POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Country Manager – UK & Ireland
Level: Executive
Location: Redhill
POSITION SUMMARY
The Country Manager is accountable for leading and overseeing the UK & Ireland business (c.700 staff in UK & c.100 staff in Ireland), the employee engagement and satisfaction / loyalty of our key partners. You will be responsible for ensuring profitable growth and customer service targets are met. You will lead all functions to deliver the strategic plan, including financial targets.
The Country Manager holds key regulatory responsibilities and accountability. You are part of the FCA Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) and hold the responsibility, alone or jointly with others, under the immediate authority of the governing body of the firm for the conduct of the whole of the applicable business. You will lead the UK & Ireland Executive Committee and be a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team. You will be the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Senior Management Function Holder and have an IDD relevant role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Country Leadership and P&L Accountability: You will lead the Country Senior Leadership Team to define and implement the strategic plan while engaging cross-functional teams to align with local client needs. Collaborating with the Head of Region, you will develop and manage the country budget, ensuring profitable growth through active P&L ownership. You will drive business transformation to enhance customer and employee experiences, oversee governance and compliance, represent AXA Partners with regulatory bodies, and manage relationships with other AXA entities to foster growth and service satisfaction.
2. Business Development: You will define and execute the country’s business development strategy aimed at sustainable growth, focusing on market requirements and ensuring that products meet local client needs. By identifying opportunities with large corporate clients and managing the sales pipeline, you will lead sales teams to meet commercial targets while optimizing profitability. You will maintain effective relationships with existing partners and enhance brand visibility in the market.
3. AXA Relationship: You will build and maintain relationships with AXA entities, ensuring effective collaboration and service satisfaction. You will seek innovative solutions to help differentiate AXA from competitors and manage critical relationships with regulators and partners to support business objectives.
4. Customer Service and Delivering Fair Customer Outcomes: You will leverage experience and data to implement customer-focused initiatives, leading operations to improve customer metrics and journeys. Collaborating with global teams, you will enhance customer experience while ensuring fair outcomes and compliance with policy terms.
5. Control and Protect Against Risks: You will ensure compliance with local regulations, anticipate operational risks, and enhance internal controls and processes. You will also manage budget controls and protect against reputational risks.
6. People, Culture, and Internal Communication: You will foster a customer and employee-centric culture, driving high standards of leadership and engagement. By supporting diversity, employee well-being, and talent development, you will manage workloads flexibly and handle employee relations issues effectively. You will encourage a culture of innovation and constructive feedback.
7. Regulatory Responsibilities: As part of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR), you will promote accountability and a culture of personal responsibility across the firm while ensuring compliance with conduct rules. You will prioritize good customer outcomes in line with the Consumer Duty and maintain your competence through relevant training.
8. Consumer Duty: All activities and conduct by the role holder must be in line with Consumer Duty. They must ensure that good customer outcomes are prioritized and that any foreseeable harm to consumers is avoided.
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
1. Education and Professional Background: You have extensive general management experience and a collaborative leadership style. You have successfully managed P&L in large financial services organizations, demonstrating strong business acumen and a deep understanding of financial dynamics. Your ability to develop customer-focused strategies is supported by market insights and data, along with a thorough understanding of market dynamics and business models in the insurance sector.
2. Technical Skills and Abilities: You possess robust business development skills in marketing and sales, alongside a solid foundation in finance and corporate governance for effective P&L management. You navigate global organizations with a collaborative mindset, fostering inclusivity. As a leader, you build high-performing teams grounded in empathy and trust while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Your strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, characterized by resilience, enables you to achieve results and motivate others, all while maintaining a commitment to integrity in leadership.
3. People Management: As a leader of high-performing teams, you focus on motivating and developing team members through effective performance management practices. You promote a positive, inclusive culture that emphasizes diversity and empowerment. You coach team members, identify training needs, and support career development for high-potential individuals. You monitor workloads flexibly, manage employee relations issues in collaboration with HR, and drive change by encouraging innovation. Additionally, you foster a culture of continuous improvement while managing cost-effective operations.
AXA Partners is committed, with equal skills, to diversity & inclusion. Join a company that helps protect the forests! At AXA Partners, we plant a tree for every new recruit (with a permanent contract). Learn more about the Reforest Program here.
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