Christian Strasser
President
The General Assembly of the ACA holds a privileged place in the life of the association; it is an opportunity to unite our community and reflect on the progress made in the preceding year. The presence of H.E. Gilles Roth, Minister of Finance, fully demonstrates the importance of this significant event.
Following its 68th General Assembly, under the Presidency of Christian Strasser, the ACA’s Board of Directors increases from 18 to 20 members. This moment was also marked by the announcement of the appointment of Valérie Tollet as Deputy CEO of the ACA.
The new Board of Directors, elected on this occasion, reaffirms its commitment to advancing the sector. It is composed as follows:
Christian Strasser
President
Nicolas Limbourg
Vice-President
Marc Lauer
Vice-President
Octavie Dexant
Vice-Présidente
Marc Hengen
Managing Director
Florent Albert
Administrateur
Lize-Mari Barnes
Administratrice
Alexandre Draznieks
Administrateur
Julie Dubuisson
Administratrice
Jean Elia
Administrateur
Pascal Herrmann
Administrateur
Paul Lecoublet
Administrateur
Loïc Le Foll
Administrateur
Frédéric Lipka
Administrateur
Diego Manzetti
Administrateur
Amandine Motte
Administratrice
Cornelia Roeskau
Administratrice
Christian Rola
Administrateur
Christine Theodorovics
Administratrice
Karine Verbruggen
Administratrice
Groupe LALUX – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Christian Strasser, CEO of Lalux, holds a Master’s degree in Economics, and started his professional career at BIL in 1994. He has worked in various departments of the bank including Financial Markets, Branch Network, Human Resources, Private Banking and Personal Banking. He joined BIL’s Management Committee in 2010 and in 2012 took over responsibility for the Branch Network, Direct Banking and Marketing. He joined the insurance company Lalux in July 2015 as a member of the Management Board. In January 2016, he was appointed Managing Director of Lalux Assurances and Lalux Assurances-Vie and took over the Chairmanship of the Boards of DKV Luxembourg and Lalux Re. This is his second term as Chairman of ACA.
VITIS LIFE S.A. – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Groupe Foyer – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Managing Director since 15 April 2014. His mandate was renewed in 2022 for a period of 3 years.
Born in 1965, of Luxembourg nationality, Marc Lauer holds a degree in Actuarial Sciences and a degree in Economics.
He began his career at the Commissariat aux Assurances in 1989 and became a member of the Management Committee in 1995.
In 2004, he joined the Foyer Group as Chief Operating Officer. In 2013, he became a director of Foyer S.A. and since the 2014 General Meeting, he has been its Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Lauer is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Foyer Santé S.A. He is a director of Foyer Vie S.A., Foyer Assurances S.A., Wealins S.A. and CapitalatWork Foyer Group S.A. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association des Compagnies d’Assurances (ACA) and President of the Institut National pour le Développement durable et la RSE (INDR).
Mr Lauer is a member of the board of Directors of the Commissariat aux Assurances (CAA), the Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises (UEL), Luxembourg For Finance (LFF) and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE). He is a member of the Fédération des Professionnels du Secteur Financier (PROFIL), the Haut Comité de la Place Financière de Luxembourg (HCPF), as well as a founding member of the Institut Luxembourgeois des Actuaires (ILAC) and an effective member of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
AXA Luxembourg & AXA Wealth Europe – Chief Executive Officer
Born in 1984 and of French nationality, Octavie Dexant is a graduate of Sciences-po Paris, Franco-German course. She started her career in insurance as an auditor at PWC for 3 years before joining the Strategy Department of the AXA Group in 2010. In 2014, she became Head of Strategy and then Secretary General of AXA’s global entity dedicated to loan insurance. In 2017, she joined the Commercial Department of AXA Partners, and in 2018, she won ING’s tender for a global digital partnership, and became Deputy CEO of this virtual JV. In 2022, she was appointed CEO of the AXA entities in Luxembourg, and became Vice President of ACA in June 2022.
Octavie Dexant is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Luxembourg Road Safety Association and of the Victor Hugo Association.
E-mail: marc.hengen@aca.lu
Phone : +352 44 21 44 1
Marc Hengen has been ACA’s Managing Director since 2013. A lawyer by training and an insurer by profession, Marc joined the ACA Management Committee in 2010. Marc is also a member of the Haut Comité de la Place Financière, a member of the Executive Committee of the UEL (Union des Entreprises Luxembourgeoises), the Secretary General of AGERE (Association des gestionnaires d’entreprises de réassurances) and a member of the Management Committee and Treasurer of Insurance Europe.
