Ms. Fischer, agility was once the hot topic in management. It seems quieter now. Have priorities shifted?

It’s true that the term «agility» isn’t thrown around as often. But I don’t think it’s a shift in priorities. Rather, the conversation has matured, and we’re now having deeper, more meaningful discussions about what agility really means. That’s something we welcome.

Why is that a positive change?

Because it signals that not every company using a few agile methods automatically claims to be agile. There’s now a clearer understanding of what agility entails. It’s no longer just a catchphrase; we’re talking concretely about real actions and outcomes.

In your view, what defines agility at its core?

For us, agility is about adaptability and the ability to respond quickly to fast-changing circumstances. Today’s economic landscape is highly unpredictable, and businesses need to adjust rapidly to new challenges. That’s the essence of what we mean by agility.

«We’ve moved away from large, long-term projects to shorter timeframes where we can see results faster.»

So agility remains a strategic priority for Axa?

Absolutely. We still talk about agility, but not to boast about how agile we are. It’s more about continually evolving our organization and ways of working. We’ve moved on to using more specific terms for where we are in that evolution.

Such as?

About eight years ago, when we embarked on our agility journey, we spoke of «agile transformation». We don’t use that phrase anymore because we’re constantly in the process of transforming. Today, we talk about «agile empowerment»—our aim is to build a strong, empowered organization. Empowerment is now the focus, but agility remains firmly embedded in how we operate. Many of our processes and structures follow agile principles, though not in a textbook way.

Axa is a large organization in Switzerland. Is it more difficult for big companies to be agile compared to smaller ones?

Smaller companies do have the edge when it comes to implementing agile structures. In a large organization, the transition takes more time, and you need a lot more patience. But when a big company manages to get everyone on board, it has the power to drive and sustain these changes on a much larger scale.

How does Axa ensure everyone stays aligned?

Through empowerment. We create structures that allow for decentralized responsibility. But this also requires employees who want to take that responsibility. You can’t ask people to be empowered if you’re not modeling that behavior at the leadership level. When we enable our people to contribute their skills and expertise fully, we set the foundation for Axa’s long-term success. We also try to minimize slow, hierarchical decision-making processes.

There’s a perception that insurers, with their long-term balance sheets, move slower than banks. Having worked in both sectors, what’s your take?

It might seem that way from the outside, but my experience is different. Long-term thinking doesn’t conflict with adaptability or dynamic action. After the financial crisis, banks in Europe and the U.S. were under much more pressure from regulators and consumers to change, so we saw a lot of rapid transformation in that sector.

«This setup allows us to develop products more quickly because all the gears mesh smoothly, and we’ve cut out long decision chains.»

But I believe readiness to change is more about a company’s mentality than the industry it’s in. At Axa, we have a strong culture of embracing change.

At Axa, your title is Head of Human Responsibility. What does that mean?

In other companies, this role might typically be called Human Resources. While I handle the traditional HR functions, my role also emphasizes ensuring that we, as employees and as a company, take responsibility—for our customers and for society. We’re conscious of our role in the broader community and strive to make a positive impact. That’s why my title reflects a broader responsibility.

To bring this back to agility—some people are more agile than others. How important is the human element?

It’s critical. True agility requires people who are open to change and willing to actively contribute to the company’s goals. Our job is to create an environment where employees feel encouraged to participate and where learning is valued.

You’ve been with Axa for five years. Where do you see specific successes tied to your approach to agility?

One key achievement is that we’ve extended agility beyond just the IT department. We’ve integrated agile working models across the entire value chain. For example, we have cross-functional product teams that go beyond traditional product development. Even our HR department operates with agile structures. We’ve also embraced the concept of shared leadership.

What does shared leadership look like?

It means we no longer have traditional team leaders or department heads. Instead, our agile teams are led by Product Owners, People Developers, and Agile Masters. Product Owners guide the team on content, People Developers focus on individual growth, and Agile Masters develop the team’s overall performance.

«True agility requires openness to change and a willingness to contribute.»

Are there other hallmarks of Axa’s agile approach?

Yes, we work in iterative cycles. We’ve moved away from large, long-term projects to shorter timeframes where we can see results faster, and quickly determine whether something is working. This goes hand-in-hand with transparency—employees have access to planning and outcomes across teams, not just within their own.

How does this approach become visible to customers and business partners?

We’ve built interdisciplinary product teams that include members from different departments, like underwriters and IT, who collaborate from the start. Sales and Customer Operations are also part of the process from day one. This setup allows us to develop products more quickly because all the gears mesh smoothly, and we’ve cut out long decision chains. This agility is reflected in all our products, whether in property and casualty insurance or life insurance. The fact that we maintain market leadership in many product areas speaks to the success of this approach.

The race to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) is on, with every insurer trying to leverage these technologies. What’s Axa’s approach?

The pace of development in generative AI is impressive. Over the past year, we’ve focused on identifying how generative AI can improve our core processes. We’ve pinpointed several use cases that we’re now working on. We’ve taken a risk-based approach, meaning we’re not developing customer-facing AI applications yet. Our current focus is on AI tools that assist employees, primarily to enhance the efficiency and quality of customer service. But we’re not at the stage where we’re using generative AI directly with customers.

Do you expect that to change in the next five to ten years?

It depends largely on evolving customer needs, which we’re constantly analyzing. For now, we’re being cautious and monitoring the developments closely. I can’t predict exactly when we’ll introduce customer-facing AI, but we’ll adapt as those needs evolve.

Daniela Fischer has been Head of Human Responsibility at Axa Switzerland for four years. She started her career as a consultant with Boston Consulting Group and later spent five years in HR at HypoVereinsbank in Munich.

On October 31, Fischer will speak at the Business Agility Day in Zurich about «HR as a Catalyst for Business Transformation.» Readers of finews.ch can enjoy a 10 percent discount on tickets (Promo code: «join-finews@BAD24»).