AXA, Global Leader in Insurance

Headquartered in Paris, and active across all five continents in 64 countries,

the AXAGroup is focused on the world’s major markets particularly in Europe, North
America, and the fast-growing economies in Asia Pacific. As a global leader in
Financial Protection, we support both individuals and businesses at every life stage
by providing exceptional personalized solutions and services including insurance,
personal protection, savings and wealth management.

Strong International Presence

The AXA Group is committed to international expansion and has already established
a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific Region, maximizing opportunities for future
growth. At present, we have over 103 million clients in 64 countries, IFRS revenues
amounting to Euro 99.0 billion and IFRS underlying earnings to Euro 5.6 billion. As
of December 31,2015, AXA had Euro 1,363 billion assets under management

AXA – The Best Global Insurance Brand

AXA was once again recognized as the number one insurance brand globally by
Interbrand for the ninth consecutive year (2009-2017).
According to Interbrand, the world’s leading brand strategy and design consultancy
firm, AXA has strengthened its reputation and value by joining the Top 50 global
brands in the “Best Global Brands” ranking by moving two slots higher to 46th place,
in addition to being the top global insurance brand and the third best brand across all
financial services. With 14% increase from the previous year, the AXA brand is now
valued at USD 10.579 billion.

About AXA Philippines

AXA Philippines is a joint venture between the AXA Group and the Metrobank
Group, one of the country’s largest financial conglomerates.
AXA Philippines is one of the largest and fastest growing life insurance companies
in the country, offering financial security to more than 800,000 individuals through
our group and individual life insurance products.
AXA has more than 3,000 financial advisers in 32 branches, and 700 financial
executives in over 900 Metrobank and PSBank branches nationwide. With its recent
full-acquisition of Charter Ping-An, AXA Philippines has entered into non-life
insurance business, providing Filipinos a range of financial protection to suit their
needs today.
AXA is a French multinational insurance firm headquartered in the 8th
arrondissement of Paris that engages in global insurance, investment management,
and other financial services.

The AXA Group operates primarily in Western Europe, North America, the Asia
Pacific region, and the Middle East, with presence also in Africa. AXA is a
conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and
regulations of many different countries. The company is a component of the Euro
Stoxx 50 stock market index

History[edit]
The company was founded in 1816 as Mutuelle de L'assurance contre L'incendie (the
Ancienne Mutuelle).[4] It acquired Compagnie Parisienne de Garantie in 1978 and became
Mutuelles Unies.[5] It went on to buy the Drouot Group in 1982, becoming Mutuelles
Unies/Drouot. It adopted the AXA name in 1985.[5] The takeover of the American insurance
company The Equitable, came in 1991.[5] It bought Union des Assurances De Paris (UAP),
France's largest insurer, in 1996 becoming AXA-UAP for a while before reverting to the
name AXA in 1999.[6] Then in February 1999 AXA acquired Guardian Royal Exchange.[7] In
May 2000 AXA acquired all shares it did not already own in Sun Life & Provincial
Holdings.[8] On 14 June 2006 AXA acquired the leading Swiss insurance company Winterthur
Group from Credit Suisse for approximately €9 billion.[9]
According to a 2011 paper by Vitali et al., AXA was the second most powerful transnational
corporation in terms of ownership and thus corporate control over global financial
stability and market competition with Barclays and State Street Corporation taking the 1st
and 3rd position, respectively.[10][11]
During May 2016 it announced it was to stop investing in tobacco shares and bonds and
allow its portfolio of tobacco-related bonds to run off

The AXA name[edit]

Despite being written in upper case, "AXA" is not an acronym, but was chosen because its
name can be pronounced easily by people who speak any language. After acquiring the
Drouot Group in 1982, Chairman and CEO Claude Bébéar hired an outside consultant to
conduct a computer-aided search for a new name. Bébéar wanted a short and snappy name
to convey vitality and could be pronounced the same way in every language, consistent with
the group's desire for an international presence. Initially, "Elan" was the top choice, but
Canadian executives balked because "elan" is the French word for a moose or elk. In 1985,
Bébéar chose the name AXA.[13]

Philanthropy[edit]
Besides its artistic and social philanthropic initiatives (AXA Heart in action),[33] AXA created
the AXA Research Fund in 2008. Endowed with €100 million, it provides support for research
focused on understanding and preventing the risks threatening the environment, human life
and society.[34]
256 basic-research projects were funded within three years, including 230 young
researchers, PhDs or in postdoctoral year, working in laboratories all around the world. AXA
also gathers every year the young fellows to meet a world-class researcher, exchange best
practices and network.
The Fund has also awarded 11 endowments for several million euros supporting research
institutions of excellence (HEC Paris, NUS, University of
Bristol, LSE, MetOffice, INSERM, IHES...). These Research and Education Chairs intend to
attract the best scientists. For example, the AXA - Polytechnique Chair in Cellular
Cardiovascular Engineering,[35] held by Abdul Barakat, aims to promote research on
cardiovascular diseases, but also to train and develop young researchers through extended
educational programs.
The 256 research projects funded as of today are implemented in 22 countries with
researchers of 42 different nationalities. The Scientific Board is chaired by Ezra
Suleiman and composed of eminent members of the academic world and AXA Group
representatives Pascale Cossart, Brian Hoskins, José Scheinkman, member of the Scientific
Board and James Vaupel.

