Assurant vs AXA: Founders, CEOs and History
Assurant was founded in 1892 by Founders of La Crosse Mutual Aid Association and is led by Keith Demmings. AXA was founded in 1817 by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar and is led by Thomas Buberl.
Company facts
Founders
Assurant
Founders of La Crosse Mutual Aid Association
The La Crosse Mutual Aid Association was established to provide disability insurance to consumers. It was later licensed as the Time Insurance Company in 1910 and evolved into a Wisconsin health and disability underwriter.
AXA
Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier
Little is recorded about le Carpentier beyond the founding act itself. In 1817 he and 17 other property owners in Rouen created the Compagnie d'Assurances Mutuelles contre l'Incendie for the departments of the Seine and the Eure, covering their own buildings a…
Claude Bébéar
Claude Bébéar built modern AXA. After joining in 1958 he spent 17 years inside the business, including 1964 to 1966 in Canada creating the life insurance arm of the group subsidiary Provinces Unies, before becoming chief executive in 1975 following Sahut d'Iza…
CEOs and their tenures
Assurant
- J. Kerry Clayton2004–2006
Former Chief Executive Officer
Led Fortis, Inc. through its February 2004 initial public offering and rebranding as Assurant, Inc. and ran the company for its first two years as an independent listed insurer.
Source - Robert B. Pollock2006–2014
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Ran Assurant through its first decade as an independent specialty insurer, holding together a portfolio that spanned health, employee benefits, prearranged funeral insurance and lender-placed property.
Source - Alan B. Colberg2015–2021
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Took Assurant out of health insurance and employee benefits and rebuilt it around lifestyle and housing protection, then bought the scale to make that work.
Source - Keith W. Demmings2022–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Has run Assurant as a two-segment protection company, pushing it further into device repair, trade-in and resale while growing the lender-placed housing book.
Source
AXA
- Claude Bébéar1975–2000
Chairman and CEO
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 Mutua…
Source - Henri de Castries2000–2016
Chairman and CEO
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.
Source - Thomas Buberl2016–present
Chief Executive Officer
Buberl became chief executive in September 2016 and refocused AXA on insurance underwriting.
Source
Timeline: Assurant and AXA side by side
1817AXA
Founding of the Compagnie d'Assurances Mutuelles contre l'Incendie
Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier and 17 other property owners in Rouen set up a mutual fire insurance company, the earliest predecessor of AXA. It stayed a Normandy mutual, later called Ancienne Mutuelle, for more than a century.
1892Assurant
La Crosse Mutual Aid Association formed
Assurant traces its history to the La Crosse Mutual Aid Association, established in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1892 to provide consumers with disability insurance. No founder of the association is named in the company own histories.
1910Assurant
Licensed as Time Insurance Company
The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance records Time Insurance Company, the successor to the La Crosse Mutual Aid Association, as originally licensed as an insurer in 1910.
1975AXA
Claude Bébéar becomes chief executive
Bébéar, recruited in 1958 by André Sahut d'Izarn, took over the Anciennes Mutuelles group in 1975 after Sahut d'Izarn's death and the settlement of a strike that had paralysed the company in April 1974.
1978Assurant
N.V. AMEV of the Netherlands buys Time Insurance
Dutch insurer N.V. AMEV acquired Time Insurance Company through its US holding company, AMEV Holdings, Inc., then expanded it by buying American Security Insurance, United Family, Western Insurance Company and Superior Insurance over the next 12 years.
1982AXA
Takeover of the Drouot Group
Bébéar took control of the Drouot Group, then the leading private French insurance group, and became its chairman alongside his role at Mutuelles Unies.
1985AXA
Creation of the AXA name
The group adopted the invented name AXA, short and pronounceable in any language, and Bébéar moved from running the insurance companies to chairing the group.
1986AXA
Acquisition of the Présence Group
AXA bought the Présence Group in April 1986, continuing the consolidation of French insurers.
1988AXA
Merger with Compagnie du Midi
The merger with Compagnie du Midi made AXA the second-largest French insurance group behind UAP and brought Equity and Law, then the sixth-largest life insurer in the United Kingdom. Bébéar was elected Manager of the Year the same year.
1991Assurant
AMEV Holdings renamed Fortis, Inc.
After AMEV combined with VSB Groep NV in 1990 to create Fortis, the US holding company AMEV Holdings, Inc. was rebranded Fortis, Inc. in 1991. It acquired John Alden in 1998.
1991AXA
Control of The Equitable in the United States
After a failed attempt to buy Farmers, AXA agreed in July 1991 to demutualise and take control of The Equitable, then the fifth-largest life insurer in the United States, which also brought Alliance Capital Management.
1996AXA
Acquisition of UAP
AXA bought UAP, a French insurer twice its size, doubling its French business and reaching critical mass in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany. The merger took effect in 1997.
1999Assurant
Fortis acquires American Bankers Insurance
Fortis, Inc. bought American Bankers Insurance Group of Miami, adding credit insurance and specialty warranty underwriting that became the core of the modern specialty lines. Fortis sold its life insurance business to The Hartford in 2001.
1999AXA
Guardian Royal Exchange and Nippon Dantai
Guardian Royal Exchange joined AXA in early 1999, adding scale in United Kingdom property, casualty and health insurance, and AXA took control of Nippon Dantai, then the thirteenth-largest life insurer in Japan.
2004Assurant
NYSE listing as Assurant, Inc.
Fortis took the US business public on February 5, 2004 in a $1.76 billion initial public offering, the fourth largest of that year, and renamed it Assurant, Inc. The company was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 2004 and trades as AIZ.
