The third iteration of the European Retirement Week will commence with a live inauguration on Monday, November 27th. This notable 2023 Retirement calendar event is set to feature prominent keynote addresses from influential figures, including Fausto Parente, the Executive Director of EIOPA; Frances Fitzgerald, Member of the European Parliament; Katarina Ivanković Knežević, the European Commission’s Director of Social Rights and Inclusion from DG EMPL; and Didier Millerot, leading the

Bharti Life Ventures is on track to secure full ownership of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company. On Wednesday, Bharti Group announced a definitive agreement to purchase AXA’s 49% share in the life insurance entity. This move follows the 2020 decision by Bharti and AXA to integrate Bharti AXA General Insurance with ICICI Lombard and AXA’s subsequent departure from ICICI Lombard’s shareholder list. The deal is anticipated to finalize by

AXA in March 2021 announced a series of senior leadership changes in the context of the implementation of its new strategic plan, Driving Progress 2023, presented in December 2020. According to CEO Thomas Buberl, “[…] a renewed leadership team and a simpler organisation [will] accelerate the execution of our strategic priorities […]”. Simplification of AXA’s Corporate Center AXA’s Corporate Center will be led by two Deputy CEOs: Frédéric de

Multinational employee benefits network MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in May 2020 announced the appointment of Mattieu Rouot as its new CEO. Based in London, UK, Rouot succeeds Mauro Dugulin who oversaw the move from France to London five years ago and the implementation of a strategy focusing on large corporates. Rouot is far from being a newcomer to MAXIS, having played a key role in shaping the

AXA in April 2020 struck a deal to sell its Life & Savings, Property & Casualty, and Pension business operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia to Austria’s Uniqa Insurance Group for €1bn. Uniqa, which lacked critical mass in major eastern European markets, outbid Generali, and Austria-based AG. Uniqa has core markets in Austria, Central and Eastern Europe, and 20,000 employees serving 10.1 million customers in 18 different

AXA has announced the promotion of Elise Ganem to International Employee Benefits Manager at AXA’s Group HR department, effective July 2019. She was previously Head, Inter-governmental Organizations. She is based in Paris, France. Prior to her employment at AXA, she was Director, International Organizations & NGOs for Groupe Henner. Prior to that, she was Head of the International and European Department for CNAV – the French National Pension Organization,

Marine Charbonnier, who is also an author for Global Benefits Vision, in June 2019 started a new position as Global Programs and Captives Regional Director Europe at AXA XL (a division of AXA). She was previously Head of Integrated Solutions A.R.T. (alternative risk transfer) for AXA, as well as Head of Risk Financing Solutions at AXA. Charbonnier is based in Paris. Previous to her tenure at AXA, Charbonnier was

The 2019 Annual Financial Alliance For Women (FAW) Summit will be hosted by AXA from June 17-19 at its headquarters in Paris, France. The theme of the summit is “Building Resilience Through Inclusion” and will focus on highlighting  ways of building women’s economic reliance and growth through inclusivity and empowerment. The summit will commence on the morning of June 17th with a CEO forum, bringing together CEOs from leading

AXA, in April 2019, promoted Yann Illouz to Group Pension and Savings Director. He was previously the Group Pension and Savings deputy director and chief sales officer since joining AXA in 2018. Illouz came to AXA from Arial CNP Assurances, where he was Deputy General Manager from 2014 to 2018, and CNP Europe Life, where he was most recently Head of Retirement Services, as well as CEO from 2009

AXA XL in February 2019 announced it would shed over 700 jobs in Europe. AXA XL has 9,500 staff worldwide. AXA’s business insurance division will end 275 positions in the UK, 222 in France, 140 in Germany, 41 in Italy, and 33 more across the rest of Europe. The move is a step in the integration of XL Catlin, AXA Corporate Solutions, and other AXA entities into AXA XL.

AXA Egypt in February 2019 joined pooling network MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN). AXA Egypt is the second MAXIS partner in the country, along MetLife Egypt, and joins the global network of over 140 local insurers. AXA Egypt was established as recently as 2015 and is a multi-line insurance carrier, offering general insurance, life and protection insurance, health insurance, and micro-insurance plans. The company is ranked fourth in

AXA in July 2018 announced its business insurance operations would trade under the new AXA XL brand once the acquisition of XL Group is completed. The master brand AXA remains untouched. AXA XL will combine existing P&C commercial lines and specialty risks into a new entity. It will include four main business units: XL Insurance, XL Reinsurance, XL Art & Lifestyle, and XL Risk Consulting. The new entity will

