Insurance Giant AXA UK and Ireland Hires Sally Pain as CXO for Communications, Customer, Brand and Sustainability: 4 Things to Know

AXA UK & Ireland has hired Bupa veteran Sally Pain for the newly created role of chief communications, customer, brand and sustainability officer. Pain reports to Tara Foley, AXA UK & Ireland CEO.

Here are four things to know about the business, and Pain's executive experience.

1. Business Scope and Scale: AXA UK & Ireland are part of the AXA Group, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. The AXA Group has 147,000 employees and distributors who serve 94 million customers worldwide. 

In the UK, AXA specializes in:

• Insurance that protects homes, cars and businesses; and
• healthcare plans.

2. Sustainability Strategy and Goals: AXA Group has published an annual Climate Report since 2016. The company is striving to achieve net-zero by 2050. Near term, AXA from mid-2023 through 2026 plans to engage with its 200 largest commercial clients globally. The goal is to "increase their knowledge about climate impacts, transition efforts and associated risks as well as sources of emissions, solutions, and the benefits of disclosure," CEO Thomas Buberl said in June 2023.

AXA's group intermediate targets (for the most material commercial and retail motor portfolios of AXA) include the following reductions by 2030:

• Reducing the the carbon intensity (IAE/GWP) of all other corporate clients within AXA’s largest markets by 20%, using the baseline year 2021.  
• Reducing the carbon intensity (IAE/vehicle) of the personal motor portfolio in selected geographies by 20%, using the baseline year 2019.
• Reducing the absolute carbon emissions (IAE) of AXA’s largest commercial insurance clients by 30%, using the baseline year 2021, and
• Reducing the the carbon intensity (IAE/GWP) of all other corporate clients within AXA’s largest markets by 20%, using the baseline year 2021.  

3. New Sustainability Executive: Sally Pain takes on the new created role of chief communications, customer, brand and sustainability officer. She has more than 20 years of experience working at both group- and divisional-levels in senior roles across the health, insurance and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, AXA notes.

Moreover, pain has led public relations, corporate communications, public affairs and internal communications functions; and more recently oversaw brand, customer and sustainability activity at Bupa, AXA added.

4. Executive Perspectives: In a prepared statement, Tara Foley, CEO of AXA UK & Ireland, said: "I’m looking forward to working with Sally on further enhancing the impact and consistency of communications, brand and customer messaging as well as developing a greater focus on our sustainability agenda. Sally’s wealth of experience and innovative approach will help us achieve more cut-through both internally and externally which in turn means we can better support our colleagues and customers."

Added Pain: "I’m excited to work with the talented team at AXA UK & Ireland to further enhance the brand, build stronger connections with colleagues and customers and drive sustainability initiatives that create lasting value. AXA’s commitment to making a positive impact resonates with me, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the company’s ongoing journey of growth and innovation." 

Chief Sustainability Officers: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.