AXA

AXA is a French multinational insurance and financial services group and one of the largest insurers in the world. Its roots trace back to 1816 and a group of regional mutual insurance companies in Normandy; the modern group took shape under chief executive Claude Bebear, who built it through a series of mergers and adopted the AXA name in 1985. The name was chosen not as an acronym but because it is short and pronounceable in every language. Major acquisitions, including Equitable in the United States in 1991 and UAP in France in 1997, turned AXA into a global insurance leader. Today the group serves more than 90 million clients in around 50 countries, with core businesses in property-casualty insurance, life and savings, health insurance, and asset management through AXA Investment Managers. Its AXA XL division, formed after the 2018 acquisition of XL Group, is a major provider of commercial lines and specialty risk insurance for large corporations. AXA employs roughly 150,000 people worldwide and generates annual gross written premiums and other revenues of around 100 billion euros. The company is headquartered in Paris, is listed on Euronext Paris as a component of the CAC 40 index, and is an independent public company. AXA has been ranked among the most valuable insurance brands globally and is also known for sports sponsorships, including the naming rights to Liverpool FC's training centre and partnerships in tennis and football.