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AXA SA

Multiline Insurance & Asset ManagementFounded 1817
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: September 2026

Leadership History

AXA: CEO History

3 leaders · 1975 to present

Who is the CEO of AXA?

Thomas Buberl is the CEO of AXA, in the role since 2016. The first chief executive was Claude Bébéar, from 1975.

Current CEO
Thomas Buberl (since 2016)
First CEO
Claude Bébéar (1975)
Leaders documented
3
Founded
1817
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Thomas BuberlChief Executive Officer2016Present10
Henri de CastriesChairman and CEO2000201616
Claude BébéarChairman and CEO1975200025
Who was CEO of AXA before Thomas Buberl?
Henri de Castries was CEO of AXA from 2000 to 2016, before Thomas Buberl took over in 2016.

Company Overview

AXA SA is a Paris-based insurance group and one of the largest insurers in the world by revenue. It says it employs 156,000 people serving more than 92 million clients in 52 countries, and reported gross written premiums and other revenues of ~$131 billion (EUR 116 billion) for 2025. The group writes motor, home, commercial property, liability and specialty cover, life and savings contracts and health insurance, and manages the reserves backing those policies. Property and casualty is the largest business at ~$65.5 billion (EUR 58 billion) of 2025 premiums, ahead of life at ~$42.4 billion (EUR 37.5 billion) and health at ~$21.5 billion (EUR 19 billion). The company is headquartered in Paris, France.

Thomas Buberl

Chief Executive Officer

2016 – Present

10 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Shifted the earnings mix toward commercial and retail property and casualty and health; cut natural catastrophe reinsurance exposure at AXA XL; exited asset management and offset the earnings dilution with a ~$4.29 billion (EUR 3.8 billion) buyback; set the 2024 to 2026 Unlock the Future targets of 6% to 8% underlying earnings per share growth and 14% to 16% underlying return on equity.

Legacy

Buberl became chief executive in September 2016 and refocused AXA on insurance underwriting. He bought XL Group for $15.3 billion in 2018, listed and sold down the United States life business as Equitable Holdings, and completed the sale of AXA Investment Managers to BNP Paribas Cardif on July 1, 2025 for ~$5.76 billion (EUR 5.1 billion) in cash out of a ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) total transaction value. In 2025 AXA reported revenues of ~$131 billion (EUR 116 billion), underlying earnings of ~$9.49 billion (EUR 8.4 billion), net income of ~$11.1 billion (EUR 9.8 billion), a 90.6% property and casualty combined ratio and a Solvency II ratio of 224%.

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Henri de Castries

Chairman and CEO

2000 – 2016

16 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Financed the Winterthur purchase with a ~$4.63 billion (EUR 4.1 billion) share issue and debt rather than overstretching capital; simplified the group by selling operations including AXA Canada to Intact Financial in 2011; began the reduction of capital-heavy guaranteed savings business.

Legacy

De Castries ran AXA from May 2000 to September 2016, through the dot-com collapse, the 2008 financial crisis and the euro-area debt crisis, without state support. He bought MONY Group in the United States in 2004 and Winterthur from Credit Suisse in 2006 for ~$14.8 billion (CHF 12.3 billion), about $8.93 billion (EUR 7.9 billion), and ran the Ambition AXA and Ambition 2015 plans to modernise distribution and cut costs.

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Claude Bébéar

Chairman and CEO

1975 – 2000

25 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Demutualised the group to reach the capital markets for the 1982 Drouot takeover; created the single AXA brand in 1985; bought UAP in 1996 despite it being twice AXA's size; handed the group to Henri de Castries in May 2000 and moved to the Supervisory Board.

Legacy

Bébéar turned a Normandy mutual into a global insurer between 1975 and 2000. He took control of the Drouot Group in 1982, bought Présence in 1986, merged with Compagnie du Midi in 1988, took control of The Equitable in the United States in 1991, National Mutual in Australia in 1995 and UAP in 1996, and added Guardian Royal Exchange and Nippon Dantai in 1999. He chose the name AXA in 1985 and launched AXA Hearts in Action in 1990. At the May 2000 handover AXA had 140,000 employees, 50 million customers and revenues of ~$90.4 billion (EUR 80 billion). He died at the age of 90, as AXA announced on November 4, 2025.

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Challenges & Strategic Context

AXA's risk profile is dominated by natural catastrophes, reserve adequacy and regulation. Climate-driven losses test historical pricing models, and the group has cut property catastrophe exposure at AXA XL Reinsurance and re-underwritten weaker portfolios in response; in 2025 it also raised the prudence of its property and casualty reserves. Retail motor and household lines remain exposed to claims inflation in repair and construction costs, which AXA has met with rate increases. Operating in 52 jurisdictions means simultaneous compliance with Solvency II in Europe, state regulation in the United States and separate Asian frameworks: the December 2022 fine of ~$4.11 million (EUR 3.64 million) imposed by the Central Bank of Ireland on AXA Life Europe shows how expensive governance failures in one subsidiary can be. Life and savings results stay sensitive to interest rates and lapse behaviour even after the shift toward capital-light unit-linked and protection products. Having sold AXA Investment Managers, AXA now depends on an outside manager, BNP Paribas, for a large part of its investment portfolio, which trades operational simplicity for partner dependency.

AXA CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is Thomas Buberl and what has his tenure involved?

Thomas Buberl became chief executive in September 2016. He bought XL Group for $15.3 billion in 2018, listed and sold down the United States life business as Equitable Holdings, sold AXA Investment Managers in July 2025, and reported ~$9.49 billion (EUR 8.4 billion) of underlying earnings for 2025.

Who was Henri de Castries and what did he do as CEO from 2000 to 2016?

Henri de Castries led AXA for 16 years, expanding in the United States and Asia, buying MONY Group in 2004 and Winterthur in 2006 for ~$14.8 billion (CHF 12.3 billion), about $8.93 billion (EUR 7.9 billion), and steering the group through the 2008 financial crisis without state support.

Who was Claude Bébéar and why is he called the founder of modern AXA?

Claude Bébéar ran the group from 1975 to 2000, turning the Normandy mutual Ancienne Mutuelle into a global insurer through the Drouot, Compagnie du Midi, Equitable and UAP deals, and creating the name AXA in 1985. He died in November 2025 at the age of 90.

Who is Alban de Mailly Nesle?

Alban de Mailly Nesle is AXA's Group Chief Financial Officer, responsible for financial reporting, capital structure, Solvency II management and transaction execution.

Who is Frédéric de Courtois?

Frédéric de Courtois is Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AXA, overseeing group operations, finance and international business development and the delivery of the Unlock the Future plan.

Who chairs the AXA board?

Antoine Gosset-Grainville, a French lawyer and former government adviser, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of AXA in April 2022, succeeding Denis Duverne.

How is AXA governed?

AXA separates the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, with a board of directors that includes independent members and oversees audit, remuneration and sustainability matters.

How is executive pay linked to performance at AXA?

Executive pay is tied to underlying earnings per share, the Solvency II ratio, underlying return on equity, cash remittance to the holding company and measurable sustainability and diversity targets.

Who is the CEO of AXA?

Thomas Buberl serves as CEO, heavily credited with ruthlessly restructuring the company by aggressively selling off its US life insurance business to fund the massive XL Group buyout.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.