We know Sapporo

AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd.

Nick Lane

We want to protect the customer, and so we chose Sapporo

This company established its Sapporo headquarters in November 2014.
In the confusion immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, amid various crises and based on our policy of not halting business, we set up a temporary back-up office in Kyushu. During that time, it became clear that if we didn’t continue to maintain operations, we wouldn’t be able to provide sufficient services to our customers, or support to our employees on site. Based on those experiences, we thought that if we established headquarters with back-up functions in a place other than Tokyo, even if a crisis occurred, these headquarters would complement each other’s functions and we would be able to continue business.
Then, after considering general factors, including the low risk of natural disaster, Sapporo was judged to be the best from a choice of several cities. When establishing the Sapporo headquarters, we received highly effective and professional support from the City of Sapporo and Hokkaido authorities. The recruitment of 100 locals is proceeding better than expected, and we have been able to welcome many outstanding members of staff. Approximately 500 people work at the Sapporo headquarters, which is equipped with a system to deal with 50% of the company’s important duties. Even if a disaster did occur in Tokyo, staff could be transferred to Sapporo where 100% of the business operations could be continued.
Furthermore, after the establishment of our head office in Sapporo, we became the first domestic life insurance company to acquire ISO 22301, the international standard for BCP. In addition, we have concluded agreements with local real estate companies and major retailers as well as set up a system that allows residences and daily necessities to be secured so that support staff from Tokyo can quickly and reliably start operations in the event of a major disaster in the Tokyo metropolitan area. We have also begun to raise awareness on business continuity to our staff, not just simply distributing bases but actually strengthening our business continuity system.
Our mission is “to protect the customer under all circumstances.” By establishing the Sapporo headquarters, we can continue to be an insurance company on which the customers can rely during times of crisis, and we will also work to revitalize the community and improve the health of Hokkaido residents.