THE UK arm of international insurance giant AXA, which includes a major presence in Ipswich, is to have a new group chief executive. Nicolas Moreau, currently chief executive of AXA Investment Managers, is to take on the top job - which covers the group's insurance operations across the UK and Ireland, when current boss Dennis Holt retires at the end of June.

THE UK arm of international insurance giant AXA, which includes a major presence in Ipswich, is to have a new group chief executive.

Nicolas Moreau, currently chief executive of AXA Investment Managers, is to take on the top job - which covers the group's insurance operations across the UK and Ireland, when current boss Dennis Holt retires at the end of June.

MrMoreau will continue on the AXA Group executive committee and will also become non-executive chairman of the board of AXA Investment Managers from June 30, in place of Donald Brydon, who will stay on the board of AXA Investment Managers as a director.

In a further move, Dominique Carrel-Billiard, currently senior vice-president in charge of business support and development for the asset management, US insurance activities and reinsurance activities of the AXA Group, becomes chief executive of AXA Investment Managers, also from June 30.

Anthony Hamilton, chairman of AXA UK, said: “Under Dennis Holt's leadership, the UK and Ireland businesses have been restructured successfully. He has significantly contributed to positioning AXA on a clear path for profitable growth.”

Henri de Castries, chairman of the management board of AXA, added “We are grateful to Dennis Holt for his achievements at AXA UK over the past five years which strengthened AXA UK 's operations and clearly positioned it as a key component of our global strategy in Europe.

“Nicolas Moreau's mission will be to build upon these achievements and roll-out a profitable growth strategy in line with our 2012 ambition to become the preferred company in our industry. Dominique Carrel-Billiard will have to extend the growth dynamic that AXA Investment Managers has shown since its creation thanks to its successful multi-expert business model.”

Mr Moreau, 40, joined AXA in 1991 as vice-president of the finance department and was appointed senior vice-president of the AXA Group finance department in 1994.

He became chief operating officer of AXA Investment Managers in March 2000 and senior executive vice-president of AXA Rosenberg in January 2001. He also coordinated the private equity business as well as the relationship between AXA Investment Managers and the insurance companies of the AXA Group. He was appointed to his current role as chief executive of AXA Investment Managers in April 2002.