AXA UK Commercial has selected 20 delegates to participate in its new broker development programme, which launches in March with a three-day residential seminar in Paris.
The Horizon programme is designed to support AXA’s broker partners by building senior leadership capability among their employees, with a particular focus on succession planning. According to the insurer, the programme uses live scenario simulations to test decision-making, leadership behaviours and performance under pressure.
Lauren Nixon (pictured), broker proposition manager at AXA UK Commercial, said the initiative is intended to deliver practical skills that delegates can apply immediately.
“The close relationships we build with our brokers are crucial to our business, so helping them develop the next generation of senior leaders and keep their top talent on board is mutually beneficial,” Nixon said.
The residential seminar will cover areas including self-awareness, effective communication under pressure and leading teams through organisational complexity. Four further deep-dive masterclasses will be held across the year, focusing on topics such as attracting and retaining talent, strategic planning, data analysis and regulatory discipline. Delegates will also receive individual career coaching throughout the programme.
Nixon said the programme is structured to create a peer network among participants, encouraging collaboration and shared learning across the broker community.
“It approaches leadership as behaviour, equipping people to show up deliberately in moments that matter,” she said. “The Paris residential is hands-on - three days of live casework and rigorous peer challenge under real pressure. Delegates will test decisions in a safe environment, receive candid feedback and leave with practical tools and the confidence to influence across large, matrixed organisations.”
AXA UK’s regional branch managers and strategic partners nominated 45 candidates for the programme, from which 20 were selected to form the first cohort. The programme is being delivered in partnership with financial services training specialist The Davies Group.
Abi Chamberlain, director of leadership, change and organisations at The Davies Group, said the initiative reflects a growing focus on broker leadership capability.
“We’re delighted to be working with AXA on Horizon – a partnership that represents serious investment in broker leadership when it matters most,” she said. “We want brokers to leave with the confidence to make complex decisions, the capability to lead through change and the tools to build stronger teams.”
AXA’s Horizon initiative follows a broader industry trend, with several major insurers and networks increasing investment in broker leadership, talent retention and succession planning. Insurers including Aviva, Allianz, Zurich and QBE have all introduced structured broker development or leadership programmes in recent years, often combining technical training with management and strategic capability building.
Many of these programmes are aimed at addressing long-standing challenges in the UK broking sector, including an ageing leadership cohort, competition for experienced talent and the increasing complexity of regulatory, technological and distribution environments. Residential leadership courses, peer-group learning and one-to-one coaching have become more common features, particularly for brokers operating in the SME and commercial lines space.
Insurers have increasingly positioned such initiatives as long-term partnership investments rather than short-term distribution incentives, reflecting the strategic importance of broker capability and continuity to commercial insurers’ growth plans.
