Axa Global Healthcare has hired two ex-Aetna senior members as part of a restructure of its distribution leadership team.
Martyn Swann and Matthew Crudgington have joined Axa Global Healthcare from Aetna as it exits the global international private medical insurance (IPMI) market.
Axa Global Healthcare’s restructure has resulted in the introduction of a new head of individual distribution, head of SME distribution, head of large corporate sales, and head of large corporate retention.
The new team will support global head of distribution Andy O’Cain in running the regional distribution activities through its sales hubs in the UK, Europe and Asia.
The insurer added the new department heads will help oversee the development of strategic distribution partnerships and strengthen its footprint in the market.
The newly appointed leadership team is comprised of:
- Dev Shah as head of individual distribution, who has helped develop the Axa Global Healthcare individual portfolio over the past 10 years. He has also spent a number of years working for Axa PPP healthcare.
- Martyn Swann, head of SME distribution, who joins from Aetna/Allianz, where he was in a corporate director role.
- Luke Harding, head of large corporate sales, who before joining Axa Global Healthcare held a variety of managerial roles within the financial sector.
- And Matthew Crudgington, head of large corporate retention, who also joins from Aetna/Allianz, where, as sales director, was responsible for EMEA large corporate portfolio management. In the past he has also worked for Mercer and Expacare.
Industry is changing
O’Cain (pictured) said there had been a transformation in what was driving demand for international healthcare and it was time for the industry and the insurer to reflect that.
“The retail segment is becoming more diverse, with growing opportunities in the traditional expat segment, newly emerging segments – as a result of the rise in the digital nomad lifestyle – and everything in between,” he said.
“In the corporate segment, demand is being fuelled by entrepreneurial start-ups, many in new growth industries including tech and biodiversity.
“And we’re seeing increased demand from larger corporates for health services to support all of their employees, not just those on international assignments.
“At the same time, expectations of what makes a good customer experience are changing – people are looking for more flexibility, a more intuitive service, more proactive healthcare support, and more help navigating healthcare systems abroad.”
Focus on distribution for specific business lines
O’Cain added that the restructure was the firm’s first leap in driving that change.
“We’ve appointed new department heads who will focus exclusively on distribution for specific business lines and getting closer to the unique needs of customers, building strong relationships with intermediaries and partners every step of the way,” he said.
“We hope that bringing together existing distribution expertise with the knowledge of those coming from outside of the business will transform the team’s ability to anticipate and adapt to new market conditions, and I’m confident these changes will help to drive Axa Global Healthcare forward.”