Ex-Allianz leader among new appointments made by Axa Commercial

Axa Commercial has made two new appointments to its underwriting, pricing and portfolio management leadership team.

The moves will see Gurinder Aulakh will take up the role of pricing director, while Jean-Sébastien Lagacé has been promoted to reinsurance director.

Aulakh, who brings more than 20 years of pricing experience across commercial and personal lines, will join from Allianz, where she most recently led its mid-corporate pricing transformation. 

Prior to Allianz, she spent over two years in pricing and portfolio management at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.

Aulakh also served at Zurich in senior roles for around five years, having started at the business as an actuarial analyst in 2005.

“Gurinder’s breadth of experience will give us a stronger understanding of what’s happening in the pricing space across the market,” Axa Commercial chief underwriting officer David Ovenden said.

“She is a welcome addition to our team and will provide valuable insight at a time when pricing is in sharp focus.”

Aulakh will succeed Jo Scott, who retires on 31 July after around three years of service.

“She has successfully transformed our pricing capability and overseen the deployment of a new pricing approach,” Ovenden  added.

“I wish her all the best in her retirement.”

Other appointment

Qualified actuary Lagacé, meanwhile, has worked across a variety of Axa Group entities over the past 25 years – most recently as head of group property and casualty (P&C) retail and partnerships.

Axa stated he had been hired to “provide additional support and expertise to the team and help drive successful outcomes across its business portfolio”.

Lagacé said he was “pleased to be joining Axa Commercial as reinsurance director”.

“Having followed Axa UK’s business transformation and achievements while in other Axa Group entities, I look forward to working closely with the teams to help drive the strategy forward,” he added.