McCafferty leaves AXA

Brendan McCafferty (pictured) has left AXA with immediate effect.

The AXA UK chief executive of intermediated and direct will not be replaced.

The former Flood Re chief executive only joined AXA last February, and so has not yet completed a year in post.

AXA said the move was part of a wider reshuffle to simplify the management structure of the UK insurance business to improve its operational focus.

The current managing directors of AXA Direct and AXA Commercial Intermediary, Gareth Howell and Jon Walker, have been promoted to the AXA Insurance board.

Howell becomes executive managing director of AXA Retail and Walker become executive managing director of AXA Commercial.

Managing director of personal intermediary and corporate partners Laurent Matras, and technical director David Williams will report to Howell and Walker respectively.

Claims director Chris Voller will retire at the end of March. He will be succeeded by chief financial officer Waseem Malik who will join the AXA Insurance board.

Malik’s remit will be to not only empower the claims teams to provide the best possible service but to drive forward the transformation of claims to satisfy evolving customer demands, the company said

“I am convinced that by reducing layers of management and dual reporting lines we will deliver faster, more effective decision making,” said group chief executive AXA UK & Ireland, Amanda Blanc.

“Brendan came in at a tough time with several unexpected issues hitting the insurance industry almost simultaneously but he and the team managed them effectively,” she said.

“He leaves the business in good shape having weathered the storms of 2017.”

She added: “I want to thank him sincerely for all his hard work and for the incredibly professional manner in which he has accepted the circumstances of his departure.”