Multinational insurer
AXA has appointed Gordon Watson as chief executive officer for Asia (including Japan) as it simplifies its organisational model.
Watson’s appointment is effective January 01, 2018, and he will also become a member of the AXA Group’s management committee. He will report to AXA group CEO Thomas Buberl.
“I would like to welcome Gordon to AXA and look forward to working with him to expand our Asian markets business, a key growth generator for the AXA Group,” Buberl commented. “Gordon is an experienced and energetic leader who has a strong track record of delivering results.”
Watson has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, and was most recently regional CEO for
AIA in several Asia-Pacific markets from 2011 to 2017. During his tenure with
AIA, he also led the insurer’s corporate solutions, healthcare, partnership, and
AIA Vitality units.
From 2008 to 2010, he was regional president for
AIG Life in Japan and Korea. As part of AIA and
AIG, he held several senior roles and was based in various locations across the globe, including London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Nairobi.
Watson’s appointment comes alongside AXA’s revamp of its operating model. The group reorganised along five major geographic subdivisions – France, Europe, Asia, the US, and International – as well as announcing a single, refocused corporate centre, which previously had three layers.
Several global appointments were also made for AXA’s global operations. Gérald Harlin, currently chief financial officer, and George Stansfield, currently general secretary, will both take on additional roles as deputy CEOs.
Benoît Claveranne was named CEO for international and new markets, while Astrid Stange was named chief operating officer. Karima Silvent, currently human resources director of AXA France, was appointed group human resources director, and Guillaume Borie, currently group corporate development director, is AXA’s new chief innovation officer.
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