At the 2009 GeneralAgency Conference in
Vienna, over 600 participants came together
at an informative event. In addition to
topical forums and fair booths, networking
was also on the agenda.
GeneralAgents always up-to-date
In order to ensure comprehensive information in agency sales regarding the development, strategy and products of UNIQA, the sixth UNIQA GeneralAgency Conference was held in Vienna in 2009. In total, more than 600 participants from Austria as well as interested representatives of GeneralAgencies in Slovakia, Bosnia, Poland and the Czech Republic learned first-hand about developments of recent months and the prospects for the future. At the same time, they shared extensive valuable details about product innovations and advertising options – eleven fair booths, topical forums and a podium discussion offered a broad platform for exchanging information.
Every year, the GeneralAgency Conference forms the high point of the initiatives for strengthening and expanding the GeneralAgency system of UNIQA, which was established in 1999 and has since proven itself across Europe. This Austrian system is becoming increasingly important to the entire Group. At the end of 2009, General and PartnerAgencies already existed at 284 locations within Austria.
The most important source of information and expertise for independent sales partners of UNIQA is the well organised GeneralAgencyAcademy. In addition to providing a basic education covering the most important UNIQA provision and risk solutions within the framework of the complete customer strategy, the academy also offers a wide range of in-depth seminars as a central education and training institution. These topics range from “Entrepreneurs & Executives” to “Product & Argumentation” and from “Sales & Professionals” to “Practices & Technology”. The spectrum is rounded out by seminars specifically geared toward back office staff.
UNIQA offers efficient support for brokers
with a separate online sales platform.
Special features for brokers
For brokers as well, UNIQA offers customised seminars for professional and personal development on a diverse and challenging spectrum of topics and issues. The UNIQA BrokerService, the largest partner to Austrian brokers, once again set the tone in 2009, and its offerings were well received within the industry.
One essential tool in the training of brokers is the Broker Academy, which was founded back in 1997 and has hosted events for more than 3,000 people, including 269 in the year 2009 alone. The wide range of topics extends from economics, finance and stock markets to personal fitness and mental training. The Broker Academy also offers regular events internationally, which have resonated well with brokers.
Brokers are electronically supported in their daily work by the UNIQA sales platform for brokers. Continuous expansions and optimisations of the system lay the foundation for effective work. For example, an online rate programme presents at a click the entire product portfolio of BrokerSelect, the exclusive product line for independent brokers. The generation of offers and submission of insurance applications can be performed quickly and easily with this system at the click of a mouse. In addition to electronic processing of commissions for business transactions, this system is also capable of electronically sending commission notes.
Special assistance services and service offerings, such as in connection with the TopPartnerCard, explicit service guarantees as well as an information system specially adapted to the individual needs of the brokers round out the offering for all independent brokers.
Successful cooperation with banks promotes internationalisation
The “Preferred Partnership” between UNIQA and the Raiffeisen bank group in Central and Eastern Europe in existence since 2004 has proven itself well and is constantly being intensified further. In addition to this cooperation, which covers all insurance lines, another in-depth cooperation has existed since 2009 with the Veneto Banca Group in Italy, which is specialised in life insurance. Raiffeisen Versicherung functions here as a competence centre for the entire area of bank distribution within the UNIQA Group.
The partnership with Raiffeisen now extends to 14 markets and in addition to the sale of combined banking and insurance products is focused primarily on the successive introduction of capital-forming life insurance products in selected markets. The cooperation generates extensive synergies and advantages for both UNIQA and Raiffeisen.
Within the framework of an optimisation programme, Raiffeisen Versicherung established the prerequisites for an efficient and group-wide process management system during 2008 based on defined standards. The compliance with customer-oriented quality criteria as well as the achieved response and throughput times are constantly evaluated and analysed on the basis of key performance indices and improved through corresponding individual or general measures.
Since 2009, a cooperation has also existed in regard to UNIQA Leasing GmbH with Raiffeisen-Leasing GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the Raiffeisen bank group. This group has been successfully active in Austria and abroad for 39 years, and its product range includes all types of automobile, movable property and real estate leasing as well as developer projects, green energy projects and extensive services. This cooperation generates more valuable synergies for UNIQA in the sales and product areas.
Klaus Pekarek is the new CEO of Raiffeisen Versicherung
Klaus Pekarek, born in 1956, joined the Management Board of Raiffeisen Versicherung on 1 July 2009, adding another member to the team surrounding Martin Sardelic. Born in Klagenfurt, this enthusiastic skier has a doctorate in law and began his career in 1981 at Raiffeisenlandesbank in Carinthia. He subsequently advanced to the management in 1988 and held the position of general director from 1993 to 2008. After his departure from Carinthia’s Raiffeisenlandesbank, Pekarek worked as a consultant for RZB, among other employment. At Raiffeisen Versicherung, he shares responsibility for bank sales in Austria with Martin Sardelic.
The “Womanlife” initiative addresses the
importance of financial provisions for women.
Womanlife from Raiffeisen Versicherung, a provisions programme for women
The Womanlife programme initiated in 2003 by Raiffeisen Versicherung drew attention again in 2009 to the importance of financial provisions for women – a topic that has been rather neglected in the past. In addition to product advantages tailored specifically to women, the programme also includes workshops on sales advice, on supporting customer events and on sales campaigns for women as well as action plans for advisors at Raiffeisen banks, who are exclusively female in this context. The comprehensive offering for special women’s provisions is currently the most extensive on the Austrian market. The “Circle Womanlife” was also brought to life at the end of 2005. This is an online platform that serves for sharing experiences and providing information to female advisors at Raiffeisen banks.
