AXA IM supports significant business growth in the Americas region with key executive appointments

Florian Bezault, Head of AXA IM Americas and Regional CFO Americas; Beatriz Barros de Lis, Head of Americas Client Group, Core; and Jose Manuel Fernandez, Senior Sales Manager, Mexico, all recently assumed leadership roles for AXA IM in the Americas

June 16, 2021 – GREENWICH, CT – AXA IM today announced the appointment of three senior executive leaders to support the ongoing robust growth and performance of the Americas Institutional, Wholesale, and Sub-Advisory businesses.  

Florian Bezault was named Head of AXA IM Americas and Regional CFO Americas, after more than a decade of leadership roles within AXA Group. Strengthening the sales and distribution team in the region, Beatriz Barros de Lis was appointed Head of Client Group Americas, Core after 11 years at the helm of AXA IM Spain and Portugal. In addition, Jose Manuel Fernandez, Senior Sales Manager, joined AXA IM Mexico recently from Grupo Financiero Monex to support the firm’s continued commitment to clients in Mexico. Both Florian and Beatriz will be based in AXA IM Americas’ headquarters in Greenwich, CT, and Jose will be based in AXA IM’s Mexico City office.

AXA IM in the Americas is continuing to grow its third-party business across asset-classes and client segments throughout the region. These new executive appointments support this business momentum throughout the U.S, Latin America and Mexico, with an emphasis on continued future growth and in support of new clients being on-boarded throughout the region.  AXA IM’s investment teams and strategy remain unchanged as a result of these announcements. 

Marco Morelli, Executive Chairman of AXA IM, said: “These experienced, strategic appointments position AXA IM for continued success and growth across the Americas, which is an increasingly important region for our global asset management firm. During this pivotal time of reopening

and recovery, we are confident that we have the right leadership team in place to ensure strong business results and continued growth opportunities in the remainder of the year and beyond.” 

The following includes more information on each of their roles, responsibilities, and experience: 

Florian Bezault is the Head of AXA IM Americas & Regional CFO Americas. His primary responsibilities will focus on CFO leadership and strategy, and he will report to Godefroy de Colombe, Global Chief Operating Officer, AXA IM, and Jean-Christophe Menioux, General Secretary and CFO, AXA IM. Bezault assumes the responsibilities of his predecessor, Marcello Arona, who was recently appointed CEO AXA IM UK & AXA IM GS. Bezault has been with the AXA Group since 2008 and has held previous roles in Corporate Finance and Investor Relations at AXA’s Headquarters in Paris before joining AXA Mexico as Deputy Director of their Health Insurance Operations. In 2018, Florian moved to the U.S. and became CFO of Maestro Health when AXA acquired the company.  Florian holds a master’s degree in Business Law from Sciences Po Paris and a master’s in Management from HEC Paris.

Beatriz Barros de Lis is the Head of Client Group Americas, Core, AXA IM. As part of her new role, she will lead the North America and Latin America Sales and Distribution team, both onshore and offshore, across Institutional, Wholesale, and Sub-Advisory. She will lead an experienced Sales and Client Service team, many of whom have significant tenure both at AXA IM and in the industry overall. Barros de Lis was previously Country Head for Spain and Portugal, AXA IM, since 2010. Prior to that, she was managing director for the Spanish and Portuguese markets at Alliance Bernstein (AB). She is also currently a director at AXA Funds Management SA in Luxembourg. A graduate in Economics, she has worked in the asset management industry since 1994.

Jose Manuel Fernandez is the Senior Sales Manager, AXA IM Mexico, based in Mexico City. In this role, he will report to Salvador Moreno, Head of Sales, AXA IM Mexico. Fernandez brings over 20 years of industry sales experience, joining AXA IM from Grupo Financiero Monex where he was a Director of Sales in their asset management division focused on defined contribution and defined benefit plans. Prior to that, he was an Institutional Sales Director at BNP Paribas Investment Partners in Mexico for nearly four years, and an Institutional Sales Director at ING Investment Management in Mexico for more than 14 years. Jose earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University Anahuac del Sur.