It is the story of a regional mutual insurance company in France that became a global leader in insurance and asset management. Our environment is changing, but our group continues to develop and grow with the same spirit and the same principles of responsibility in terms of the way we do business. AXA is a robust group that has successfully completed major acquisitions.
The AXA Group has done so while respecting values that today encourage it to go even further in the conduct of its business and, if necessary, to redefine its own practices in the interest of better serving clients. Accordingly, in 2008 we repositioned our brand in order to assert our desire to better respond to the expectations of our clients, with the aim of earning and deserving their trust.
In 2009, in light of the financial crisis that generated a widespread crisis of confidence, we clarified our view of what it means to be a responsible insurer, specifying our orientation and commitments around the world. We also clearly defined the three lines of expertise that comprise our core business: property-casualty insurance, life and savings, and asset management. Global business lines—whose aim is to make us more responsive— have been defined to add to the current geographic organization.
Through this report, we wanted to share with you the year 2009 in greater detail, in order to provide you with more insight into our future.