Lombard International Assurance – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Swiss Re Europe – General Manager Luxembourg and Global CFO P&C Reinsurance (Managing Director)
Lize-Mari Barnes joined Swiss Re in South Africa in 2006 and relocated to Luxembourg in 2012. Lize-Mari is the appointed Country President and General Manager of Luxembourg. She also holds the position as CFO for Reinsurance Property and Casualty globally. Previously she held various different CFO positions (of which the last CFO Reinsurance EMEA). Before joining Swiss Re in 2006, she worked for PwC in South Africa specialising in Financial Services. Lize-Mari has more than 20 years of experience in Financial services, majority in Reinsurance, both Property & Casualty and Life & Health.
Lize-Mari is a member of the Swiss Re Group’s Property and Casualty Executive committee, Chairperson of the management committees of Swiss Re Europe S.A. and Swiss Re International SE, Chairperson of the Swiss Re Capital Markets Europe S.A Board and also board member of Swiss Re Lux Funds.
Lize-Mari is a qualified South African Chartered Accountant.
Cardif Lux Vie – CEO
Alexandre Draznieks has been CEO of Cardif Lux Vie since 1 September 2022. A graduate of the École Polytechnique de Paris and the École Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Analyse Économique (ENSAE), he started his career in 1994 at INSEE (Institut national des statistiques et études économiques) as a study leader. In 2002, he joined the Treasury Department of the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance as deputy head of the “G7 and summit preparation” office, then as head of the “emerging markets” office. In 2005, he was appointed to the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, London) where he was in charge of the President’s office and then held the position of Director of Official Co-financing. He joined the BNP Paribas Group in 2009 at IRB (International Retail Banking), where he was in charge of strategy. In 2012, he became Head of Northern Europe & Emerging Markets for BNP Paribas Cardif. In 2020, he joined BNP Paribas Cardif France where he was named head of the AEP business unit, a French player in asset-based life insurance.
Convex Europe – Dirigeant Agréé and General Manager
Julie Dubuisson is the Dirigeant Agréé and General Manager of Convex Europe and serves on its board of directors.
Before joining Convex in 2021 to launch the European entity based out of Luxembourg, Julie has spent 18 years working in corporate and specialty Re/insurance including senior roles at Axa Corporate Solutions, AXA Africa Specialty Risks (Lloyd’s Syndicate 6130), Marsh and Swiss Re in North America, Europe, and Africa.
Julie earned a Master of Science in Insurance from Ecole Nationale d’Assurances (Paris) and a Master of Science in Finance from Fordham University – Gabelli School of Business (New York City). She is a dual citizen of Luxembourg and France.
SOGELIFE – CEO
Jean Elia has more than 25 years of experience in Insurance, out of which 15 as CEO of leading life insurance companies. He started his career with a UK insurer, before joining Société Générale Assurances in their subsidiary in Lebanon. He was appointed CEO of their subsidiary in Egypt in 2006 and in Morocco in 2009. In 2013 Jean became CEO of SOGELIFE, a leading life insurance company in Luxembourg providing wealth planning solutions across Europe.
Jean Elia has a Doctorate in Business Administration from Business Science Institute and Université Jean Moulin (Lyon III). His thesis “Leadership of Digital Transformation” is a useful guide for leaders in the financial sector to conduct Digital Transformation. He also holds an International MBA from Paris Dauphine University and has advised several insurance companies in the MENA region.
The Shipowners´ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Luxembourg) – General Manager
(The Shipowners´ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Luxembourg))
Pascal Herrmann is the General Manager for The Shipowners’ Mutual Protection & Indemnity Association (Luxembourg) since 2009 as well as being the “Dirigeant Agréé” for Spandilux S.A. the Luxembourg group reinsurance captive. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Shipowners’ Protection (Hellas) since 2019 and an alternate Director for Hydra (Bermuda). He has more than 20 years’ experience in the international insurance and reinsurance sector.
Previously, he worked as an external auditor, and then as an internal auditor for a Luxembourg insurer.
He is a Non-Executive Director of ACA (Association des Compagnies d’Assurances) since 2018 (alternate Director from 2014 to 2018) and served as chairman of the non-life insurance committee from 2018 to 2020.
He is a Non-Executive Director of AGERE (Association des Gestionnaires de Réassurances) since July 2011.
He is an ILA certified director since 2016.
He graduated in finance from the Business School of Strasbourg University (IECS/EM Strasbourg). He also spent a year at Stirling University in Scotland. He speaks fluent French and English.
GENERALI – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Paul Lecoublet est le Directeur Général de Generali Luxembourg, compagnie d’assurance vie dédiée à la clientèle patrimoniale à fort potentiel d’investissement (HNWI / UHNWI).
Paul commence sa carrière en 2006 au sein d’Aforge Finance en qualité de chargé d’affaires puis de Manager fusions & acquisitions.
En 2010, il rejoint Generali France en tant que responsable des opérations d’acquisition, fusion et de cession. En 2014, il est promu Secrétaire Général et Membre du Comité Exécutif de GFA Caraïbes, filiale de l’assureur aux Antilles et Guyane. D’avril 2018 à octobre 2019, il occupe la fonction de Directeur du modèle économique et de la stratégie de Distribution de Generali France. Paul est titulaire d’un Master of Science in Management de l’EM Lyon et d’une licence de Sciences Economiques de l’Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.
