Board of directors
The AXA UK Board brings a wealth of experience in financial services and wider business disciplines.
Scott was appointed as Chairman of the Board in December 2017.
He has almost 30 years’ UK and international retail experience and over 10 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director within the financial services industry. He serves as a Non-Executive Director of Centrica plc.
Previously, Scott has held senior roles at Tesco plc, including Chief Executive of Tesco in Japan, and senior roles at The Boots Company plc and Alliance Boots plc. He was also Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy Europe until 2011. Scott served as Non-Executive Director of Aviva plc from 2007 until December 2016 and as Chairman of Aviva Insurance Limited until September 2017. Most recently he served as Senior Independent Director of Santander UK plc and Non-Executive Director of Santander UK Group Holdings plc from January 2014 until September 2020.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee (Chairman)
- Investment Committee (Chairman)
- AXA PPP healthcare limited (Chairman)
- AXA Insurance UK plc (Chairman)
Claudio as Chief Executive Officer, has responsibility for oversight of all AXA’s business activities in the UK and Ireland. He’s been in role since September 2018 and previously served as Chief Strategic Officer for the AXA Group.
A Swiss national, he began his career as a management consultant, working for Accenture and later McKinsey & Company. He entered the insurance industry in 2008 by joining Zurich, where he held a number of senior positions including Chief Strategy Officer for Zurich Group and CEO of the Zurich Life Insurance Company.
Claudio has a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and he speaks five languages. In addition to his role at AXA, he’s Vice Chair of the Board for the Swiss insurance start-up JAROWA, is a member of the Advisory Board for the AXA Research Fund and a member of the Pool Re Board. He also attends and is a member of the University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s Circle, as part of his work with the AXA Research Fund.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Investment Committee
- Management Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
- AXA Insurance dac (Ireland)
Rob was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in July 2019.
Rob is an insurance executive with over 25 years’ experience. A Dutch national, he held several CEO roles during his career with Achmea, a major Dutch insurer, covering multiple insurance categories including general insurance, pensions and occupational health. Prior to joining Achmea, Rob was a partner at McKinsey in the Netherlands. He worked for McKinsey for 15 years, where he specialised in financial services and worked extensively with insurance clients in Amsterdam, London, Beijing and Singapore.
Rob is Chairman and Non-Executive of the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk, Netherlands. He is also Chairman of the Audit Committee and Supervisory Board Member of the University of Amsterdam.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee
- Risk Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Debra was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in December 2018.
Debra was with American Express for 30 years, where she gained strong experience in customer relations, technology, marketing and relationship management. She launched and developed business across EMEA, which included product innovation, digital innovation and relations with regulators.
In July 2019, Debra was appointed as a Board Member and a Member of the Audit, Nominations and Advisory Remuneration Committees for Credit Suisse International and Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee
- Risk Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Tara was appointed Chief Executive of AXA’s retail business in the UK and Ireland in November 2020.
She joined from Lloyds Banking Group, where she spent 12 years in a number of senior executive roles including Managing Director of Bank of Scotland, with responsibility for more than 2,000 employees and 200 branches.
Tara previously worked at Deutsche Bank and Accenture. Throughout her career, Tara has shown her commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive cultures and developing talent.
She was named in 2018 as one of 100 ‘women to watch’ in Cranfield University’s FTSE Board Report.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- Management Committee
Tracy is responsible for AXA’s healthcare business in the UK, formerly AXA PPP, and has been in role since January 2019, having worked within a variety of industries and sectors during her career.
She joined AXA from HSBC, where she held a variety of senior management roles including Chief Executive of First Direct and Chief Executive for HSBC in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, overseeing all retail and commercial operations in those territories. Prior to HSBC, she worked for Santander and for Abbey National concentrating on Technology and Business Acquisition and Integration.
Tracy is an appointed commissioner on the Board of the Jersey Financial Services Commission and a Member of the Council of Management of the International Federation of Health Plans.
She is executive sponsor for diversity and inclusion initiatives across AXA UK and Ireland, and she was named in 2017 as one of 100 “women to watch” in Cranfield University’s FTSE Board Report. She is an Executive member of the AXA UK board.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Management Committee
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Giacomo was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Board in December 2020.
Giacomo joined the AXA Group in March 2017 as Chief Transformation Officer for AXA Italy. In April 2020 he became Strategic Development Officer for European Markets in AXA and a member of the AXA Partner Group.
Giacomo spent 20 years at GE Capital where he held several executive positions in Finance, Audit, Business Development & Operations in various business divisions (Commercial Banking, Consumer Finance, Reinsurance) across multiple geographies.
Before joining AXA, he was Chief Operating Officer of GE Capital Banking Group in Italy and prior to that he was General Manager of Consumer Finance divisions of GE Capital both in UK and Italy.
Kari was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in April 2021.
Kari is a highly experienced audit and risk professional. Most recently he was Senior Audit Partner at Deloitte, specialising in FTSE 100 engagements, with broad sector experience and was a member of the firm’s UK financial services industry board. During his audit career, he led some of the firm’s highest profile, most complex and politically sensitive audits.
Between 2004 and early 2007, Kari was Director of Finance Strategy & Risk at the (then) Financial Services Authority, and chaired the Audit Quality Forum’s working group examining the purpose of audit.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee
- Risk Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Peter was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in May 2013 and as Senior Independent Director in January 2017.
