History

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1817
The origins of AXA
The AXA Group was created through the merger of several insurance companies, the oldest of which - La Compagnie d'Assurance Mutuelle contre l'Incendie dans les départements de la Seine Inférieure et de l'Eure - was founded in Rouen 10 months after the establishment of the Mutuelle ACL, which is France's oldest insurance company.

1946
Birth of the Ancienne Mutuelle Group
Three previously independent business lines - Fire, Life and Accident - merged in a new structure, the Ancienne Mutuelle Group, out of which the future AXA Group later emerged.

1955
The roots of international growth
Ancienne Mutuelle turned toward the international market with the acquisition of Provinces-Unies, a company based in Quebec.

1958
Claude Bébéar's debut
Claude Bébéar began his insurance career with Ancienne Mutuelle, which at the time was France's 24th largest insurer. He went to work for the Canadian subsidiary, where he developed life insurance products before returning to France to step up the company's international development.

1975
An ambitious group
Claude Bébéar became CEO of the 24th ranked Ancienne Mutuelle group.

1977
Reinsurance, a full-fledged business
Since reinsurance has acquired the status of a separate business from insurance, a reinsurance specialist, Ancienne Mutuelle Réassurance (AMRé) was created. Its role as a trailblazer of international development was confirmed by the policy of establishing offices in the world's major financial centers.

1978
Birth of Mutuelles Unies
The Group acquired a controlling interest in La Compagnie parisienne de garantie, which was renamed Mutuelle Parisienne de Garantie. The Ancienne Mutuelle group had become Mutuelles Unies.

1982
France's number one private insurer
Mutuelles Unies bought out the Drouot group. Claude Bébéar became chairman and CEO of the newly formed Mutuelles Unies / Drouot group, France's leading private insurer.

1985
AXA is born
Mutuelles Unies/Drouot wanted to make a name for itself internationally. Of all the names put forth, three made the final cut: Argos, AXA and Elan. In July, AXA became the Group's new corporate name.

1986
Unprecedented stock market war
At the end of a stock market battle that had France's financial press holding its breath, AXA gained control of Secours and La Providence. To acquire the latter, Claude Bébéar put 2.2 billion francs on the table.

1988
Sustained and steady growth
AXA and Compagnie du Midi, the holding company for Assurances du Groupe de Paris (AGP), whose banking division was known as Crédit Parisien, merged their insurance businesses. The Group now had several subsidiaries in Europe. Uni Europe, an insurance brokerage, was created.

1989
Growth spurt
AXA took control of the prestigious Compagnie du Midi, making the Group France's number 2 insurer, just behind UAP.

1990
Diversification of businesses in France
Alpha Assurances was formed to sell life insurance and specialize in direct insurance. A year later, the direct marketing business separated from Alpha to form Direct Assurance.

1991
Going after America
AXA took advantage of the demutualization of The Equitable Life Assurance Company, one of the top life insurers in the United States, to acquire an equity interest.

1994
The Group steps up its international development
AXA acquired Boréal Assurances in Canada and Victoire Belgium in Belgium. AXA Asset Management Europe, the Group's asset management specialist in Europe, was founded.

1994
Group asset management develops
The Group took its first steps in the asset management business with the creation of AXA Asset Management Europe, which later became AXA Investment Managers.

1995
Foray into the Asian market
AXA acquired a stake in National Mutual Life Insurance Company, Australia's second largest life insurer. In addition to Australia, AXA began doing business in New Zealand and Hong Kong and also started operating as AXA Life in Japan.

1996
AXA goes to Wall Street
The AXA share was admitted for trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Each security represented half of one AXA share, stated in dollars and trending in line with the AXA share price adjusted for the dollar/franc exchange rate parity.

1996
AXA and UAP unite in a merger-acquisition
On November 12, AXA bought UAP. The two companies signed their takeover agreement, which gave rise to the biggest corporation in France based on revenues (313 billion French francs) and the world's largest insurer.

1996
Group develops in Morocco
AXA began operations in Morocco with the acquisition of Assurance Al Amane. In 2000, AXA Assurance Maroc was born.

1997
Birth of AXA Equitable
The Equitable Life Assurance Company became wholly owned by the AXA Group, and changed its name to AXA Equitable.

