AXA Investment Managers confirms its new organisation and the evolution of senior leadership roles
- 14 December 2018
AXA Investment Managers confirms its new organisation and the evolution of senior leadership roles
AXA IM today confirms the implementation of its new organisation as set out in June 2018, having completed the French and UK social consultation processes. With a simpler and leaner organisation, AXA IM is aiming to better cater to clients’ needs and drive future growth. Four pillars make up the new organisation:
- Client Group
- Core Investments
- Alternative & Specialty Investments
- Support Functions
“The roll-out of this new set-up is a major milestone in our transformation journey. We are building the future of AXA IM with a clear strategic view, to accelerate as an active asset manager. Our new organisation is designed to support our strategic priorities, drive innovation, foster synergies and enable AXA IM to better cater to clients’ needs.” said Andrea Rossi, CEO of AXA IM.
To align to the new structure, AXA IM is making changes to its leadership team effective 1 January 2019:
- Francisco Arcilla and Bettina Ducat will respectively become Global Head of Institutional Client Group and Global Head of Distribution Client Group.
- Hans Stoter will be appointed Global Head of Core Investments, a new combined business unit which brings together the Fixed Income, Framlington Equities and Multi-Asset investment platforms. This will foster synergies and innovation with a view to develop new offers aligned with evolving market and client needs. The investment process and philosophy of each underlying investment platform will remain unchanged.
- Matthew Lovatt will remain Global Head of AXA IM Framlington Equities and will report to Hans. In addition to his role as Global Head of Core Investments, Hans will continue to manage the Fixed Income and Multi-Asset portfolio management teams.
Other Management Board members’ responsibilities are confirmed:
- Jean-Christophe Ménioux, General Secretary and CFO
- Joseph Pinto, Global Chief Operating Officer
- Heidi Ridley, CEO of AXA IM Rosenberg Equities
- Isabelle Scemama, CEO of AXA IM Real Assets
- Amélie Watelet, Chief Transformation Officer and Global Head of HR and Communications
All Management Board members will continue to report to Andrea Rossi, CEO of AXA IM.
“The blend of global experience, leadership qualities and values of our Management Board give me a high degree of confidence in our ability to lead AXA IM through the next phase of its strategic journey in a focused and efficient way.”, added Andrea Rossi.
Christophe Coquema, who led the AXA IM Client Group teams until last June, will leave AXA IM to pursue new opportunities outside AXA.
“Christophe has contributed immensely to AXA IM’s success over the 12 years he has been with the company. His strategic thinking, excellent interpersonal skills and knowledge of the asset management industry have truly helped to shape what AXA IM is today. He has developed leaders who are now in a position to continue the work he has started and, in this context, Christophe will pursue his career outside AXA IM. I would like to thank him very warmly for his contribution and support, both to the company and to me over the five years we have worked together. I wish him the very best for the future.”, commented Andrea Rossi.
To fuel its development as a long term active asset manager, AXA IM announced in June an additional investment plan in four offerings and client priorities. Progress on these priorities has already been made, notably in responsible investment (RI). Indeed, AXA IM integrated ESG into all of its investment platforms, providing fund managers with access to proprietary ESG scores and KPIs in their front office tools, as well as additional ESG data and research. Additionally, RI specialists have been embedded into investment teams to support fund managers incorporate ESG and impact analysis into their investment processes.
As part of this plan, investments are also being made in digital, data analytics and science capabilities, notably to:
- Identify new sources of alpha and increase portfolio management efficiency;
- Obtain insights on clients investment behaviour and identify new sales and marketing channels. For example, a tool has been developed internally for sales and marketing teams, to help them predict and anticipate clients’ need and foster cross-selling;
- Improve operational efficiency by taking Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to scale across AXA IM. This follows good progress on foundational changes including enhancing data capabilities and ensuring cybersecurity processes remain robust.
“We want to make investing easier for clients. By enhancing the client offering and experience, for example improving our customer journeys digitally, providing education where appropriate and creating simpler processes, we believe can get closer to our clients and focus on providing them with what they need and in the format they want it. We look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm, building on our strengths as an active asset manager to continue our journey.” concluded Andrea Rossi.
AXA IM will look to further reinforce its investment capabilities selectively and opportunistically as part of its strategic plan. AXA IM is notably strengthening its Alternatives offering, having reached an agreement earlier this quarter whereby its Real Assets business will acquire from Quadrant Real Estate Advisors one of its US business lines, including a real estate debt team.
Note to editor
Francisco Arcilla , Global Head of Institutional Client Group
Francisco Arcilla started his career at Merrill Lynch in 1994 as an analyst, before working in several global financial institutions as a senior proprietary trader for over a decade. In 2008, he joined the Swiss alternative solutions boutique EIM SA as Co-Head of Investments. He joined AXA IM as CIO and Global Head of Funds of Hedge Funds in 2011, and was appointed to run the creation of the External Managers Group combining the Hedge Fund, Impact Investing and Long-Only Multi-Management teams in 2012.In 2014, he became Director of Product Development for AXA Rosenberg, before being appointed CEO of AXA IM Japan in 2015. He became AXA IM’s Global Head of Sales in July 2017, and will become Global Head of Institutional Client Group on the 1st of January, 2019.
Francisco Arcilla graduated from HEC School of Management in Paris and holds a MSc. in Finance from the London Business School.
Bettina Ducat, Global Head of Distribution Client Group
Prior to joining AXA IM, Bettina Ducat was a strategy consultant for Accenture since 2001. She joined AXA IM in 2006 as a Sales manager within the Distribution team targeting financial institutions and insurance companies before taking over responsibility for the management of the team in 2009. Beginning of 2012, she was appointed Head of Distribution for France, Southern Europe and Middle East, before becoming Global Head of Product, Retail and Institutional development in 2014. She will become Global Head of Distribution Client Group on the 1st of January, 2019.
