AXA is a French, multinational, investment banking firm headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, insurance, and other financial services. The AXA group operates primarily in Western Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific region, and the Middle East. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries.
The company was originally founded in 1816 as Mutuelle de L’assurance contre L’incendie (the Ancienne Mutuelle). It acquired Compagnie Parisienne de Garantie in 1978 and became Mutuelles Unies. It went on to buy the Drouot Group in 1982, becoming Mutuelles Unies/Drouot. It adopted the at AXA name in 1985. The takeover of The Equitable, a well-known American insurer, came in 1991. It bought Union des Assurances De Paris (UAP), France’s largest insurer, in 1996 becoming AXA-UAP for a while before reverting to the name AXA in 1999. Then in February 1999 AXA acquired Guardian Royal Exchange. In May 2000 AXA acquired all shares it did not already own in Sun Life & Provincial Holdings. On 14 June 2006 AXA acquired the leading Swiss insurance company Winterthur Group from Credit Suisse for approximately €9 billion.
Risk Research and Education
AXA Works Donates for Nonprofit Organizations.
AXA’s business is about protecting people from unexpected events and thus, we have a strong responsibility towards all our stakeholders. On top of fulfilling our obligations as an insurer towards our customers, employees, and business partners, we have a responsibility to use our skills, resources and risk expertise to create a stronger and safer society. We would like to leverage AXA’s risk expertise to empower society to better face risk through initiatives in research and education.
We already have existing CR initiatives that are proof of this commitment and demonstrate our natural vocation for risk research and education.
The AXA Group has joined with CARE, the international humanitarian NGO, to help vulnerable populations better prepare for climate-related risks.
This partnership, started in 2011, is part of AXA’s Corporate Responsibility Policy which Flagship theme is Risk Research and Education. AXA and CARE have chosen to work together in three areas:
- Climate Change Adaptation projectsbased on the international research program “Where the Rain Falls” in:- India: to adapt the agricultural practices of vulnerable populations to face climate change induced impacts – particularly water stress;
– Thailand: to create sustainable, resilient measures to face the impacts of climate change – particularly the growing unpredictability of natural resources. - Disaster Risk Reduction projects already lead in Benin, Indonesia and Vietnam will be pursued and extended in 2014 to:- Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), with projects aiming at reducing climate risks, particularly droughts, by implementing risk management systems to improve food security within communities;
– South America (Bolivia, Equator, Peru), with projects advocating for better national and regional policies that increase the resilience of the populations impacted by climate change (increased droughts, freeze or rainfall variability) and strengthen their participation in the decisions making regarding food security and nutrition. - Capitalizing on field projects, actions to raise awareness of the impact of environmental hazards on vulnerable populations in the context of the international negotiations to be held in in 2015, in particular the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 21) to be held in Paris.
Moreover, AXA has been supporting CARE to provide emergency responses to populations faced by large natural disasters by raising funds and making its expertise available when and where relevant.
Since 1991, AXA Hearts in Action, the AXA Group’s international volunteer program, has provided assistance and support to people suffering from exclusion. For several years now, AXA employees have also been active in protecting the environment and educating on risks.
In 2013, over 32,000 employees volunteered in charity projects around the world. AXA has donated more than 76,000 working hours to allow employees to be involved in such initiatives.
You can find lots of examples from all over the world in the International Activity Report of AXA Hearts in Action.
