AXA Health has appointed Heather Smith as chief executive officer.
Smith, who is currently retail managing director at Allianz, will take on the role in mid-January 2024 and her appointment is conditional on regulatory approval.
Currently at Allianz she is in charge of offering personal lines insurance to 3.7 million consumers across all key distribution channels.
Smith previously worked with Aviva for ten years in roles ranging from marketing and sales to profit and loss responsibility for the Direct Insurance business line. Prior to this, she worked for Aviva Health for 13 years in various areas including affinity alliances, marketing (brand and product), and sales.
Smith replaces Matt Vardy, who has been acting as interim manager since Tracy Garrad’s retirement in March 2023.
AXA UK & Ireland CEO Tara Foley says: “We’re thrilled to welcome Heather as the new CEO for AXA Health and look forward to her joining us next year.
“Heather is a strong and authentic leader who has a wealth of experience developing high-performing teams and delivering the best outcomes for customers in both health and insurance businesses. I’m confident that she is an excellent fit for AXA and is the right person to lead Health through the important next stage of strategy delivery.
“I’d also like to offer my sincere thanks to Matt who continues to do a tremendous job as interim CEO. Matt is passionate about our Health business and will be a great support to Heather when she takes up the role.”
Smith says: “I’m really excited to have been given the opportunity to take up the role of CEO of AXA Health and continue the excellent work being delivered by such a forward-thinking business. I hope to be able to build on these successes and work with the team to continue to grow the business together.”
