Headquarters:
Sydney, Australia
Year founded:
1998 (as XL)
Number of employees:
100–200
Phone:
+61 2 8270 1400
Email:
AUSinfo@axaxl.com
Website:
axaxl.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/axaxl
"We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork"
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
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AXA XL AUSTRALIA
Catherine Carlyon
Country Manager, Australia
Scott Jerome
Head of Brooklyn Underwriting
Julijana Sumner
Head of Claims
Leadership
Appointed in July 2021 as country manager, Catherine Carlyon leads the overall insurance business and drives the company’s strategy in Australia, the third largest market by gross written premium for AXA XL’s APAC and Europe business unit. Prior to this role, she was head of Asia-Pacific claims since 2017, responsible for all aspects of the claims organisation across the region. Previously, she was chief of staff for global claims and worked in global claim management for 11 years. Carlyon joined AXA XL in the aftermath of the 2005 Hurricanes, and one of her first responsibilities was to establish a more robust catastrophe response across the organisation, much of which still exists today.
A qualified Chartered Accountant, she spent 10 years with KPMG, accounting and consulting on organisational, finance and process matters with insurance companies. During this period, she lived and worked in the UK, Australia and the US. She also helped establish AXA XL’s inclusion committee in Australia, focused on promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace.
Carlyon holds a BA (Hons) in Biological Sciences from St. John’s College, Oxford. She is a beekeeper and is based in Sydney with her husband, Simon, and two children.
Country Manager, Australia
Catherine Carlyon
Scott Jerome was recently appointed head of Brooklyn Underwriting. Prior to this appointment, he was head of operations at AXA XL. He joined the company in January 2015, a few days after the announcement of the XL and Catlin merger. Jerome started his career in credit control and went on to hold several operational and integration roles across a number of brokers and insurers in the UK, including a Lloyd’s syndicate start-up in 2001, prior to moving to Australia. The acquisition of XL Catlin by AXA is the eighth large-scale acquisition or merger that he has been involved in during his 30-year career in insurance.
Jerome’s leadership roles to date have focused on client experience, service excellence and operational transformation. He has a passion for the development of future talent and is dedicated to creating opportunities and pathways across the entire group. His involvement in the APAC Mentor and Mentee program has contributed to the personal and career success of a number of people in the company.
Head of Brooklyn Underwriting
Scott Jerome
Julijana Sumner, the head of claims in Australia, has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry across all lines of business. Prior to this role, she was the practice leader for financial lines and professional indemnity for Asia-Pacific at AXA XL, overseeing and advising on the largest and most complex losses within the region. Sumner joined AXA XL in 2012 as a senior claims counsel for financial lines and professional risk after working in private practice for seven years as an insurance lawyer focusing on casualty and professional lines. She is passionate about insurance, particularly the claims function, knowing that AXA XL’s products deliver the best claims service when clients are at their most vulnerable. Sumner regularly speaks at seminars on trends and issues that affect the industry.
Head of Claims
Julijana Sumner
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“We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Read on
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Leadership
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Bio
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
“We are constantly living by our core values: integrity, impact and teamwork”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Read on
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Rory Morison
Head of Long Tail Lines
Rory Morison joined what was the Catlin Syndicate at Lloyd’s in 2002 in the London Casualty team, working on an international client base. In 2004, he was seconded to Sydney to assist with the launch of Catlin Australia. In 2010, he relocated full time to Australia to open the Melbourne office and lead the Australian Casualty team.
He retained his leadership of the casualty portfolio following the acquisition of Catlin by XL Group in 2015 and became Asia-Pacific head of casualty in 2017 and a member of the international casualty leadership team, a position he retained for AXA XL.
In August 2021, he was appointed head of long tail lines, Australia and is now responsible for all professional risks and liability lines written by the Australian underwriting team.
Head of Long Tail Lines
Rory Morison
Jeff Arricale
Chief Financial Officer
Through leadership, approachability and expert knowledge of the finance industry and corresponding consumer trends, Jordan Mutton has led award-winning, high-performing teams, continually exceeding benchmarks. Building relationships is core to Jordan’s values, a skillset that has positioned him as a key leader within the industry.
Head of Inside Sales
Jordan Mutton
Both globally and locally, AXA XL combines a strong and efficient capital platform, data-driven insights, leading technology, and the best talent in an agile and inclusive workspace. AXA XL’s team is empowered to deliver top client service across all lines of business − property, casualty, professional, financial lines and specialty.
