Inside Axa: A tech-driven and agile work environment

Photo credit: Axa Singapore

Walk around Singapore’s central business district and you’d be hard pressed to miss the cylinder-shaped Axa Tower. At 52 stories, it’s the tallest cylindrical building in the world and once housed the office of Lee Hsien Loong before he took the Prime Minister’s Office.

But a pleasant view in a choice location is only part of what makes Axa Singapore’s office on the 24th floor a great place to work for developers, digital marketers, and ecommerce enthusiasts. With its adoption of a technology-driven and agile work environment, it also promotes a culture of excellence that’s relevant to employees’ professional and personal lives.

Engineering the next generation of insurance

It may seem odd for an insurance firm to hire engineers or developers, but Tomasz Kurczyk, the company’s digital transformation director, says the company definitely wants to be part of the tech world.

“It’s very straightforward. We are living in a time when traditional businesses need to become more like tech companies, especially in the financial sector,” says Kurczyk. “We are developing our own ecosystem and platforms to make sure that we are able to deliver personalized services and experiences in our customers’ journeys.”

Since it introduced its Insurance-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform in early 2018, Axa Singapore has sold over 150,000 policies electronically. The platform has already enabled up to 65 percent of the firm’s new retail business across digital and traditional channels.

Kurczyk adds that technology “is a key enabler and value creator” that drives their vision of transitioning from what insurance firms typically do – pay claims – to partnering with customers “to help provide services and manage their risks.”

Photo credit: Axa Singapore

One of the main tech-focused features of the firm’s Singapore office is the Digital Hive, a space dedicated to analytics, where developers extract insight based on what’s being said about the company on digital media. This allows the insurer to understand the possibilities and opportunities in the Singapore market and make data-driven decisions on what it can provide customers.

Driving an agile mindset in the workplace

Apart from shifting mindsets to embrace technological advancements in the insurance industry, Axa Singapore also supports an agile working environment. This gives employees the freedom and flexibility to work where they feel most comfortable. Michelle Loke, the company’s digital services and engagement lead, says that being empowered in this way is especially helpful when she needs space to generate ideas.

Loke shares that the company also holds regular conversations with stakeholders across different departments to “drive a stronger customer centricity and make data driven decisions based on customer feedback.”

Additionally, the firm organizes hackathons and digital enabler sessions that engage other departments through cross-sharing sessions, bringing them up to speed with the digital team’s journey. Employees are assigned short-term stints with the digital team – a move that Loke says “adds to each team’s capabilities.”

Photo credit: Axa Singapore

“People from other parts of the business often join us for short term assignments,” she explains. “They absorb different elements of how we work so that they can bring what they learn back to their teams.”

Driving an inclusive culture of excellence

What makes a company truly excellent are the values and culture that it upholds. And Axa Singapore’s culture is one that scrum master Archana Gadiraju, who assists the digital team’s performance and efficiency, says she can vouch for.

“It has a very inclusive culture. I feel heard whenever I’m talking to anybody – even with the executive committee and the CEO. They’re very reachable and it’s easy to talk to them and get feedback,” explains Gadiraju.

While the company pushes its employees to pursue excellence in their professional lives, Gadiraju says it looks after their personal lives as well.

“I have two kids, but I don’t have to feel sorry if I ever have a situation at home,” she says. “We also have the option to work from home, which gives me some flexibility to spend more time with my kids. It gives me the best of both worlds – I’m progressing well in my career and I’m able to spend some quality time with my family.”

Gadiraju feels that Axa Singapore’s ability to walk the talk in terms of their culture is the most encouraging thing about working there.

“They’re true to the culture that they speak about, and I think that’s great,” she says.

Axa Singapore is an insurance company that provides innovative insurance solutions for personal and business needs.

Click here to take a peak into the daily lives of Axa developers.