AXA’s Real Estate business is currently managed as part of the wider London Branch operation but as the real estate book has shown double digit growth year on year, it has become increasingly apparent that in order to continue on the same trajectory, the creation of a unit dedicated to the sector is required.
The new Real Estate Speciality unit will be led by Ryan Birbeck (currently Branch Manager for AXA’s Scottish business) and he will remain in this role pending the recruitment of the incoming Branch Manager for Scotland. Following handover, Birbeck will assume the newly-created role of London Real Estate Speciality Manager during Q2.
The Real Estate unit will be operationally independent from the London Commercial Branch with dedicated specialist sales and underwriting resource but will work alongside the commercial branch to ensure that all brokers are provided with a consistent and seamless proposition.
Birbeck is a product of AXA’s graduate programme and has held various roles across the commercial business since 2011 including Sales Manager, London Branch and Branch Manager, Scotland.
The London Commercial Branch will continue to be led by Martyn Grime focusing on the further development of AXA’s SME, mid-market and mid-corporate business.
Our Real Estate business has gone from strength to strength within the London Branch and under Martyn Grime’s leadership but such is the strength of that growth, it now requires independence with its own resource.
Ryan has done an excellent job in developing our proposition in Scotland and I look forward to him bringing the same skill and dedication to the Real Estate unit we are creating in London.
We are in the latter stages of recruiting Ryan’s successor and I want to reassure Scottish brokers that we are recruiting at the highest level to ensure that the recent transformation of AXA in Scotland continues and develops along the same trajectory.