Georges Desvaux

Georges Desvaux is the Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer and Member of the Management Committee of the AXA Group. In this role, he shapes the strategic transformation of AXA globally from Payer to Partner to all AXA’s clients, building global leadership in Commercial Lines, Health and Protection.

Prior to joining AXA, Georges was a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company. During his 30-year career with McKinsey, Georges led the Private Equity practice in North Asia based in Hong Kong (1 year), was Managing Partner for Africa (3 years), Managing Partner for Japan (5 years), led State Owned Entreprises transformation in China (7 years) and was part of the France senior leadership team as well. Georges was a member of McKinsey’s Shareholders Council, the Firm's global governing body, from 2015 to 2018, chairing the Firm’s Governance Committee.

Georges contributes frequently on economic perspectives and consumer trends. He authored the book “Africa’s Business Revolution” (November 2018, Harvard Business Review),  articles such “Leadership lessons from Africa’s trailblazers,” McKinsey & Company, January 2019, and reports such as “Lions on the Move 2” (September 2016, McKinsey Global Institute), “The Future of Japan: Reigniting Growth and Productivity” (March 2015, McKinsey Global Institute).

Georges devotes much of his energy to developing women global talent. He initiated and co-led McKinsey’s “Women Matter” research on the role of women in corporations since 2007, including “Women Matter 10-year anniversary issue” (2017), “Women Matter Africa” (2016), “Women Matter - an Asian perspective” (2012).

Georges graduated from École Centrale Paris and holds a M.S. in Mech. Engineering from MIT. He joined McKinsey in 1988, after four years in sales at an industrial manufacturer.