Bettina Ducat holds a degree from EM Lyon.
Jean-Christophe Ménioux , General Secretary and CFO
Prior to joining the AXA Group, Jean-Christophe Ménioux spent nine years at Crédit Commercial de France (HSBC France), notably as Head of Interest Rate Derivatives before becoming Director of Market Risks. He joined the AXA Group in 2001 and held various positions including Group treasurer from 2001 to 2008 and Group Chief Risk Officer from 2008 to 2013. Then, he became responsible for the Group’s Life & Savings business line until 2016. He was appointed AXA IM’s General Secretary and Chief Financial Officer in July 2016.
Jean-Christophe Ménioux is a graduate of Ecole Centrale de Paris.
Joseph Pinto, Global Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Pinto started his career in New York with Crédit Lyonnais' securitisation business before moving to London to work at Lehman Brothers' Corporate Finance division. He then moved to McKinsey & Cie in Paris as a Project Manager from 1998 to 2001. From 2001 to 2006, he was Deputy CEO and member of the board of directors of Banque Privée Fideuram Wargny, where he created and implemented the bank’s sales development strategy. He joined AXA IM in 2007 as Director South Europe and Middle East, before being appointed Global Head of Markets and Investment Strategy in 2011.He became Global Chief Operating Officer in March 2014.
Joseph Pinto graduated from the Ecole Centrale de Paris (a French Engineering School) and holds an MBA from Columbia University.
Heidi Ridley, CEO of AXA IM Rosenberg Equities
Prior to joining AXA IM Rosenberg Equities, Heidi Ridley was Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing and Product Development at Wells Fargo Funds Management and before that, she was a Managing Director and Principal at Montgomery Asset Management. She joined AXA IM Rosenberg Equities in 2003 to manage the mutual fund distribution efforts in the US. Then she held a number of positions, including Head of Institutional Sales and Product Development for North America and more recently as Global Head of Investment Strategy and Communications. In 2011, she was appointed Global COO and Chief of Staff at AXA IM Rosenberg Equities. She became CEO of AXA IM Rosenberg Equities in March 2017.
Heidi Ridley holds a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder.
Andrea Rossi, CEO of AXA IM
Andrea Rossi began his career at Olivetti in the Finance Department, before having several international experiences at Olivetti Canada and Morgan Stanley. In 1995, he moved to General Electric Group, first as Product Marketing Manager for General Electric Lighting Europe and then as Vice President – Six Sigma at General Electric Capital AFS Europe. From 1999 to 2000, he worked for Transamerica Aegon as Director of Business Development & Marketing – Europe. In 2001, he joined the AXA Group as Senior Vice President, Business Support and Development – Mediterranean Region, Middle East and Latin America, with a subsequent post of Chief Operating Officer of the MEDLA Region. In 2006, he moved to Dubai as CEO and Deputy Chairman of AXA Insurance Gulf & Middle East, before being appointed CEO of AXA Assicurazioni in Italy in 2008. He became Chief Executive Officer of AXA IM in July 2013.
Andrea Rossi holds a degree in Economics at the “Università La Sapienza” in Rome, Italy and a MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Isabelle Scemama, CEO of AXA IM Real Assets
Isabelle Scemama started her career in 1989 at Paribas in the large cap corporate financing department, before joining the real estate financing department in 1995. In 2001, she joined AXA IM Real Assets to head real estate fund structuring and financing. In 2005, she launched the CRE Loans platform. In 2013, she was appointed to launch the Infrastructure lending platform, and was most recently responsible for the Funds Group. She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AXA IM Real Assets in February 2017.
Isabelle Scemama graduated from IEP Paris (Sciences Po) with a degree in Political Science.
Hans Stoter, Global Head of Core Investments
Hans Stoter started his career at Philips Electronics and Nomura Bank, before joining ING Investment Management in 1998 as portfolio manager Investment Grade Credits. He then held various portfolio manager, team manager and team oversight positions in a broad range of fixed income asset classes. He was appointed Deputy Chief Investment Officer in 2011, then Chief Investment Officer in 2013 and Board member of NN Investment Partners (formerly ING Investment Management).
He joined AXA IM in June 2018 as Global Head of Fixed Income and interim Head of Multi-Asset Client Solutions. He will become Global Head of Core Investments on the 1st of January, 2019.
Hans Stoter holds a Masters Degree in Business Economics and Financial Analysis, from the Vrije University in Amsterdam.
Amélie Watelet, Chief Transformation Officer and Global Head of HR and Communications
Amélie Watelet started her career in Human Resources at Décathlon, EDF and Radio France. She joined AXA in 2006 as Human Resources Director & General Secretary of AXA Cessions, before joining AXA Headquarters to become Human Resources Director in 2009, and then AXA GIE Chief Administrator. In 2013, she was appointed Global Head of Human Resources, Communications & Corporate Responsibility at AXA Technology Services and AXA Group IT. She joined AXA IM in 2016 as Global Head of Human Resources, subsequently adding Transformation and Communications to her responsibilities in 2018.
Amélie Watelet graduated from IAE Tours in Strategy and Human Resources and holds a Masters degree from IEP Paris (Sciences Po) in Human resources and Change management.
About AXA Investment Managers
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is an active, long-term, global, multi-asset investor. We work with clients today to provide the solutions they need to help build a better tomorrow for their investments, while creating a positive change for the world in which we all live. With approximately €740 billion in assets under management as at end of September 2018, AXA IM employs over 2,390 employees around the world and operates out of 30 offices across 21 countries. AXA IM is part of the AXA Group, a world leader in financial protection and wealth management.