OREANDA-NEWS. AXA today announces the appointment of Laurence Boone as Chief Economist of the AXA Group and Head of Research at AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) replacing Eric Chaney who will retire in September. She will also sponsor AXA IM’s client relationships with sovereign wealth funds, central banks and state pension funds.
Commenting on Eric Chaney’s contribution, Henri de Castries. Chairman and CEO of AXA, said “Eric is a fantastically sharp observer; analyst, and researcher of the world economy. He has been instrumental in helping the Group and AXA IM clients navigate through the financial crisis and the volatile macro environment we have experienced over the last few years. Beyond that, his curiosity and the breadth of his fields of interest combined with the extreme rigor of his thought process have helped to shape the vision of the Management Committee on the long term positioning of AXA. It has been an invaluable opportunity for AXA and a great pleasure for me personally to benefit from Eric’s insights and I wish him the very best in his retirement, which, I am sure, will remain very active!”
Laurence Boone will join in March from the Elysee where she was special advisor to the French President on multilateral and European economic and financial affairs. Prior to this she was Chief Economist Europe at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research and Chief Economist France at Barclays Capital. She will be based in AXA IM’s Paris office where she will lead a global team of 10 economists and investment strategists responsible for providing clients, be they internal or external, with in-depth, timely, and investable research to help them make the most informed investment decisions. She will also leverage her considerable experience to help AXA IM better understand and meet the needs of sovereign wealth funds, central banks and state pension funds, a role she will be more focused on during the transition phase. As Chief Economist for AXA Group, she will provide a vision on the most likely scenarios for the global economy in the medium to long term, as well as an assessment of the main macroeconomic risks. Laurence will be a member of AXA IM’s Executive Committee.
Henri de Castries said: “/ am absolutely delighted that Laurence has decided to join AXA. She is a leading economist, with a very strong track record at international organizations, leading financial institutions and more recently in her role of advisor to the French Presidency Office on world affairs. I am confident that she will continue the excellent work done by Eric and his team in providing invaluable insight to our Management Committee as well as our investment managers and their clients. I also know that Andrea Rossi and his Executive Committee will very much look forward to her contribution to AXA IM’s vision and business”.