Henri de la Croix de Castries

About Henri de la Croix de Castries

Henri de la Croix de Castries is a prominent French business leader, widely recognized for his deep experience in insurance, corporate governance, and board leadership across major international listed companies. He graduated from HEC Paris and the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), and began his career at the French Ministry of Finance, working in the Inspection des finances and the Treasury Department. That public-sector foundation gave him a strong grounding in regulation, public policy, financial oversight, and economic management, which later proved highly valuable in private-sector leadership. He joined AXA in 1989 and steadily advanced through senior roles, becoming chairman of the management board in 2000 and then Chairman and CEO from April 2010 until September 2016. During his tenure, AXA emphasizes that he guided a strategy of focus and disciplined growth: divesting non-core businesses, reinforcing core insurance and asset-management activities, pursuing selective expansion in higher-growth markets, and accelerating digital transformation. AXA also highlights major acquisitions such as Winterthur, alongside stronger financial resilience and improved operating profitability over the period. Following his AXA years, de Castries became a highly regarded independent director in leading global corporations. He has served on boards including HSBC, Nestlé, and Stellantis, building a reputation for expertise in strategy, risk oversight, capital allocation, and governance discipline. Stellantis’ official biography notes that he also served as Senior Independent Director, underscoring his role as a seasoned, independent voice at board level. At LVMH, he was appointed to the Board in 2024 and currently serves as Lead Director. He also chairs the Sustainability & Governance Committee, reflecting the group’s confidence in his judgment on board independence, long-term oversight, and governance standards. In a global luxury group of LVMH’s scale and complexity, his profile brings particular strength in strategic discipline, ethics, internal control, and balancing value creation with responsible stewardship.