerts. The product is intended to give insurers instant visibility of cyber exposure and a continuous view of change over time.

US insurance focus

The hire signals increased emphasis on North America, the largest and most active region for cyber insurance. Underwriters have continued to refine how they price and select risks, with heightened attention on accumulation, supply chain exposure, and the volatility of ransomware-driven losses.

In that context, cyber risk data and monitoring providers are competing for insurer spend. Their products aim to strengthen underwriting decisions and support more consistent portfolio management across large SME books, where resources for detailed technical assessment can be limited.

Aanenson brings more than 18 years of experience across cybersecurity consulting, management consulting, and insurance, including roles at Bitsight and S-RM. KYND said his background provides a practitioner perspective on cyber risk and how carriers use external signals in underwriting and renewals.

KYND said a core part of his remit will be building relationships with insurer clients and brokers, as well as helping shape strategic priorities and product development based on market feedback.

Industry background

Cyber insurance underwriting has shifted from a largely questionnaire-driven process to more evidence-based assessment, including scanning and monitoring. Carriers are looking for signals that can be compared at scale while accounting for differences in industry, geography, and technology stack. Brokers have also pushed for clarity on how decisions are made, particularly where coverage terms and pricing change at renewal.

Vendors have responded with scoring systems, continuous monitoring, and event-driven alerts. Insurers use these tools in different ways: some integrate data directly into underwriting platforms, while others use it as a secondary check or to prioritise deeper review.

KYND says it focuses on SME risk, stating it has 100% coverage of the SME sector and visibility into any organisation with a URL. It positions its insights as "jargon-free" and says its product suite is tailored to insurer requirements.

"I've focussed my career on helping the nascent cyber insurance market grow - primarily supporting cyber underwriters to better understand the risk so they could more confidently grow their business," said Aaron Aanenson, Head of Insurance, North America, KYND.

"I am looking forward to making an impact at a company which is totally insurance-focused. KYND's platform was built to serve carriers and brokers and that clarity of purpose creates a strong foundation for long-term partnership in the US market," he added.

Andy Thomas, CEO and Co-founder of KYND, said the hire supports the company's plan to expand its US presence and target growth in SME cyber insurance.

"The US is a critical market for cyber insurance innovation and growth. Aaron's combination of hands-on experience working directly with insurers and cybersecurity expertise makes him ideally placed to strengthen our presence," said Thomas.

Thomas also pointed to the need for insurers to evaluate risk at both policy and portfolio level as they expand in SME lines.

"As insurers look to unlock the significant SME cyber opportunity, they need tools that provide clarity across both individual risks and entire portfolios. Aaron will play a central role in ensuring we deliver exactly that," he said.

KYND is headquartered in London and has offices in Portugal and the US. Founded in 2018, it has been recognised in the InsurTech 100 list for four years running and won Cyber Product of the Year at the National Insurance Awards 2025.

Aanenson will take up the role with responsibility for insurer and broker engagement across the US, alongside input into KYND's product direction for cyber risk monitoring and underwriting use cases.