Overview
Ready to lead the future of Retail Insurance? Join AXA Retail as our Direct Trading Director. We are seeking an inspiring, commercially savvy leader to head the Retail Direct division and guide the AXA, Swiftcover and Moja businesses. This role aims to drive market-leading distribution, profitability, growth, and transformational customer experiences that set new industry standards. As the Direct Leader, you will spearhead trading performance, optimise pricing and customer experience, and proactively manage risk to ensure exceptional outcomes across all Retail Direct products. This high-impact, growth-focused role requires strategic vision, operational excellence, and strong collaboration with regulatory and governance teams.
Responsibilities
* Develop and execute the Retail Direct strategy, aligning with the AXA Retail and AXA Insurance business plans to achieve targeted growth and Transformational customer improvements.
* Oversee the trading and financial performance of the multi-year end-to-end P&L (top-line and bottom-line), including customer experience, portfolio/channel optimisation, and managing multi-year volume and value trade-offs through trading strategies.
* Collaborate to enhance customer experience and optimise Retail Direct marketing and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to maximise quotes, conversions, and build trust across AXA brands (AXA, Swift Cover, Moja).
* Responsible for market pricing in collaboration with the Director of Retail Pricing, setting risk selection appetite, underwriting acceptance criteria, and developing/deploying counter-fraud rules and functionalities for all products.
* Ensure delivery of excellent customer outcomes through compliant product design, clear wording, and adherence to regulatory standards.
* Proactively manage relationships with price comparison websites and distribution partners, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and regulatory requirements set by the FCA and other relevant bodies.
* Lead the business teams with passion, fostering a commercial and customer-focused culture, accountability, and continuous improvement—encouraging innovation and supporting the development and capabilities of team members.
* Take personal responsibility for strengthening governance, controls, and risk management practices, ensuring good customer outcomes. Develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate business and compliance risks, maintaining adherence to regulatory requirements.
Qualifications
* Educated to degree level or equivalent.
* ACII qualified or equivalent professional qualification.
* Significant experience in the UK insurance industry in a Senior Management Role reporting to Executive level.
* Track record of successfully leading teams to deliver outcomes.
* Experience of delivering and leading change.
* Established market relationships with suppliers—typically between Director and MD level.
* Strong commercial acumen with deep technical knowledge of the UK insurance market.
* Ability to communicate effectively and explain complex issues, influencing stakeholders at all levels.
* Ability to think strategically and understand the "big picture"—organizational awareness, knowledge of business structures, pinch points and dependencies.
* Note: This position has been defined as an Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) role under the IDD regime, with background screening every 4 years and an annual declaration in interim years.
Additional Information
AXA Retail promotes a balanced work approach. The role may involve working away from home a portion of the time, with details provided during the interview process. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and are an Equal Opportunities Employer. We operate in accordance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
Benefits
* Competitive annual salary dependent on experience
* Annual company & performance-based bonus
* Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
* Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
* Private Medical Cover
* Company Car Allowance
* 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
* Ability to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days
* Wellbeing services & resources
* AXA employee discounts
Screening & Conduct: As a regulated financial services company, all successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks, including PRA and FCA requirements. The exact process will be communicated during the interview.
AXA is an Equal Opportunities Employer and is Disability Confident Leader. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and provide accessibility support as needed. If you require assistance, contact the Talent Acquisition team.
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