AXA Business Services launches ‘AXA Call to Action’ Industry Connect Program

AXA Business Services has launched the “AXA Call To Action” program, an initiative to allow industry leaders to collaborate and brainstorm on key cutting edge and topical themes that the industry is experiencing. The program also envisages providing a platform for organizations to learn from each other and showcase innovative and globally competitive practices existing in emerging markets like India.

AXA Business Services organized its first ‘AXA Call To Action’ event this month focusing on the theme of innovation. More specifically, it sought to address the specific issue of institutionalizing innovation as a culture within organizations. The event saw a very engaging panel discussion led by industry veterans heading large innovation centers across leading GICs in Bangalore.

The panelists were Rathnaprabha Manickavachagam, Head, Innovation at Societe Generale, Global Solution Center; Joy-Rajarshi Banerjee, Head, Customer Experience and Innovation, ABB India Digital Leadership Team, ABB Ability Innovation Center, Bangalore; Dipankar Khasnabish, Senior Principal, Business Consulting, Infosys; Sri Krishnan V, Vice President (Engineering), Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Limited; Solomon Devaraj, Deputy CEO & Chief Operating Officer, AXA Business Services. Rajiv Jayaraman, Founder and CEO Knolskape, moderated the panel discussion.

The panelists shared their experiences with managing innovation centers and provided a structured approach to the process of innovation. Some of the interesting concepts that emerged from the panel discussion were: innovation may not stem out of continuous improvements, just like how the electric bulb was not an outcome of continuous improvement to the candle. Innovation is about impact, about being disruptive and creating value for all in the ecosystem. It needs to be seen as an investment with leadership buy in.

Marie-Louise Elhabre, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Business Services, delivered the keynote address on Innovation as a Culture. According to her, “Innovation should be a deep-rooted philosophy at every organization that constantly drives people to re-look at business scenarios, reassess solutions and redefine processes to stay ahead. This will help create a stronger bond with stakeholders and also provide a stimulating work environment allowing employees to look for newer, more efficient approaches to work.” Marie-Louise also presented on AXA’s intrapreneurship program Start- in, which was very well received by the audience. Talking on idea generation she added, “Innovation is a state of mind which manifests itself every day, in every way. We just need to be attentive to it.”

Speaking on the process of innovation, Solomon Devaraj, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, AXA Business Services, said, “Organizations must create an ecosystem that organically encourages people to ideate and provides support to turn the idea into reality while also instilling a culture to accept failures as learnings.” 

This event also saw the launch of the AXA Call To Action Whitepaper Series, inviting submission from the participants on the “Future of Innovation”.  Speaking on this in his welcome address, Nagarajan V, Head HR and Communication said, “We believe that it is important to have forums that would enable organizations to collaborate and evolve new perspectives on various strategic topics relevant to them. This would also ensure that appropriate visibility is provided to best practices prevalent in the industry. The whitepaper submission will also help us garner more detailed perspectives which we can share with the industry at large.”