Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co. of New York has hired Mary E. Bates as vice president of underwriting.
She oversees life underwriting policy and individual life risk selection for the wholesale life division, which is based in Farmington, Conn.
Ms. Bates had been an executive director of life risk management for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Springfield. Previously she was vice president and chief underwriter for ING Group Inc.'s Security Connecticut Life Insurance Co.
Axa Equitable's life sales through the wholesale channel rose 70% last year, according to Limra International Inc. Axa Equitable is a unit of Axa Financial Inc. of New York, which had $795 billion of assets under management at the end of 2006. Both are part of Axa Group Inc. of Paris.
The hiring of Ms. Bates was announced Wednesday.
