Interviews

Shaking Things Up

Policy caught up with Jean-Louis Laurent Josi, CEO Axa Insurance Gulf, to chart the company’s progress in the region and gage the impact of the global slowdown.

Axa Insurance Gulf has been the epitome of the goliath international insurer shaking up the local markets with a bold display of financial muscle in marketing and service delivery. From its effective “be life confident campaign” to its prominent outdoor advertising banners from Dubai to Bahrain, Axa has aggressively positioned its brand. With a strong regional footprint that encompasses the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar – the company has centralised back-office operations at the Dubai Outzource Zone in a bid to improve efficiency and minimise costs.

Online offering
The company recently launched its online service, allowing customers to buy and renew their motor insurance policies over the internet. The service aims to provide a quote in less than a minute and rewards those who buy a new policy online with a five per cent discount on their premium.

“The UAE is seeing a healthy increase in the number of internet users and is one of the fastest broadband markets with a multiplying population of young tech-savvy people,” Jean-Louis Laurent Josi, CEO Axa Insurance Gulf told Policy. “By providing a multi-access solution for its products, Axa Gulf is now ahead in this market: we provide to customers needs, they can now choose to buy motor insurance through a broker, our call centre, our walk-in offices or through the internet.”

The company plans to provide all its personal lines products online in the near future.

“We are committed to our goal of becoming the preferred company for our clients and employees alike in the region. Our differentiating offer, driven by our key pillar of being the most convenient claims service in the market, will be enhanced and we will continue to invest in more qualitative services that will make life simpler for our clients,” Josi added.

Market commitment
At an industry level, Josi wants to see a greater commitment to reaching out to new customers, convincing them that there are risks and that they should be covered.

“We have huge databases… we know what is going on in the market, be it personal or commercial lines. For example, we know young drivers are at great risk and it is our duty to share facts with the market concerning road safety.”

Axa Insurance Gulf has been proactive in its efforts to promote safe driving. Working with the UAE police, the insurer initiated an anti-speeding campaign that included visits to malls and schools to warn younger drivers about the risks of speeding. In a parallel campaign, an initiative was launched to reward good drivers, with a focus mainly on bus drivers.