New York-based financial protection firm AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. has appointed Jeffrey Hurd as chief operations officer and as liaison to certain executive committees, with his term slated to begin April 2, 2018.

Reporting directly to company CEO Mark Pearson, Hurd will sit on both the AXA Equitable and AXA Equitable Holdings committees. He will oversee Chief HR Officer Marine de Boucaud; Chief Information Officer Mike Healy; and Chief Transformation Officer Adrienne Johnson, whose department includes operations, data and analytics, procurement, real estate and strategic planning.

“I am delighted to have such a well-respected leader join the team at this important time for the organization as we prepare for our listing,” said Pearson, speaking highly of Hurd’s expertise.  

Hurd earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Union College and his law degree from New York University. Additionally, he studied political science in Berlin. Most recently he served as executive vice president and COO for American International Group, where he worked for almost 20 years.

“I’m excited to join AXA Equitable and work closely with Mark and the teams as the company embarks on an exciting new year in 2018,” Hurd said. “I admire the company’s long, deep-rooted history and commitment to its clients. The employees’ and AXA Advisors financial professionals’ dedication to providing superior service and helping clients live better lives is unmatched.”