Axa Switzerland, headquartered in Winterthur, employs around 4,500 people and 3,000 in sales. With around 2 million private and corporate customers, it is one of the largest insurers in Switzerland.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the insurance company, not only are several projects planned to support biodiversity, but also further celebrations, particularly with Axa employees, retirees and partners.

The icing on the cake of the anniversary year is the sponsorship of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, the European Women's Football Championship, which will take place in Switzerland from July 2 to 27. Over 700,000 people are expected to watch the 31 matches in the stadiums. «With our sponsorship, we want to help make the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 an unforgettable experience for the players and fans,» says Andreea Prange, Head of Customer Experience & Strategy at Axa Switzerland.

2024 Womens Cup Final (Image: zVg)

Challenges as a Driver of Further Development

However, Axa has also been confronted with numerous challenges in recent years. Customer expectations are becoming ever greater. Technological advances have brought the issue of efficiency into sharper focus for Axa. the company is «We are working intensively on transforming our IT systems and internal processes,» Prange emphasizes. Strong investments in GenAI and use cases are intended to position Axa as an insurance company that is perceived as competent and progressive in the future. Artificial intelligence has been used at Axa for several years and is now an indispensable part of the company.

The Covid-19 pandemic marked another challenging period for the insurance company. However, according to Andreea Prange, «thanks to our strong, trusting culture, we were able to switch to a remote working method quickly and smoothly without any interruptions or loss of quality.»

Andreea Prange, Head of Customer Experience & Strategy at Axa Switzerland (Bild: zVg)

Formative Milestones

Looking back, Axa has set the right course in many areas. According to Andreea Prange, the takeover of the former Winterthur Insurance by the Axa Group in 2006 and the associated rebranding were particularly formative. According to Prange, the entry into the healthcare market in 2017 was also key. «Since then, Axa has become the fastest-growing provider of supplementary insurance with a premium volume of 112 million Swiss francs.»

The switch from full insurance to partial autonomy has also proven to be the right decision - a decision that has clearly paid off according to the company's figures.

CEO Fabrizio Petrillo (middle) in the Flora Futura Park (Image: Axa)

Continuing the Success Story

Despite the complex challenges ahead, Prange says Axa Switzerland remains optimistic about the future. «For the anniversary year, I hope to share many unforgettable moments with our employees and, of course, our approximately 2 million customers,» says Prange. And beyond that? Preferably another 150 years of success.