Plenary meeting Nov 2021
06.01.2022
On 30 November 2021, the plenary of the second half of 2021 of our European Committee was held. This plenary was special in more than one way: it was the first time since the beginning of the health crisis that it took place both in person and remotely, in the hybrid mode that has become the norm throughout the world and in a health context that is still difficult. An exceptional system was put in place to allow all our European delegates to participate under good conditions.
Hedi ben Sedrine, Secretary of the AXA EWC, and Koen Hermans, AXA Group Head of Social Relations, welcomed the participants, whether they had been able to travel to France or were at a distance. Thomas Buberl, CEO of the AXA Group, then took the floor.
Speech by Thomas Buberl
For Thomas Buberl, the two main lessons of this health crisis are smartworking and the health and well-being of AXA employees around the world. He thanked the delegates and employees for their resilience, which has enabled the group to achieve the current results. The focus for the coming months is to focus on areas where we are strong, simplify the employee and customer experience and reinforce our leadership in the climate. After looking back at the major governance changes in the year, Thomas Buberl again thanked the delegates for the work they had done and shared his confidence in how the group can meet with the future.
Hedi ben Sedrine added that these subjects were discussed at length during the joint meetings, which also provided an opportunity to raise two crucial issues: wages and employee fatigue.
Following this speech, the question and answer session with the CEO began, a moment of exchange at the heart of European social dialogue, eagerly awaited by all the participants but also by Thomas Buberl himself.
To the delegates' questions on workload, Thomas Buberl replied that this subject was at the heart of his concerns, as was the role of local managers. He wanted this subject to be the subject of a specific item at the next plenary session and asked the representatives to make proposals on this topic. Hedi ben Sedrine proposed to deal with this subject at the next Bureau meeting and invited Thomas Buberl, who accepted, to one of these meetings to work on it. For the details of the Q&A session, download the summary of the plenary at the end of this article (connection needed).
Finally, Thomas Buberl thanked Patricia Nunez, deputy secretary, who was ending her term of office at the end of the year, for her commitment to the body for over 10 years.
Signature of phase II of the health and well-being charter
This charter, the first part of which was signed by the AXA EWC and Thomas Buberl, allows all AXA employees worldwide to benefit from free access to health services. Part II of this charter, signed in session by Hedi ben Sedrine and Thomas Buberl, adds important elements such as access to telemedicine and support in the event of serious illness.
Presentation of AXA Investment Managers' strategy, priorities and challenges
Marco Morelli, CEO of AXA IM and Frédéric Clément, Head of HR, present the strategy and challenges of AXA Investment Manager. This international entity of 2,400 employees manages over €800 billion in assets via 2 platforms. Its raison d'être is "act for human progress by investing for what matters". The objective is to increase profitability and turnover while controlling risks. In terms of products, a responsible investment range has been launched. At COP26, AXA IM announced that from 2022 onwards, the companies in which it invests will be classified into four categories according to their commitment to climate change. The objective, by 2025, is to have more than 50% of investments in companies that have a maximum temperature increase trajectory of 1.5°C but also to reduce the carbon footprint of AXA assets by 20%. Frédéric Clément then presented the HR strategy for attracting new talent and retaining those already working for AXA IM.
The EWC members asked many questions about AXA IM's responsible investment strategy and the criteria used to rank the companies in which AXA IM invests.
Update on the 11 January 2022 vote
Koen Hermans, Group Head of Social Relations, and Elodie Batout-Badaire, deputy Group Head of Social Relations, then detailed the voting process for the election of the secretary and the nine members of the AXA EWC secretariat for the 2022-2025 term. Voting will be conducted electronically, managed by a recognised market player and already used at AXA for professional elections in France. Caroline Canavese, Group Legal Counsel, explained the different stages of the voting process and reminded the meeting of the relevant articles of the 2009 agreement on the constitution of the AXA Group European Works Council and of the committee's internal regulations.
Secretariat meeting report :