AXA Türkiye Calls on the Industry: ''If We Do Not Prepare Today, Tomorrow May Be Too Late''

AXA Türkiye shared its vision for the future of the sector at the Insurance Intermediaries Summit. At the summit, where the key transformation themes of the industry were discussed, from artificial intelligence to sustainability, from preventive insurance to customer experience, AXA Türkiye executives conveyed the message that, on the road to 2030, the new focus of insurance will be empathy, prevention, and resilience.

AXA Türkiye shared the strategic issues that will shape the future of insurance with industry representatives at the Insurance Intermediaries Summit, which it supported. During the two-day sessions, critical topics directly affecting the sector were discussed, including the transformation of agency distribution, life insurance and private pension, artificial intelligence, big data, sustainability, corporate risk management, and preventive insurance.

Speaking at the opening of the summit and in various sessions, Yavuz Ölken, CEO of AXA Türkiye, underlined that the sector must rapidly prepare for the world of 2030. Ölken emphasized that insurance will undergo a major transformation in the coming years, moving beyond conventional patterns.

“As an Industry, We Need to Return to Our Factory Settings”

Emphasizing that global developments are redefining the way the insurance industry operates, Yavuz Ölken stated that simply compensating for losses after they occur will no longer be sufficient. He said: “Risks are changing, customer expectations are evolving, and technology is redefining the way we do business. The greatest risk facing our industry in the coming years will be underestimating the pace of these changes. If we build the future of competition solely on pricing, we will be on the losing side. True competition must be based on a deeper understanding of customers and agents, and on assessing risks more accurately.”

Stating that insurance needs to move away from a seasonal discount-driven structure, Ölken continued: “We need an industry structure that reduces total costs, increases efficiency, and offers more accessible solutions to our customers. That is why, as an industry, we need to return to our factory settings. Our factory settings begin with understanding the customer and are shaped by accurately assessing risk, empowering agents, and maintaining sustainable pricing discipline. As AXA Türkiye, we combine our Empathy Assurance approach with a preventive insurance mindset and prepare for the future through our Adaptive Insurance 2030 vision. Because the insurance model that will create value in the future will not merely compensate for losses after they occur; it will protect life, anticipate risks, and enhance resilience.”

“Artificial Intelligence and Data Will Be the Defining Forces of the New Era”

In the summit sessions focusing on digitalization and data-driven customer management, the impact of artificial intelligence and big data on decision-making processes in insurance was discussed.

Sanem Çıngay Buçukoğlu, President of Sales, Corporate Communications, and Health at AXA Türkiye, said: “What will make a difference in the coming period will be the ability to transform collected data into more meaningful customer experiences. Artificial intelligence offers us powerful tools; however, the core values that build customer trust are still transparency, consistency, and the ability to establish long-term relationships. It is critically important to combine the speed and efficiency enabled by technology with a human-centered approach that understands our customers’ needs, supported by our ‘Empathy Assurance’ approach.”

Aylin Akınlı Kaya, Director of Growth Strategies, Customer Experience, and Digital Platforms at AXA Türkiye, emphasized that insurance has historically always been a data-driven industry. She stated that today’s transformation represents a new decision-making model in which data further strengthens expertise, saying: “Data now plays a decisive role at almost every stage of the customer lifecycle. Its true power lies in its ability to support existing experience and expertise. While data shows us what has happened and what could happen, experience and expertise enable us to place that information in the right context and make meaningful decisions.”

“New Growth Areas Are Emerging for Agencies”

Selçuk Adıgüzel, President of AXA Hayat ve Emeklilik, stated that life insurance and the Private Pension System (BES) offer significant opportunities for agencies, adding that insurance is increasingly evolving into lifelong relationship management: “Life insurance and BES represent an important growth area for agencies, increasing customer loyalty and generating sustainable income. In the future, agencies will become not only product sellers, but also advisors who accompany their customers throughout their life journey.”

“Resilience and Sustainability Are the New Areas of Competition”

Barış Altın, President of Technical at AXA Türkiye, stated that corporate risks are becoming increasingly complex and emphasized that risk management will be a key component of companies’ competitive strength in the future. He said: “Although climate risks continue to occur suddenly, they are no longer unexpected. We are experiencing processes and losses unlike anything reflected in historical statistics. These developments include issues where preventive measures can be taken by both policyholders and insurers. That is why we are making preventive insurance one of the most important components of our processes.”

“The Future of Insurance Is Being Shaped Around Sustainability”

Seda Bora Arkan, Director of International Business Development and Green Investments at AXA Türkiye, emphasized that sustainability is no longer simply an agenda item but has become central to the company’s business model. She summarized the current transformation as follows: “The insurance industry of the future will not be limited to providing financial protection. Risk management, resilience, and sustainability will become central pillars of the sector. In the future, success will be measured not only by performance after a loss occurs, but also by the value created before the risk materializes.”

The vision presented at the Insurance Intermediaries Summit indicates that the sector will evolve into a more data-driven, more preventive, more sustainable structure that is more responsive to customer needs. AXA Türkiye once again emphasized that it will continue to stand at the center of this major transformation with its Empathy Assurance approach.

Click here to watch the summit video:  https://youtube.com/shorts/WL1wOU2W6jc