2006Assurant
Robert B. Pollock succeeds J. Kerry Clayton as CEO
Founding chief executive J. Kerry Clayton retired on March 17, 2006 and was succeeded by Robert B. Pollock, then president and chief operating officer, who also joined the board that day.
2006AXA
Acquisition of Winterthur
AXA agreed to buy Winterthur from Credit Suisse for ~$14.8 billion (CHF 12.3 billion), about $8.93 billion (EUR 7.9 billion) in cash, strengthening its position in Switzerland, Germany and central and eastern Europe.
2011AXA
Sale of AXA Canada
AXA sold its Canadian operations to Intact Financial Corp. for ~$1.87 billion (C$2.6 billion) as part of a portfolio review.
2013Assurant
New York consent order on force-placed insurance
Assurant, American Security Insurance Company and American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida settled a New York Department of Financial Services investigation into force-placed homeowners insurance on March 21, 2013, paying a $14 million penalty plus homeow…
2015Assurant
Exit from health insurance and employee benefits
On June 10, 2015 Assurant announced it would leave the health insurance marketplace and wind down Assurant Health, and on September 9, 2015 it agreed to sell its employee benefits business to Sun Life for $940 million.
2018Assurant
The Warranty Group acquisition closes
Assurant completed its purchase of The Warranty Group from TPG Capital on May 31, 2018 for a total enterprise value of about $2.5 billion, expanding vehicle service contracts and international retail protection. Assurant also sold Time Insurance in 2018.
2018AXA
Acquisition of XL Group
AXA bought XL Group for $15.3 billion in cash, shifting the group toward commercial property and casualty lines and creating the AXA XL platform.
2020Assurant
HYLA Mobile acquisition closes
Assurant closed its acquisition of smartphone trade-in and upgrade provider HYLA Mobile on December 1, 2020, in a transaction the company valued at about $325 million, roughly doubling its device processing volumes.
2021Assurant
Global Preneed sold to CUNA Mutual Group
Assurant closed the sale of its prearranged funeral and final expense business to CUNA Mutual Group on August 2, 2021 for about $1.35 billion, generating roughly $1.2 billion of net proceeds, and said it intended to return about $900 million of that through sh…
2022Assurant
Keith Demmings becomes CEO and headquarters moves to Atlanta
Keith W. Demmings became president and chief executive officer in January 2022, succeeding Alan B. Colberg, who retired at the end of 2021 after seven years in the role.
2024Assurant
iSmash acquired in the United Kingdom
Assurant acquired UK tech repair retailer iSmash on April 4, 2024, giving it 68 drop-in repair locations in the UK under the iSmash and Pocket Geek Tech Repair banners. Assurant also sold its mainland China operations during 2024.
2024AXA
Launch of the Unlock the Future plan
With its 2023 results in February 2024 AXA presented a 2024 to 2026 plan targeting underlying earnings per share growth of 6% to 8% a year, an underlying return on equity of 14% to 16% and a new capital management policy.
2025Assurant
FY2025 revenue of $12.81B and the OptoFidelity purchase
Assurant reported FY2025 revenue of $12.81 billion and GAAP net income of $872.7 million, its ninth consecutive year of profitable growth, launched Assurant Home Warranty, and in October 2025 acquired OptoFidelity mobile device test automation portfolio to add…
2025AXA
Sale of AXA Investment Managers to BNP Paribas
AXA 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, a total transaction value of ~$6.1 billion (EUR 5.4 billion), and signed a long-term agreement for BNP Paribas to manage a lar…
2025AXA
Death of founder Claude Bébéar
AXA announced on November 4, 2025 that Claude Bébéar, its founder and Honorary Chairman, had died at the age of 90. He ran the group from 1975 to 2000 and created the AXA name in 1985.
2026Assurant
RL Circular Operations acquired in Australia and New Zealand
In January 2026 Assurant acquired RL Circular Operations, formerly TIC Reverse Logistics, the reverse logistics division of Australia and New Zealand based TIC Group, extending its post-purchase and circular economy capabilities across Asia Pacific.
Acquisitions
Assurant
- RL Circular Operations2026Undisclosed
- OptoFidelity mobile device test automation portfolio2025Undisclosed
- iSmash2024Undisclosed
- HYLA Mobile2020$325M
- The Warranty Group2018$2.5B
- Lifestyle Services Group2013$172M
AXA
- Prima Assicurazioni (51% stake)2025Undisclosed
- Laya Healthcare2023Undisclosed
- XL Group2018$15.3B
- Winterthur2006$10B
- UAP (Union des Assurances de Paris)1996$7.8B
- The Equitable (US)1991$1B
Questions about Assurant vs AXA
Who is the CEO of Assurant, Inc. and AXA SA?
Assurant, Inc. is led by Keith Demmings and AXA SA is led by Thomas Buberl. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Assurant, Inc. founded vs AXA SA?
AXA SA was founded in 1817 — 75 years before Assurant, Inc., which was founded in 1892. AXA SA's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Assurant, Inc..
How many employees does Assurant, Inc. have compared to AXA SA?
Assurant, Inc. employs approximately 14,800 people, while AXA SA employs approximately 156,000. AXA SA has the larger workforce at 156,000 employees, compared to Assurant, Inc.'s 14,800. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Assurant, Inc. and AXA SA headquartered?
Assurant, Inc. is headquartered in United States and AXA SA is headquartered in France. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Assurant, Inc. and AXA SA?
Assurant, Inc. was founded by Founders of La Crosse Mutual Aid Association. AXA SA was founded by Jacques-Théodore le Carpentier, Claude Bébéar.
Which company has a longer operating history — Assurant, Inc. or AXA SA?
AXA SA has been operating for approximately 209 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Assurant, Inc. has been in operation for around 134 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Assurant vs AXA overview