PARIS, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The preparation for the integration of Winterthur operations into the AXA Group continues to be on course. Following AXA's announcement on Sept. 7, 2006, AXA announces today other CEO appointments in the Mediterranean and Japan Asia Pacific regions. Jean-Raymond Abat, Group Regional CEO for the AXA Mediterranean Region (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, the Gulf and Lebanon), will take the chairmanship of insurance activities in Spain. Javier de Agustin, currently CEO of AXA Seguros, will be appointed CEO of insurance activities in Spain. AXA will operate from two sites (Madrid and Barcelona) as its headquarters for the Spanish market. In the Japan Asia Pacific Region under the supervision of Philippe Donnet as Group Regional CEO, Paul Sampson, currently CEO of AXA Life Insurance Japan will be appointed CEO of the life insurance activities in Japan. Jean-Raymond Abat and Philippe Donnet are both members of the AXA Group's Executive Committee. The CEO appointments in other Asian countries (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia) will be decided and communicated in the coming weeks upon completion of the strategic review of Winterthur's operations in these countries by AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, a 51.6% subsidiary of AXA. The above mentioned appointments will be effective on January 1, 2007 and are subject to the consummation of the acquisition of Winterthur by AXA expected on December 31, 2006 and to obtaining the necessary corporate governance approvals. Jean-Raymond Abat (57) was appointed Group Regional CEO for the Mediterranean region in February 2003. He started his career at UAP in 1993 in Madrid and has held various executive positions within the UAP Group in South America as well as in France. In 1997 he was appointed CEO of AXA Seguros following the AXA/UAP merger. Javier de Agustin (54) started his career in 1979 at L'Abeille in Paris and moved to Madrid to hold various executive positions at L'Abeille in Spain. From 1994 to 1998, following the integration of L'Abeille into UAP he was responsible for controlling, non-life actuary, reinsurance and IT at UAP Iberica. In 1998 he becomes CFO of AXA Seguros following the AXA/UAP merger and was appointed director and senior executive vice-president of AXA Seguros in 2003. Paul Sampson (50) joined AXA in 1998 as Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific for AXA Global IT organization. In 2000 he was appointed CIO of AXA Nichidan Life Insurance (later renamed AXA Life Insurance Japan). In May 2005 he was appointed Deputy President and COO of AXA Life and President and Representative Director in April 2006. About AXA AXA Group is a worldwide leader in Financial Protection. AXA's operations are diverse geographically, with major operations in Western Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific area. AXA had Euro 1,091 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2006, and reported total revenues of Euro 41 billion and underlying earnings of Euro 2,090 million for the first half of 2006. The AXA ordinary share is listed and trades under the symbol AXA on the Paris Stock Exchange. The AXA American Depository Share is also listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol AXA. This press release is available on the AXA Group web site: http://www.axa.com/ Investor Relations: Etienne Bouas Laurent: +33.1.40.75.46.85 Emmanuel Touzeau: +33.1.40.45.49.05 Sophie Bourlanges: +33.1.40.75.56.07 Kevin Molloy: +1.212.314.2893 Media Relations: Christophe Dufraux: +33.1.40.75.46.74 Clara Rodrigo: +33.1.40.75.47.22 Armelle Vercken: +33.1.40.75.46.42 Mary Taylor: +1.212.314.5845 Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predications of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause actual results and AXA's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements (or from past results). These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, timely execution and closing of the Winterthur acquisition. Please refer to AXA's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005 and AXA's Document de Reference for the year ended December 31, 2005, for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect AXA's business. AXA undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. DATASOURCE: AXA CONTACT: Investor Relations: Etienne Bouas Laurent, +33-1-40-75-46-85, Emmanuel Touzeau, +33-1-40-45-49-05, Sophie Bourlanges, +33-1-40-75-56-07, Kevin Molloy, +1-212-314-2893, Media Relations: Christophe Dufraux, +33-1-40-75-46-74, Clara Rodrigo, +33-1-40-75-47-22, Armelle Vercken, +33-1-40-75-46-42, Mary Taylor, +1-212-314-5845, all of AXA Web site: http://www.axa.com/

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