Peter’s background as UK Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers together with roles in its predecessor firms and, more recently as a Non-Executive Director, has led to a wide knowledge of regulated businesses, competition policy, investment appraisal, M&A and strategic planning.
Peter has held several non-executive roles including Chairman of Argent (a property developer), Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committees of Brit Insurance Holdings BV, Smith & Williamson Holdings Ltd, the National Environment Research Council (NERC) and UK Coal plc. He was appointed as Non-Executive Director of Canopius Managing Agents Limited in November 2014. Peter is also a Member of Court at University of Greenwich and was a member of the Competition Commission. He has particular knowledge and experience of both insurance and asset management, with a financial background.
Peter is the Chairman of the Architas Board (a fellow AXA subsidiary group), comprising Architas Limited and Architas Multi-Manager Europe Limited, and is Chairman of the Architas Remuneration and Nomination Committee.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee (Chairman)
- Investment Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- Risk Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
- AXA Insurance dac (Ireland)
Michael was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in June 2016.
Michael Jackson was previously the General Partner at Mangrove Capital Partners until August 2018 and Chief Operating Officer of Skype from 2004 to 2007 with responsibility for operations and revenue generation. Prior to joining Skype, Michael worked for Tele2, the leading alternative telecommunication carrier in Europe.
Michael currently serves as a Member of the Supervisory Board at Luminor Bank AB and as a member of its risk and audit committees. He was appointed to the board of KNEIP Communication SA in August 2017 and as a Director and member of the audit committee of Volvo Cars AB in August 2018.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Company Boards
- Audit Committee
- Risk Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Cheryl was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in April 2021.
Cheryl is an experienced Chief Digital and Chief Information Officer who also brings considerable general management experience. A strategic technology leader, she brings deep experience of both B2B and B2C data intensive businesses which are underpinned by technology. After an early career in the energy and financial services sectors at National Power, Innogy and HBOS, Cheryl focused on the technology agenda as CIO of Asda Stores, Chief Digital Officer of Waitrose and Chief Digital Officer of Travis Perkins.
Cheryl has built a portfolio of non-executive roles and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Equiniti Group, the FTSE listed share registration business which has recently expanded in the US; Atom Bank, the pureplay digital-only challenger bank; and Hays Plc, the FTSE 250 recruitment firm.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee
- Risk Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Roland oversees all financial matters within the business. He brings a wealth of international experience drawn from roles within AXA in Asia and continental Europe.
A French national, he was a senior civil servant prior to joining the insurance industry, working on European affairs and financial regulation within the French Treasury.
He moved to AXA’s group corporate finance department in 2005, holding roles in France and Italy before spending three years in China as Chief Financial officer for AXA Tian Ping. On his return to Europe, he was Chief Financial officer for AXA in Italy for four years before moving to the UK to take up his present position in 2020.
Roland has a master’s degree in applied mathematics. He speaks Mandarin and Russian as well as French, Italian and English.
He is also a member of the combined board for AXA Insurance and AXA Health.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Investment Committee
- Management Committee
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Mark was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in December 2018.
Mark is a former retail banker, whose 18-year career in the UK and Europe gave him experience of financial controls, risk management and customer sales. He has over 20 years’ experience as a FTSE main Board Director, with over 10 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director, including seven years at Aviva, where he also chaired the Audit Committee.
He joined Close Brothers in January 2021 and holds Senior Independent Director and Non-Executive Director roles at Close Brothers Group Plc and Close Brothers Limited. He is Non-Executive Chairman of London Square Ltd, Empiric Student Property Plc and Empiric Student Property Trustees Limited.
He was previously Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director of Yorkshire Building Society and has held Non-Executive positions at Ladbrokes Coral Group Plc, Aviva Insurance Ltd, Punch Taverns Plc, Spirit Pub Company Plc, LSL Property Services Plc and Johnston Press Plc.
Membership of AXA UK Committees and principal Operating Boards
- Audit Committee
- Investment Committee
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
- Risk Committee (Chairman)
- AXA Insurance UK plc
- AXA PPP healthcare limited
Antimo was appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Board in March 2018.
Antimo is Chief Executive Officer Europe, AXA Group and a member of the AXA Group Management Committee. He serves as the Chairman of AXA entities in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland and of the AXA XL Group Audit Committee.
Previously, Antimo was Head of Corporate Clients at Swiss Life and a member of the Executive Board. In 2007, he joined AXA Switzerland as Head of Group Life and later Head of Distribution. Antimo was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AXA Switzerland in 2014 until 2017. He was previously Vice President of the Swiss Insurance Association.
Antimo is a certified insurance specialist, pensions expert and has an Executive MBA from the University of Zurich.
Membership of AXA UK Committees
- Remuneration and Nomination Committee
Board Diversity
The Boards of AXA UK plc, AXA Insurance UK plc and AXA PPP healthcare limited have adopted a Board Diversity Policy which sets out the approach to diversity and provides a high-level indication of the approach to diversity.
The Boards have delegated authority to the AXA UK Remuneration & Nomination Committee for reviewing the structure, size and composition (including the skills, knowledge and experience) required of the Boards compared to their current position and making recommendations to the Boards regarding any changes, taking into account a range of factors, including the need to ensure appropriate collective knowledge and experience, and diversity factors.
Appointments to the Board are based on merit and objective criteria reflecting the skills, knowledge, experience and diversity needed to ensure a rounded and effective Board. The policy was adopted by the Boards on 16 June 2020 and is reviewed annually.