There has been a major reshuffle at the UK business of
AXA Insurance – and some major names have departed.
Outgoing is chief executive of AXA intermediated and direct, Brendan McCafferty, also a column writer for
Insurance Business, who leaves the company with immediate effect and “will not be replaced.”
“Brendan came in at a tough time with several unexpected issues hitting the insurance industry almost simultaneously but he and the team managed them effectively,” said AXA CEO of UK and Ireland, Amanda Blanc. “He leaves the business in good shape having weathered the storms of 2017.
“I want to thank him sincerely for all his hard work and for the incredibly professional manner in which he has accepted the circumstances of his departure.”
You can read Brendan’s most recent
Insurance Business column here.
Also leaving is claims director Chris Voller, who will retire at the end of March following a 37-year career at the company. He began his career at Guardian Royal Exchange (acquired by AXA in 1999) working in operational claims and played a key role in integrating the AXA and Guardian Royal Exchange claims teams.
“Today, it is unusual to find an individual who has come up through the ranks to the most senior level and Chris’s career is testament to what can be achieved with hard work, professionalism and dedication to the cause,” noted Blanc. “We and the industry shall miss him but we wish him all the best in his retirement.”
The departures have been accompanied by a reshuffle at the firm. The current MDs of AXA Direct and AXA Commercial Intermediary, Gareth Howell and Jon Walker, have moved on to the AXA Insurance board, with Howell assuming the role of executive managing director of AXA Retail and Walker as executive managing director of AXA Commercial. Meanwhile, Waseem Malik will succeed Chris Voller in April 2018 and will also join Howell and Walker on the AXA Insurance board.
According to the company, the moves have been made to “bring greater clarity to reporting lines and streamline decision-making.”
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AXA veteran makes the switch to Aviva
