Playing Strong As One, our teams in India and Morocco have developed a comprehensive cybersecurity service model that leverages the unique strengths of each location. The key driver of growth in our cybersecurity capabilities has been our unified approach between India and Morocco, creating a powerful synergy that amplifies our impact across the global AXA ecosystem.

In this six-part series, Omar Maliani, Head of Cybersecurity at AXA GBS, shares the journey of building an Exceptional Talent Engine with our Cybersecurity Team.

What have been the most impactful drivers of growth for the cybersecurity team in both India and Morocco? And how has a unified One AXA approach accelerated this growth?

The biggest driver for our cybersecurity team’s growth in both India and Morocco has been our unified, collaborative approach. By working together as one team, we’ve created a powerful synergy that extends our impact across the global AXA ecosystem.

We combined our teams to build a comprehensive cybersecurity service that leverages each location’s strengths. This includes diverse technical expertise, cultural insights that help us serve different regions better, and multilingual capabilities supporting over five languages.

Trust is at the core. We operate with transparent governance, shared KPIs, joint leadership forums, and regular team exchanges. Cross-location project teams and collaborative training ensure alignment and continuous improvement.

Close collaboration with Group Security has been crucial. We align with their strategic roadmap, share threat intelligence, and anticipate emerging risks early, allowing us to be proactive and responsive.

Thanks to this unified approach, we’ve expanded our reach from supporting just 4 entities in 2020 to now serving 24 across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Unified Offensive Security Program exemplifies this synergy. For example, before 2023, penetration testing was fragmented across regions within our team, with inconsistent methods. Now, with a unified global team and standardized methodologies, we’ve increased asset testing by 20% annually, identified 25% more critical vulnerabilities, and delivered best-quality, higher-impact results.

What is your overall goal for AXA GBS cybersecurity talent over the next 3–5 years?

Over the next 3 to 5 years, our main goal is to build a world-class Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. By 2027, we aim to have 400 experts based in Morocco and India, positioning AXA GBS as a leader in group-wide cyber defense. This center will be recognized for its cutting-edge expertise and proactive threat anticipation.

We are focused on creating a balanced team with the right mix of skills:

• Security Analysts focused on detection, incident response, and compliance.
• Security Engineers covering architecture, implementation, and DevSecOps.
• Threat Hunting and Red Teaming Experts.
• Governance and Cyber Risk Management Specialists.

This talent mix ensures we have strong defensive capabilities while also maintaining offensive, strategic, and governance skills – key to staying ahead of emerging threats.

How does your talent plan align with AXA’s broader business priorities?

Our talent development strategy is designed to make our teams high-value advisors to our Partners. We focus on developing not just technical skills but also a deep understanding of each entity’s unique business challenges and risks. This approach enables us to offer contextualized cybersecurity solutions aligned with our Partners’ business objectives.

Specifically, our talent development addresses key priorities such as:

• Developing expertise in customer data protection and regulatory compliance.
• Strengthening cloud security skills to support AXA’s digital transformation.
• Creating specialized teams to protect against emerging threats (like malicious AI, supply chain attacks, and so on).

This alignment ensures our cybersecurity capabilities and directly supports AXA’s broader vision and growth.

How does automation or AI fit into your cybersecurity deliverables?

From 2025, we have had three automation initiatives in several activities that we have in our area. The objective is to be more efficient and to empower our team to tackle higher-level challenges.

To support all of this, we’ve set up a dedicated Automation & AI Working Group to explore new opportunities. We also have a Security Process Optimization Lab where we redesign our security processes to maximize the benefits of automation. And we’ve launched a comprehensive upskilling program to help our team move from administrative tasks into strategic roles or expert roles like threat hunting, security architecture, security and AI, and advanced incident response.

The impact of these initiatives will be significant. We expect to eliminate over 15% of routine tasks. This will allow our cybersecurity professionals to focus on more complex threats and strategic security initiatives, ultimately strengthening our security posture while creating more engaging career opportunities for our team.

In the Risks Report 2025 by AXA, cybersecurity is ranked number 3 in the list of risks. How is AXA GBS helping its Partners in strengthening cybersecurity resilience for themselves and their customers?

The AXA Risks Report 2025 highlights cybersecurity as a top-tier concern due to increasing attack sophistication, expanding digital footprints, and evolving regulatory requirements. In direct response to this prioritized risk, AXA GBS has established a strategic partnership with Group Security through the Security Shared Services Center (S3C) initiative. This comprehensive approach addresses the specific threat and risk vectors identified in the risk report for each entity, ensuring consistent protection across all AXA and entities over the globe.

For example, we have created several new activities customized to the entities’ needs, like SAF (Secondary Assurance Framework), physical security etc.

Our S3C portfolio is continuously evolving based on the latest risk assessments. For example, in 2026, we plan to expand our services further to stay ahead of emerging threats. The results speak for themselves. Our approach has reduced high and critical security risk for several entities this year.

Ultimately, by addressing cybersecurity as a top 3 organizational risk, AXA GBS helps entities safeguard customer trust, protecting sensitive data, ensuring critical services remain available, and demonstrating the robust security practices our customers expect. Through this comprehensive, proactive security model, we’re committed to protecting AXA’s operations and maintaining trust in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

The Cybersecurity team at AXA GBS has grown to encompass more than 100 members in each location, India and Morocco. What are your plans to support career growth and progression for your team?

At AXA GBS, we have implemented a comprehensive approach to talent development that creates multiple pathways for career advancement while addressing both current and future organizational needs. Our strategy focuses on building versatile professionals with the specialized skills required in today's rapidly evolving technology and business landscape.

The first key initiative is our Certification Excellence Program. We regularly assess skills gaps across the organization to identify critical areas, especially in emerging technologies. Based on these insights, we create personalized certification roadmaps for each team member, aligned with their career aspirations and organizational needs. We also provide full funding for industry-recognized certifications and allocate dedicated time for exam preparation, ensuring our team can develop their skills without operational distractions. We celebrate these achievements as usual – we celebrate our team – internally, giving recognition and visibility to our professionals’ growth.

Another important pillar is our Strategic Mobility Program, which fosters cross-functional expertise and broadens experience. Through structured rotations across different domains, project-based opportunities outside primary roles, and international mobility pathways, we create versatile professionals with a global perspective. Participants maintain a digital skills passport to showcase their capabilities, and they are paired with mentors to guide their journey. Let me share some figures. For example, this year, 35% of our team has participated in mobility experiences, with 28% earning promotions as a result.

We also focus on developing early-career talent through structured internship programs. We partner with leading universities to identify promising students early on. Our internships combine practical projects with theoretical learning, allowing interns to work on meaningful initiatives that develop both technical and soft skills. Each intern is paired with an experienced mentor, and high performers are prioritized for permanent roles. This approach has proven highly effective; for example, we can see that 65% of our interns receive permanent offers, and all have already accepted, bringing fresh ideas and innovative thinking into our organization.

Overall, our talent development strategies are designed not only to support individual growth but also to ensure we have a strong pipeline of future leaders ready to meet AXA’s evolving needs.