Efma names Allianz exec Pailhol as its new chairman

​Efma, the non-profit global association for senior decision-makers across the banking and insurance industries, has appointed a new chairman: Jean-Marc Pailhol. He is currently the head of Global Strategic Partnerships and board member of Allianz Partners.

Pailhol started his career at Banque Populaire where he spent 15 years, rising to Retail Banking Group Director. He then moved on to Group La Poste to create La Banque Postale and became Director of Banking activities. For the past decade, he has been with Allianz Group, holding a number of executive roles.

Pailhol succeeds Yolande Piazza (formerly of Citi Fintech and now VP Financial Services, Google Cloud, Board of Directors H&R Block). He will become the first executive from the insurance industry to take the position.

Pailhol said: “I look forward to starting my tenure as chairman at Efma. With its 120 financial group members in 133 c​​ountries, the organization is ideally placed at the center of innovation, customers, and financial services. Efma can and should play a major role in understanding the tremendous challenges the financial industry will have to face in the near future, and support and facilitate this major transformation.”

John Berry, CEO of Efma, added: “2020 has been a very disruptive year for everyone. Going forward, the role of Efma will continue to be assisting our members thanks to our extensive insights, knowledge sharing, and best practices from other like-minded financial players facing similar challenges across the globe. The appointment of Jean-Marc aligns perfectly with these objectives. His experience and vision will help Efma evolve and remain a valuable resource for all players in the industry.”