People Moves: AXA Reappoints Buberl as CEO; Gosset-Grainville Named Chair

Thomas Buberl has been reappointed as AXA’s chief executive officer, while Antoine Gosset-Grainville has been name chairman of the board of directors, succeeding Denis Duverne, who has retired.

Burberl first became CEO and a director of AXA in September 2016.

He holds a master of economics degree from WHU Koblenz (Germany), an MBA from Lancaster University (UK) and a doctorate in economics from the University of St Gallen (Switzerland), according to AXA’s website.

From 2000 to 2005, he worked at the Boston Consulting group as a consultant for the banking and insurance sector in Germany and abroad. From 2005 to 2008, he worked for the Winterthur group as a member of the management board in Switzerland, first as chief operating officer and then as chief marketing and distribution officer. He then joined Zurich Financial Services where he was CEO for Switzerland.

From 2012 to April 2016, Buberl was CEO of AXA Konzern AG (Germany) and became a member of the AXA executive committee in 2012. In March 2015, he became CEO of AXA’s Health Business and joined the AXA Management Committee. The following year, Buberl was also appointed CEO of the global business line Life & Savings. From March 21, 2016 to Aug. 31, 2016, he was deputy CEO and became CEO on Sept 1., 2016.

Gosset-Grainville was first appointed an AXA company director on June 30, 2020, the AXA website said.

He began his career in 1993 at the Inspection Générale des Finances, before taking the position of deputy general secretary of the European Monetary Committee and later of the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Union in 1997. From 1999 to 2002, he was adviser for Economic and Industry Affairs in the office of the European Commissioner in charge of trade.

In 2002, Gosset-Grainville became partner at Gide, where he managed the Brussels office for five years before becoming deputy director of the cabinet of the French Prime Minister in 2007, where he was in charge of economic and financial issues and the management of the French state’s investment portfolio.

In 2010, he was appointed deputy managing director of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations in charge of finance, strategy, investments and international operations and interim CEO of the Caisse des Dépôts group from February to July 2012. In April 2013, he co-founded the law firm BDGS Associés, where he is still a partner.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Denis Duverne for his trust and advice over the years. The group will long be marked by all that he has contributed throughout his exceptional career. Since 2016, his support has been decisive in driving the Group’s transformation,” commented Buberl.

“I am very pleased that Antoine Gosset-Grainville will become chairman of AXA, and I look forward to drawing on his experience and vision. I would also like to thank the shareholders and the members of our board of directors for their renewed confidence,” he added.

“It is with great emotion that I leave the chairmanship of AXA…. I had the privilege of succeeding Henri de Castries in this role and of accompanying Thomas Buberl in his successful transformation of the group, with the support of the board of directors,” commented Duverne.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the women and men of AXA. Their commitment, their cohesion, and their ability to surpass themselves have always been a source of motivation and pride for me,” he added. “I am very confident in AXA’s future: the group is solid and strong with a strategic vision and a purpose adapted to the challenges of our time; it will continue to be able to rely on very high-quality governance and benefit from the talents of Antoine Gosset-Grainville and Thomas Buberl.”

Source: AXA

Top photograph: Photo credit: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Topics AXA XL