AXA in June 2018 announced it had sold its UK whole-of-market intermediary, The Health Insurance Group (THIG), to U.S. private equity firms Highbridge Principal Strategies and Madison Dearborn Partners. Acquired by AXA in 2008, The Health Insurance Group provides individual and corporate health and well-being products. Highbridge Principal Strategies and Madison Dearborn Partners already own several UK broking brands, including The Ardonagh Group. A “whole of market intermediary” is

AXA in May 2018 completed the initial public offering (IPO) of its U.S. individual life insurance unit, formerly known as The Equitable Life Assurance Society of America and based in New York, NY. Total proceeds are estimated at $4 billion. AXA had demutualized and recapitalized the failed U.S. mutual life insurance company, The Equitable, to the tune of $1 billion in July 1991. Back then, the company had $5.9

MAXIS GBN in May 2018 published research revealing that three quarters (75%) of employee benefits professionals believe the enhanced use of data and the application of innovative technologies to improve the employee experience are the primary growth opportunities for the employee benefits sector globally over the next two years. The findings, from the inaugural MAXIS Global Perspectives report, reveal the majority of sector professionals are bullish about the opportunities

AXA Group is simplifying its operating model, empowering its entities to operate closer to their customers. In order to accomplish this, AXA will shift from its current, three-layer model of separate head office, global business lines, and regional headquarters, to a refocused corporate center that will oversee five geographies (France, Europe, the U.S., Asia, and International). Concurrently managed with the five geographies will be key transversal entities AXA Investment

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN), a global joint venture between MetLife and AXA, in April 2017 announced the launch of its new website, client portal, and member portal as part of the firm’s extensive investment in its digital infrastructure. The new site has revised content about MAXIS GBN’s network, solutions, and thought leadership. The latter includes the new, monthly, Viewpoint series, webinars, and health and wellness white-papers. The

Swiss Life in March 2017 announced the appointment of Jörg Arnold as the new CEO Germany and member of the Corporate Executive Board. He will replace Markus Leibundgut, CEO of Swiss Life Switzerland since April 2017. Jörg Arnold joins Swiss Life from AXA Group, where he was Global Head of Savings, Retirement & Distribution within the Life & Savings Global Business Line. He is 52 years old and has a

The MAXIS GBN pooling network on February 7, 2017, officially opened its new headquarters in London, U.K., located at 11 Monument Street in the City. Since its launch in 1998, MAXIS, an AXA-MetLife partnership, had been managed from Paris and New York City. According to CEO Mauro Dugulin, in the present context of diminishing returns on multinational pooling; increasing interest in the use of captives; a greater thirst for

AXA in July 2016 announced the appointment of Matthieu André as CEO of AXA Global Life & Savings, reporting to Paul Evans who is in charge of AXA’s life, savings, protection and health activities on a global basis. Matthieu André joined AXA in 1995 as a financial controller after a spell as an auditor and consultant with Ernst & Young. His career path included positions as VP, Corporate Finance

The women’s market for insurance worldwide is growing rapidly, and is projected to attract $1.45 to $1.7 trillion through 2030, well up from the $800 million the insurance industry realized in 2013. Most significantly, over half of those trillions will come from emerging economies in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Thailand, and Turkey. Recognizing the potential of these untapped markets, AXA, IFC, and Accenture collaborated to

Signaling an increased commitment to the global employee benefits industry, global insurance powerhouses MetLife and AXA in late October 2015 announced they will combine their existing MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) operations in a new co-owned joint venture company based in London. Mauro Dugulin, formerly CEO of Generali Employee Benefits Network (GEB), will serve as CEO. MAXIS has been headquartered in Paris and New York since its inception

AXA Group’s AXA PPP healthcare unit in the UK in August 2015 launched its “Corporate Health Plan for Mid Corporates”, geared towards small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) from 65 to 250 employees, that provides access to medical diagnosis and to approved treatments and drugs to get employees back to health and back to work quickly. Features usually reserved for larger groups include networks of quality-assessed healthcare providers: over 250 hospitals, 400

AXA has announced in June 2015 the creation of AXA Lab Asia in Shanghai, identical to AXA Lab in the Silicon Valley. Led by Frank Desvignes, it will act as a business-focused center of expertise on data analytics and foster Research & Development. Meanwhile, AXA Strategic Ventures will open a new office in Hong Kong, so as to be in the best position to seize the numerous investment opportunities

Mansard Insurance, a leader in the Nigerian employee benefits market, joins the MAXIS Global Benefits Network as a result of the acquisition by AXA of 100%  of Assur African holdings, which holds a 77% stake in Mansard Insurance plc. Through this acquisition, AXA has become the #4 insurance player in Nigeria. Interestingly, Mansard announced its joining of the Insurope pooling network on May 29, 2015.