With over two decades of experience at AXA and a personal connection to neurodiversity, Emily Coupland has become a powerful advocate for change. Through her participation in the Generation Valuable programme and a transformative mentorship experience, she has played a pivotal role in the significant strides AXA has made in fostering a more inclusive workplace for people with a personal connection to disability.
I am Emily Coupland, the General Counsel for AXA UK and Ireland. As a trained lawyer from New Zealand, I’ve spent the last 23 years building my career at AXA, moving through various roles across the group. I am passionate about driving for an inclusive workplace culture at AXA. In 2021, I became involved with the Able network and was appointed the group’s Executive Sponsor in the same year.
But my passion for disability inclusion comes from a much more personal place. I’ve got two neurodivergent teenage boys. One who’s turning 18 has autism with pathological demand avoidance syndrome. My younger son also has autism with severe processing issues and dyslexia, so they both go to specialist schools. I’ve seen firsthand the struggles that they’ve faced, both to get the rights that they deserve, but also the stigma of being different in society.
Generation Valuable
When AXA announced an opportunity for individuals with a personal connection to disability to participate in the Generation Valuable initiative, I decided to seize it. Given my personal experiences with neurodiversity and my role as executive sponsor of the Able network, the initiative aligned perfectly with my passion for disability inclusion and offered a chance to drive meaningful change on a broader scale.
My mentor was Frédéric de Courtois, who is AXA Group’s Deputy CEO, based in Paris. What really impressed me was his motivation to move the dial on disability inclusion. He has some ties to disability, but not in his immediate sphere. But it’s something that he really cares about. He is super busy, but the fact that he wants to dedicate time to the subject is really impressive. He’s been a huge advocate for what we do on disability inclusion at AXA. Having his backing and support really helps us to drive action.
My understanding of inclusive leadership definitely evolved through the Generation Valuable program. Seeing the difference that Frédéric and, to a lesser extent, I could make really became evident. This experience truly highlighted the power of visible leadership and active engagement. I realised that by openly sharing my story and consistently showing up for disability inclusion initiatives, I could create a ripple effect of change. It underscored the importance of leading with empathy – not just understanding the challenges faced by those with disabilities, but actively working to address them. This approach fosters a culture of understanding and support, encouraging others to speak up and contribute to a more inclusive environment.
Driving Change at AXA
While participating in Generation Valuable, Frédéric and I took the opportunity to drive tangible change within AXA. We spearheaded the implementation of a company-wide reporting system, requiring all our main entities to provide annual updates on their disability inclusion efforts. This allows us to systematically track progress across the organisation.
The four metrics we pushed were:
- Leadership commitment: Each of our main entities has to have an executive sponsor.
- Action planning: Each entity identifies their own actions and creates an annual action plan which addresses their own concerns to move the dial.
- Workplace adjustments: Each entity had to have an adjustment policy and a centralised budget to support those adjustments.
- Caregivers policy: By the end of 2024, we will have a week-long policy providing up to five days fully paid leave for anybody with a caring responsibility.
We recognise that every entity may be at a different starting point in this journey, and that’s okay. Our focus isn’t on perfect initial scores, but on continuous improvement. We’ve created an environment where entities can honestly assess their current state and commit to making steady progress. This approach encourages transparency, accountability, and a shared commitment to advancing disability inclusion throughout AXA.
By establishing this reporting mechanism, we’re not just gathering data – we’re fostering a culture of awareness and action. It keeps disability inclusion at the forefront of our business priorities and ensures that our efforts are sustained and measurable over time.
We then launched the exchange program, which paired up other mentors and mentees locally. In about 15 of our entities, there is a similar mentee-mentor relationship identifying local problems. They look at their inclusion survey results and decide what they can do locally.
Looking Ahead
The Generation Valuable experience has really reinforced how important inclusion is. Since being the Able network executive sponsor, I’ve been progressed to be the Executive Sponsor for Inclusion & Belonging at AXA UK & Ireland. So it’s wider than just disability now, and I am really passionate about that. Seeing the impact on disability, I want everybody at AXA to feel that they can bring their whole self to work and not only just come to work, but thrive at work. I’ve really taken the learnings and the engagement that I’ve had with disability to extend it to a wider inclusion topic and strategy.
One of the interesting aspects of Generation Valuable is its vision to transform the C-suites of tomorrow with a link to disability. In my opinion, just because you’re driving on disability inclusion, which is brilliant work, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be CEO. The two aren’t related, but I don’t think it matters. I found that the program offered so much more than just career advancement.
I always say this: I’m the General Counsel and I love being a lawyer and I really love my job, but being involved in inclusion feeds my soul. I think that sits on top of your job. The program has shown me that the value lies in the passion and the change we can create. It’s not just about reaching the top of the corporate ladder, but about making a real difference in people’s lives and in our workplace culture. That, to me, is the true measure of success.
What’s truly exciting is how this work is part of a broader cultural transformation. By focusing on disability inclusion, we’re not just changing policies or practices – we’re shifting mindsets and creating a more empathetic, understanding, and inclusive environment for everyone. This ripple effect extends beyond those with disabilities, fostering a culture where diversity in all its forms is celebrated and where every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.