“Our mission at AXA XL is to be a trusted expert and partner in risk, protecting what matters to our client, our colleagues and community,” says Catherine Carlyon, country manager, Australia. “Our values reflect who we are and how we think and act to shape the company culture. Our values are Customer First, Integrity, Courage and One AXA. Our thinking starts with our clients and brokers which shapes our decisions. We trust our judgment to do the right thing for our customers, employees, stakeholders, and partners. We communicate clearly and act to make things happen. We act as one team.”
In Australia, AXA XL has a remit for profit, smart growth, and expense management. But it’s not at any cost. In line with the company’s mission and values, employees collaborate, grow together and challenge one another to get great results. Their customers and brokers are at the heart of their decisions and always have a seat at the table to shape the business as they progress and grow. AXA XL’s people face many challenges, but they are also resilient and have some fun along the way.
“Now, we have much more frequent recognition awards because we want to celebrate people staying at CAAT and recognize the contributions that they bring to the organization”
Julie Giraldi,
CAAT Pension Plan
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich
School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at
The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation of the company’s internal customer service department.
Associate Vice President, Leasing and
Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Sonia Ahuja
Chief Operating Officer
Sanjay Mehta
EVP and Chief Market Officer
John Laurie
Chief Partnership Officer
Anthony Dippolito
Chief Wellness Officer
Alex Ventura has a wealth of experience and passion for martech across the financial services sector – including B2B and B2C – with a focus on delivering exemplary omnichannel experiences. Alex is responsible for driving brands in the digital age with strategies that evoke a brand’s personality and corresponding values. Mapping customer journeys encompassing systematic and programmatic technologies has been key to his successful strategies.
Head of Marketing
Alex Ventura
With a superior understanding of web design and architecture, Dave Longbottom has been pivotal in orchestrating the development of new technologies, which are aligned with business objectives, and pioneering industry-leading solutions. Dave’s tenacity to push the status quo has led to the development of innovative solutions encompassing the latest emerging technological trends and cyber security frameworks.
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Longbottom
Karen Bannister has over 20 years of marketing expertise and has a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association. She is a strategic marketing leader with a career record of success in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, growing revenue, and overseeing multi-talented teams. She also holds five certifications for marketing and brand management.
Karen has successfully completed the
Mini-MBA, Essentials of Management program at Schulich School of Business, and most recently completed the Communications and Leadership Program at The Ivey Academy.
Vice President, Marketing
Karen Bannister, CM
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years
of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation
of the company’s internal customer
service department.
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
“At AXA XL, we are committed to building a workplace that works for everyone; one in which all employees are treated with dignity and respect and where individual differences are encouraged and valued,” says Carlyon.
“An inclusive culture is not only the right thing to do but is also a cornerstone for a diverse workplace. Having a diverse workforce helps our company effectively understand and meet distinct market and client needs globally and locally here in Australia. Importantly, it also drives innovation and, ultimately, improves our organization for our teams, our company and our clients.”
AXA XL has moved to a hybrid work environment where the overall expectation for the workforce is two to three days in the office. The company believes this strikes the right balance between flexibility and the ability to be task-oriented when not in the office, and to be physically present for learning opportunities and collaboration with colleagues.
AXA XL has a variety of initiatives such as inclusion and diversity, climate change and sustainability, and charity work, including a dedicated Global Day of Giving.
The leadership team profiles on this page show only a representative cross-section of four people from the leadership team and are definitely not the only team members.
Both globally and locally, AXA XL combines a strong and efficient capital platform, data-driven insights, leading technology, and the best talent in an agile and inclusive workspace. AXA XL’s team is empowered to deliver top client service across all lines of business − property, casualty, professional, financial lines and specialty.
“Our mission at AXA XL is to be a trusted expert and partner in risk, protecting what matters to our client, our colleagues and community,” says Catherine Carlyon, country manager, Australia. “Our values reflect who we are and how we think and act to shape the company culture. Our values are Customer First, Integrity, Courage and One AXA. Our thinking starts with our clients and brokers which shapes our decisions. We trust our judgment to do the right thing for our customers, employees, stakeholders, and partners. We communicate clearly and act to make things happen. We act as one team.”
In Australia, AXA XL has a remit for profit, smart growth, and expense management. But it’s not at any cost. In line with the company’s mission and values, employees collaborate, grow together and challenge one another to get great results. Their customers and brokers are at the heart of their decisions and always have a seat at the table to shape the business as they progress and grow. AXA XL’s people face many challenges, but they are also resilient and have some fun along the way.