AXA XL has named Sylvain Eyraud as its next country manager for Italy, succeeding Saverio Longo, with his tenure to begin on 1 January 2026.  

The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.  

Eyraud has spent more than 15 years in insurance, holding a range of roles at AXA.  

Recently, he was the APAC & Europe Strategy head and chief of staff to APAC & Europe CEO Xavier Veyry.  

In this capacity, Eyraud led various projects focused on business growth and innovation within the unit. 

Earlier in his career, Eyraud worked in several leadership positions at AXA Corporate Solutions.  

AXA XL Southern Europe regional manager Julien Guénot said: “Sylvain’s extensive experience within our business, combined with his proven track record of developing and implementing strategic plans across AXA XL, positions him ideally to drive our business in Italy.  

“As we focus on shaping the strategic direction of our Italian branch, Sylvain will play a key role in fostering collaboration across AXA XL and the wider AXA ecosystem to bring to market tailored solutions that address the evolving needs of our clients and support long-term profitable growth in Italy.” 

In August this year, AXA acquired a 51% stake in Italy-based Prima, a managing general agent with €1.2bn ($1.39bn) in premiums in 2024, for €500m.  

The deal is expected to nearly double AXA’s size in the motor business segment and increase its presence in Italy.  

In September 2025, AXA XL appointed Donnacha Smyth as its global chief underwriting officer for casualty.  

With more than three decades of experience in the insurance industry, Smyth has since 2007 been part of AXA XL, a unit of French insurance major AXA.