AXA revealed new leadership changes after the announcement that Gérald Harlin is to retire after 29 years with the group where he served as group deputy CEO, chief financial officer and a member of AXA’s Management Committee. He will retire on 1 January 2020.
Etienne Bouas-Laurent will become its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), taking over from Gérald Harlin who is due to retire at the end of the year.
Bouas-Laurent has spent 22 years at AXA as CEO of AXA Hong Kong. Etienne joined the Group in 1997 and has held several financial and operational roles throughout his career at AXA. Bouas-Laurent is due to join its management committee from 1 September 2019.
AXA also announced that Alban de Mailly Nesle who is currently chief risk officer, head of insurance office, and a member of the management committee, will become chief risk and investment officer, taking the additional responsibility of overseeing the Group Investment Department, in addition to Group Risk Management and Ceded Reinsurance.
In addition, Georges Desvaux, previously senior partner at McKinsey & Company, has been appointed as chief strategy and business development officer and will also join AXA’s Management Committee as of 1 September.
Meanwhile, Karima Silvent, chief human resources officer, is also set to join the Management Committee on 1 September.
Alongside the new appointments, from 1 September 2019 AXA Management Committee will consist of: George Stansfield, deputy CEO and general secretary; Benoît Claveranne, CEO International and New Markets; Greg Hendrick, CEO of AXA XL; Antimo Perretta, CEO for Europe; Jacques de Peretti, chairman and CEO of AXA France; Astrid Stange, chief operating officer; and Gordon Watson, CEO for Asia.
Thomas Buberl, chief executive officer of AXA said: “I would like to warmly thank Gérald for his very significant contributions to AXA’s success and development over the past three decades. During his tenure, Gérald has held major financial and operational positions ranging from Treasury to Asset Management, within AXA France as well as the Corporate Center. He has played a key role in establishing AXA as one of the world’s leading insurers. In his latest position as Group Deputy CEO and CFO, he has been instrumental in developing AXA’s transformational strategy and its operational implementation during the past 3 years.”
Buberl adds: “The Management Committee is looking forward to start working with the new members of the team, who demonstrate the quality and the depth of AXA’s leadership teams, as well as our ability to attract the best international talents. I wish Etienne, Alban, Georges and Karima all the best in their new roles to accelerate the implementation of our Ambition 2020, as well as the preparation of our next strategic plan.”
