September 2, 2021

"Shareplan is a way to associate our employees with the performance and development of AXA"

AXA is launching its 28th edition of Shareplan. On this occasion, Helen Browne, AXA Group General Counsel and Employee Shareholder Representative, tells us more about this program which gives employees the opportunity to contribute further to the company’s life.

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Why does AXA offer Shareplan every year?
Shareplan is a way for AXA employees to be part of the development and performance of the Group. It offers the opportunity for employees to buy AXA shares at a discounted rate and therefore to be part of the Company’s future as well as having a voice on AXA’s strategic decisions by voting on resolutions at the annual shareholders’ meeting.
Introduced by Claude Bébéar in 1993, the purpose of Shareplan was to permit employees to be part of the development of a worldwide group and to align their interests with the performance of AXA over time. Since then, it has been an annual event regardless of the economic environment and has become part of our corporate culture and DNA.

How does Shareplan work and what are the benefits?
For more than 20 years, there have been two different ways or offers to invest in AXA shares. In 2020, due to the unprecedented crisis there was only one offer which was nonetheless subscribed by 17 000 employees. But this year we return to the usual offers:
The first one – the classic offering – offers employees the possibility to buy AXA shares directly at a 20% discount and benefit from any share price increase overtime, as well as any dividend paid each year.
In the second offering – the leverage offering – an arrangement is entered into with a bank chosen by AXA that guarantees to employees an investment return after five years equal to the initial investment together with a percentage of any increase in the reference price.
In the first offer there is no guaranteed return and so by having two options employees can choose their investment depending on their risk profile but in both options, they are investing in AXA’s vision and strategy.

Why is Shareplan important for you?
Today, more than 40,000 AXA employees – out of 153,000 – in 40 countries hold AXA shares. That represents 4.3% of the share capital and 6.2 % of the voting rights which means that shareholder employees represent one of the largest shareholdings of the Company. This demonstrates that Shareplan is proof of employee engagement and is seen by employees as a unique value proposition to build their savings by investing in their own company and contributing to its development.
Since last year, I have the honor to be the representative of the employee shareholders at AXA’s Board of Directors and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the employees who voted for me and put their trust in me.
It is in the DNA of AXA to give employees a voice at the table and Shareplan is one of the ways to express it. We all want AXA to be the most successful insurance Company in the world, not just financially, but also as an employer: committed to creating an inclusive, diverse and sustainable environment for its employees and more generally, for society.

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