In 1985, the AXA brand is born, thanks to

Claude Bébéar's actions.
For previously-named Mutuelles Unies / Drouot Group, the
leader of private insurance in France at the time, this new name
reflects a powerful ambition: Develop on an international scale.

30 years later, AXA is the world's leading

insurance brand.
Faithful to the original ambition that led it to become the world's
leading brand, AXA Group is committed to creating value while
earning the confidence of its customers every day through
innovation and engagement with the world.
The AXA Group has a long and distinguished
history, stretching back to the 18th Century.
After a succession of mergers‚ acquisitions and name changes‚
the name AXA was first introduced in 1985.

2016
Amanda Blanc was appointed Group Chief Executive, AXA UK.
AXA sold its wealth management business, AXA Wealth and its independent insurance broker,
Bluefin.

2015
AXA was selected to be part of two Government funded initiatives to pilot driverless cars in the UK -
VENTURER, the Bristol based consortium, and the UK Autodrive Project in Milton Keynes and
Coventry. AXA also acquired Simplyhealth’s private medical insurance (PMI) business and for the
seventh year running was named by Interbrand as the leading global insurance brand.

2014
Paul Evans, Group Chief Executive, AXA UK, was elected by the Board of the Association of British
Insurers to become its Chairman.

2013
AXA sold its financial planning business, Bluefin Personal Consulting, to Towry.

2012
In March, AXA UK completed the acquisition of specialist on-line health insurance provider, Health-
on-Line. In April, AXA sold Bluefin Corporate Consulting to Capita plc for £50 million.

2011
AXA sold Denplan to Simplyhealth Group.
2010
Following an operational review, we strengthened our focus on wealth management, insurance and
healthcare, and our independent insurance broker Bluefin. We sold our traditional life and pensions,
protection and group pensions business in a deal worth £2.75 billion.

2009
In January we launched Bluefin, an advisory and broking business that provides professional
insurance broking, risk management services, corporate consulting and wealth management.
In 2009 we also brought all our wealth businesses together to form a single business unit, AXA
Wealth.

2008
In March AXA acquired SBJ Group Limited, to enhance its distribution capability. In July we created
Architas, a specialist investment company that provides multi-manager propositions. In October
AXA created its new wealth business, AXA Winterthur Wealth Management.

2007
We made a number of strategically important acquisitions which included Swiftcover, ICAS
International Holdings Limited and The Davis Group

2006
AXA continued its growth strategy with the acquisition of Winterthur Wealth Management, a
market leader in personal pensions and investments distributed mainly through Independent
Financial Advisers.

2000
In July we completed the acquisition of a minority shareholding in Sun Life and Provincial Holdings.
In September, the name of the holding company changed to AXA UK plc, which it retains to this
day.
1999
In February, Sun Life and Provincial Holdings announced a public offer for GRE. The acquisition was
completed in May.

1998
GRE acquired the PPP healthcare group, a major brand in the marketplace that would become the
second largest provider of private medical insurance in the UK, as well as expanding internationally.
AXA sponsored the FA Cup in the UK, generating significant brand awareness among football fans
and the general public.

1996
AXA was listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Sun Life and Provincial Holdings (SLPH) was
listed on the London Stock Exchange.
In November, the AXA-UAP merger was announced. SLPH was now part of the global AXA Group,
becoming its major subsidiary in the UK.

1991
AXA took over The Equitable, the North American life assurance company.

1981 – 1990
In the eighties the AXA name was created and the AXA Université was launched. The decade also
saw AXA merge with Compagnie du Midi and trade on the Paris Stock Exchange. UAP also became
a major shareholder in Sun Life, in the UK. In 1990 AXA Insurance was formed in Cardiff.

1901 - 1980
These years saw the first in a series of mergers which would eventually create AXA.
During this period the Guardian Royal Exchange Group (GRE) was formed through a merger of
Guardian Assurance and Royal Exchange Assurance. In the same year, 1968, the Union des
Assurances de Paris (UAP) was created.
1700 - 1900
The 18th and 19th centuries saw the creation of many of the companies which later combined to
form parts of the global AXA Group. These included Royal Exchange Assurance, the world's first
marine insurer, which was granted legal status in 1720.