1999
The Group affirms its global reach
National Mutual Life Insurance Company was taken over by the Group, becoming AXA Asia Pacific. The Group bought the UK-based Guardian Royal Exchange, entered the Chinese market (with AXA Minmetals), and also launched operations in Turkey (AXA Oyak), Lebanon (AXA Middle East) and Japan (with Nippon Dantai, which became AXA Nishida).

2000
Management Board gets a new Chairman
Henri de Castries succeeded Claude Bébéar as Chairman of the AXA Management Board. Mr. Bébéar became Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

2000
North American presence is strengthened
Alliance Capital Management, an asset management subsidiary of the Group, acquired US-based Sanford Bernstein. AXA bought out the remaining minority interests in its US subsidiary AXA Financial.

2000
Buyout in the United Kingdom
The Group bought out the remaining minority interests in Sun Life & Provincial Holdings in the United Kingdom.

2002
Banking division grows
AXA acquired Banque Direct, a subsidiary of BNP-Paribas, and began to streamline its portfolio via AXA Banque.

2003
The Group makes strides in the United States and in Asia
AXA announced the acquisition of the US life insurer MONY (Mutual of New York). The Group gained ground in Asia, the Philippines and Thailand, in Indonesia and in China.

2005
Employee stock ownership
The AXA-FINAXA merger allowed AXA to simplify its capital ownership structure. AXA then decided to distribute shares to its employees (who now own between 4% and 6% of its equity capital).

2005
New strategic plan is launched
The Ambition 2012 strategic plan was adopted. Its aim was to make AXA the preferred company of its clients, employees and shareholders.

2005
New markets open
AXA took its first steps in life insurance in India, with Bharti Enterprises Private Ltd, and began direct selling in Portugal.

2005
The Group gains ground in asset management
AXA consolidated its asset management business with the acquisition of Framlington in the UK.

2006
AXA becomes number 1 in Switzerland
The acquisition of Winterthur Assurances marked a new step in European development, and in the dynamic markets of Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia.

2007
New distribution channel in Italy
The Group signed a long-term agreement with the Italian bank Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena for the distribution of life & savings and property-casualty insurance.

2007
Setting out for emerging markets
AXA entered the South Korean and Ukrainian markets. In South Korea, the acquisition of Kyobo Auto allowed the Group to become the top direct seller of motor insurance. In the Ukraine, AXA gained control of the 6th largest property-casualty insurer.

2008
AXA in Latin America
AXA bought the third largest insurance company in Mexico, ING Seguros.

2008
The Group consolidates its property-casualty business
The Group bought OYAK's 50% equity stake in AXA OYAK, Turkey's top property-casualty insurer. AXA also acquired an interest in RESO, Russia's number two property-casualty insurer.

2008
Departure of Claude Bébéar
After having served the AXA Group for 50 years, and 8 years after having stepped down as CEO of the AXA Group, Claude Bébéar stepped down as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

2008
New supervisory board chairman
Jacques de Chateauvieux succeeded Claude Bébéar as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Mr. Bébéar became Honorary Chairman.

2009
Anchors east
The Group announced the acquisition of the Rumanian Omniasig Life AXA, reinforcing its position in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic via the buyout of minority interests held by EBRD.

2010
AXA delists from NYSE
Last year, AXA decided to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, since 95% of all transactions involving its stock occur on the Euronext Paris exchange.

2010
AXA ranks among top 5 in Malaysia
AXA Affin General Insurance, a joint venture of AXA SA and Affin Holdings Berhad, announced the acquisition of BH Insurance Berhad, strengthening AXA's position in the Malaysian market.

2010
Change in the structure of governance
On April 29, 2010, the shareholders of AXA ratified the decision to change AXA's form of governance by forming a board of directors. Henri de Castries was appointed Chairman and CEO. The board of directors was composed of 15 members, 11 of whom are independent.

2010
A new dimension in China
By adding ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Co. Ltd) to its joint venture with AXA-Minmetals Assurance (AXA MM), the Group has embarked on a cooperative enterprise aimed at increasing its presence in the Chinese market significantly. The new company has adopted the name ICBC-AXA Life Insurance Co.