Global art insurance specialist, AXA ART, today announces changes to its senior leadership team and Board of Directors. After serving for more than 10 years as Chief Operating Officer and most recently Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Bodo Sartorius will leave AXA ART at the end of this year to pursue other interests. Dr. Sartorius joined AXA ART in August 2002. During his tenure he was at the forefront of driving profitability and growth of AXA Art’s operations globally.

In recognizing Dr. Sartorius’s contributions, AXA ART’s global CEO, Dr. Ulrich Guntram remarked, “Since joining AXA ART, Bodo has played a critical role in helping to develop AXA ART into the globally recognized art insurance specialist it is today. I join my fellow Board members, managers and employees in thanking Bodo for his exceptional dedication and leadership and wish him the very best in his new endeavours. He will be greatly missed”.

In response to Dr. Sartorius’s impending departure, AXA ART initiated an executive succession plan beginning with the appointment of Jean Gazançon to the position of Chief Operating Officer and member of the Management Board of AXA ART Versicherung AG, in April of this year. Prior to his appointment to AXA ART, Mr. Gazançon held executive level management positions across AXA Group, serving in Directorship roles in London, Japan, and Hong Kong.
 
AXA ART also announces today, that long-time AXA Group senior manager Christian Muller has been appointed Chief Technical Officer and member of the Board of AXA ART Versicherung AG, effective January 1, 2014. Mr. Muller has held successive senior management functions and directorships across AXA France.  He joined AXA ART in 2004 as Managing Director of AXA ART France, Benelux, and Middle East operations. Christian Muller specializes in new market development, company restruc-turing, product and technical development. He holds successive Master’s degrees in law, finance and accounting.

Further AXA ART announces that Sylvie Gleises has been appointed Managing Director of the AXA ART France, Benelux and the Middle East, effective January 2014. In addition to her extensive experience at one of the most important strategy consulting firms in London and Paris, Ms. Gleises has held various senior positions within the Group investor relations and business support and development teams since joining AXA in 2006. She most recently served as Executive Assistant to AXA Group’s Chairman and CEO, Henri de Castries, and as Secretary of AXA’s Board of Directors. Sylvie Gleises completed a Major in Finance from the renowned Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris and holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics with focus on economics, international relations and political science of the European Union.

“I congratulate Christian Muller on his appointment to the Board of AXA ART Versicherung AG and welcome Sylvie Gleises as a member of our international management team. Collectively we remain enthusiastic about AXA ART’s positioning and global business momentum. I look forward to working alongside my fellow board members together with our management team to further AXA ART’s growth in existing and new markets as well as to continue leading the art insurance industry in customer service and product innovation”, commented Dr. Guntram.