La Mondiale Europartner – Directeur Général
Loïc Le Foll is CEO of La Mondiale Europartner since October 2018. As an actuary, he holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the London Business School. He has spent his entire career within the insurance sector, with more than the half in Luxembourg where he has made an active contribution to developing wealth insurance.
With a strong background, he successively held the positions of Director of Wealth Products and Solutions at Lombard International Assurance and Deputy Managing Director of Swiss Life Luxembourg before joining La Mondiale Europartner.
Since the 1st of December 2022, Loïc Le Foll has joined the Executive Committee of AG2R LA MONDIALE in charge of the whole Wealth Insurance activity, which includes the two entities La Mondiale Partenaire and La Mondiale Europartner.
BPCE Life – Directeur Général
AIG Europe – Head of Legal, EMEA
Diego Manzetti est Dirigéant Agrèe d’AIG Europe et Head of Legal EMEA.
Avant de rejoindre AIG en 2011, Diego a travaillé comme avocat au sein du cabinet international Norton Rose Fulbright.
Diego est titulaire d’une licence en droit de l’Université de Rome 2, d’un Master in Laws (LL.M.) de l’Université de San Diego et d’un MBA de la Luxembourg School of Business.
Il est président de la Section luxembourgeois de l’AIDA (Association internationale du droit des Assurances).
Barents Reinsurance S.A – Chief Executive Officer
SI Insurance Europe – Chief Executive Officer
Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe – CFO and Executive Member of the Board
Christian is the General Manager and Executive Member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Mutual Group’s commercial and specialty insurance risk carrier – Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE and its coverholders, Liberty Specialty Markets Sarl. Since joining Liberty in 2020, Christian has held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Member of the Board, prior to his appointment as General Manager.
He brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry including CFO position at another global insurance/reinsurance entity in Luxembourg. He is a qualified accountant and started his professional career in the audit and consulting industry, with the big 4 in the Philippines, New York, USA and in Luxembourg.
Originally form the Philippines, he has lived in Luxembourg for over 18 years and is an avid triathlete.
Baloise – Chief Executive Officer
At the helm of Baloise in Luxembourg since June 2023, Christine Theodorovics has over 23 years’ experience in financial services. Since 2000, she has worked first for Credit Suisse, then for the Swiss Life Group between 2004 and 2010, for whom she held various positions in Asia, the Middle East and Europe (Director of Operational Excellence, Director of Business Development and Director of Quality Management). Christine Theodorovics continued her career with Zurich Insurance Group, from 2011 to 2019, where she held the positions of Member of the Board of Directors of Zurich Germany, Head of Banking Distribution, Head of Life for Zurich Switzerland, Managing Director Global Life Austria. She has a proven track record in management, business transformation, distribution and strategic development. Between 2019 and 2022, she was in charge of steering the AXA Group’s strategy for distribution, innovation and digital solutions, as Chief Strategy Officer, member of the European Executive Committee and member of the Board of Directors in 5 countries.
Also an independent, non-executive member of three boards of directors in financial institutions and a politically independent non-governmental organization, Christine Theodorovics holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Vienna (Austria), a Master of Arts in European Economic Studies from the Collège d’Europe de Bruges (Belgium) and a Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures en Banque from the Institut Financier Suisse. She also holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Gloucestershire (UK).
Swiss Life (Luxembourg) – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Graduating as a Business Engineer in 1994, Karine Verbruggen began her career at Accenture in Belgium. In 1998, she joined Quintet Bank in Luxembourg before transitioning to a career in the local and international medical sector as a Chief Financial Officer. In 2007, IKEA’s family holding company offered her the opportunity to leverage her experience in international projects and implement a network of change professionals in Europe and Asia. She was later recruited by Swiss Life in 2016, where she assumed increasing responsibilities from Business Engineering to Employee Benefits Operations. Following Swiss Life’s acquisition of the elipsLife group in 2021, she was appointed Chief Transformation Officer, overseeing the integration of both organizations before becoming CEO Luxembourg – Employee Benefits in October 2023.
The alternate administrators are (in alphabetical order):
Rose-Marie Arcanger
Georges Biver
Silvia Bracaloni
Ludovic Dulauroy
Vanesa Herrero
Stephan Hersperger-Cremer
Henri Hostert
Olivier Le Bescond
Franck Marchand
Xavier Nevez
Eve Roux
Olivier Schmidt-Berteau
Muriel Sosnowski
Richard Sutton
Alvaro Villamor Garcia
Eric Winter
On this occasion, ACA publishes its Annual Report 2023.
As a reflection of this teamwork and shared commitment, we are pleased to share with you the Annual Report 2023. This document revisits the significant events of the year, presents key figures of the sector, and offers insights into future prospects, underscoring how the commitment of each member enriches the essence of ACA.
