Wakam is reinforcing its governance

Paris, February 4, 2021

Olivier Jaillon, Chief Executive & Enablement Officer of Wakam, announces the reinforcement of Wakam’s governance.
After appointing Emmanuel Clarke Chairman, the Board of Directors is welcoming two insurance and digital specialists as independent directors.
By deciding to surround himself with three people combining expertise and strong visions of the world of insurance, Olivier Jaillon is consolidating Wakam’s governance to supports its rapid and profitable growth strategy.

Emmanuel Clarke, the former CEO of PartnerRe, is now Wakam’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. He will provide his experience in the fields of reinsurance, international insurance market development, and governance of large-scale multinational companies. He will form “a duo” with Olivier Jaillon to accelerate and consolidate Wakam’s development.

At the same time, Wakam’s Board of Directors is also being strengthened by the arrival of two independent directors.

Rémi Grenier, the former CEO of Allianz Partners, the German insurer’s B2B2C subsidiary, is now an Independent Director. He will lend Wakam his inside-out knowledge of partnership models to support the company’s acceleration plans for Europe-wide roll-out, develop direct distribution models for brands, and create innovative products that reflect society’s emerging uses.

Gilles Babinet, an entrepreneur who promotes digital culture in society within France and across Europe, has also been appointed Independent Director. He was the European Commission’s French Digital Champion and the first Chairman of the French Digital Council (Conseil National du Numérique). His unparalleled expertise in digital platform ecosystems will elevate Wakam’s “digital platform model for distributors and reinsurers”.

In particular, Rémi Grenier and Gilles Babinet are joining the Board of Directors alongside Jean-Marie Nessi, the former CEO of AXA Re and an Independent Director who chairs the Audit and Risk Management Committee at Wakam.

Emmanuel Clarke, Chairman of Wakam’s Board of Directors, stated: “Wakam offers a bold and very accurate vision of what the future world of insurance will resemble, particularly in a post-pandemic period when the transition to the sharing economy will accelerate. Wakam is equipped with very strong human and technological resources that will allow it to play a leading role in its market. I’m delighted to be joining Olivier Jaillon and the committed and visionary team he has created, bringing my past experience in heading up a leading name in the global reinsurance sector with a view to assisting Wakam with its international development plans.”

Wakam CEO Olivier Jaillon stated: “The strengthening of Wakam’s governance will be very relevant to the roll-out of the 2021-2023 strategic plan, at a time when the insurance sector is facing both the consequences of the health crisis and its necessary adaptation to the new challenges of the sharing economy. By changing its governance, Wakam is adopting the standards of large-scale companies and aligning itself with the recommendations of the French Prudential Control and Resolution Authority (Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution – ACPR). I very much look forward to welcoming Emmanuel as well as Gilles and Rémi, who will provide us with their complementary experiences. The professional experiences, skills, and visions embodied by the members of our Board of Directors will be very powerful assets to becoming the digital insurance leader in Europe.”

About Wakam

Wakam is an insurance company that creates white-label, tailor-made, and embedded insurance solutions for its distributor partners and clients via its high-tech Play & Plug platform. With a foothold in 13 European countries and a turnover of €382M in 2019, Wakam is one of the top 20 P&C insurers in France. In 2020, the company was included on the “Financial Times 1,000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies,” topping all insurers. Strongly committed to its social engagements, Wakam is evolving into a mission-driven company.

Press Contacts

Eric Allombert – eric.allombert@wakam.com – +33 (0)6 89 91 53 73 Charlotte EUZEN – c.euzen@tilder.com – +33 (0)6 03 02 34 47