Axa Asia Pacific chief investment officer (CIO) Mark Dutton left the company yesterday, after the integration of Axa's investment funds with AMP Capital reached its completion.

"The role of CIO has ceased to exist now that the integration has been completed," Dutton told InvestorDaily yesterday.

"I'm taking a bit of break, because in these roles you don't get that chance too often."

Dutton said he would be looking to return to the financial services sector after his break.

"The industry is going through an interesting and challenging period," he said.

"There are many things coming together at the same time; the regulatory changes, investors' reaction to the change in volatility and the ageing population."

Since the merger of AMP and Axa Asia-Pacific in March last year, Dutton has been responsible for the integration of the Axa and Alliance Bernstein funds into AMP Capital.

This process saw the company terminating an almost $6 billion fixed income mandate with AllianceBernstein in February this year as it transferred the management to AMP Capital.

In total, about $30 billion in assets under management (AUM) transferred from Axa Asia Pacific to AMP Capital, which has now $123 billion in AUM.

These funds are now the responsibility of Axa Australia head of investment management Daniel Craine.

A spokesperson for the company said no further staff exits from the investment team, following the completion of the integration of the Axa funds.

"There will be some changes in reporting lines, but no departures at this stage," he said.

Dutton joined the Axa-owned dealer group ipac in 2000 and became CIO of Axa Asia Pacific in 2005.
Before that he was chief executive of GIO Asset Management.