AXA - Be Life Confident

Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet will with immediate effect head up the insurance business which includes personal and commercial insurance, corporate partners and online insurer Swiftcover as well as having overall accountability for the independent broking distribution business.

Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet has been group finance director of AXA UK for the last five years where he has been responsible for finance, strategy, financial risk and asset management.

During this time he has transformed the finance function from diverse units into a unified group function.  He was also instrumental in focusing the strategy on core business by helping to dispose of areas such as AXA’s historical direct insurance business in 2004 to concentrate on expanding through acquisition into direct distribution and by helping to build an independent distribution arm for both the Insurance and the Life businesses.

Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet will report to Nicolas Moreau, AXA UK group chief executive, and will remain on the board of AXA UK, the holding company of AXA group's insurance operations in Great Britain and Ireland, as an executive director.

Previously, Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet was head of group corporate finance and risk management at AXA in Paris having joined the group in 1995.  He is also a member of the Financial Regulation and Taxation Committee for the Association of British Insurers. 
Philippe Maso y Guell Rivet replaces Peter Hubbard who is leaving the business to pursue other interests.
Peter Hubbard was appointed chief executive of AXA Insurance in November 2001.  He set about leading the recovery of the business to where AXA is today - the 4th largest general insurance player in the UK market – with strong positions in both personal and commercial insurance.
Ian Robinson, currently group business risk director and executive member of the AXA UK board, has now taken responsibility for the finance function becoming group finance and risk director.  He joined AXA in 2007 from HSBC’s insurance group where he was chief operating officer with global responsibility for finance, operations and risk.

Commenting on the management changes Nicolas Moreau said:

“I am delighted that Philippe has agreed to take on this role as chief executive of AXA Insurance.  He has extensive knowledge of the insurance sector and is highly skilled in strategic development and financial management.

“Philippe will bring to this business his exemplary track record of building the right partnerships as well as his ability to run complex operations and will continue to drive forward our growth strategy.

“Philippe is leaving the finance function in good shape and I am very confident that Ian will lead successfully his new area.”

On Peter Hubbard he said:

“Peter has been a great asset to AXA steering the insurance business through a period of organic and acquisition fuelled growth. He has been closely involved in developing our distribution capability through the growth of our Venture Preference independent broker business, as well as our direct business through Swiftcover.
In particular, his focus on developing our position in the commercial insurance sector for SMEs has been successful as AXA is now the 2nd largest provider in the market.

“After seven years at the helm Peter now wishes to move on.  He has been a valued member of my senior executive team and I wish him well for the future.”

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