Highlights 2024
UNIQA Group
UNIQA 3.0 – Growing Impact:
forward-looking strategy through 2028
We presented our “UNIQA 3.0 – Growing Impact” strategy for the next four years at a Capital Markets Day in London on 11 December 2024. The focus is on profitable growth, further efficiency improvements, the expansion of our strong market position in Austria and the CEE region, consistent digitalisation and strategic investments in the healthcare sector. We are aiming for average premium growth of around 5 per cent per year up to 2028, while earnings after taxes should continue to increase by at least 6 per cent annually with a combined ratio (loss/cost ratio) of less than 94 per cent. The new strategy also reaffirms our progressive dividend policy with a payout ratio of 50 to 60 per cent.
A pioneer in the industry: our plan for the climate transition
UNIQA was the first Austrian insurance company to present a detailed climate transition plan in December 2024. The goal: Climate neutrality in Austria by 2040 and throughout the Group by 2050. The plan provides for concrete steps towards net zero emissions, including phasing out fossil fuels in the insurance business, in investment and in our own business operations. In 2024, we became the first listed insurance company in Austria to introduce the internationally recognised EMAS and ISO14001 environmental management systems at all sales locations. Numerous other measures have also already been implemented: All Austrian sales locations exclusively use certified green electricity, energy consumption has been significantly reduced and 65 per cent of our company vehicles are electric.
Standard & Poor’s confirms top rating and awards best marks for risk profile
In June, the international rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) confirmed the “A” rating of UNIQA Österreich Versicherungen AG and the reinsurance company UNIQA Re AG (Zurich) as well as the “A–” rating of the listed UNIQA Insurance Group AG, all with a stable outlook. The rating is based on our diversified portfolio, our strong market position in Austria and CEE and our robust capitalisation. In addition, S&P upgraded our financial risk profile to the highest rating of “very strong”. This was mainly due to the sustained positive development since we integrated the former AXA companies in Central and Eastern Europe three years ago.
UNIQA Sustainable Business Solutions:
supporting companies with risk & ESG issues
Founded in the first half of 2024, our new subsidiary helps companies of all sizes to become more resilient in an increasingly complex business environment, even beyond traditional insurance. The focus is on active risk management, sustainable transformation and ESG issues. The service is available to all companies – even if they do not have an insurance contract with UNIQA. Following the launch in Austria, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia, expansion into other countries is planned.
CEE
Complete withdrawal from the Russian market
In October 2024, UNIQA successfully completed the sale of its Russian subsidiary Raiffeisen Life to the local Renaissance Insurance Group. We have therefore withdrawn completely from the Russian market. The Moscow-based Raiffeisen Life was 75 per cent owned by UNIQA, with the remaining 25 per cent held by AO Raiffeisenbank Russia, which belongs to Raiffeisen Bank International. Following approval by the Russian authorities, the transaction was completed in strict compliance with all sanction regulations. The company, which had already largely discontinued its new business at the beginning of 2022, recently contributed less than 1 per cent to Group sales.
New competence centre in Poland for international insurance programmes
Since the beginning of 2024, the new UNIQA IP HUB in Poland has been coordinating insurance programmes for companies in 14 CEE countries. The new platform is a response to the growing demand for cross-border insurance cover in this region, where the number of companies is constantly increasing. The range of services extends from risk prevention to claims settlement. Companies with branches in several countries benefit in particular: They receive standardised insurance cover across national borders that is tailored to their needs and takes special local features into account.
UNIQA Poland: award for strong employer brand
UNIQA Poland, the country’s fifth-largest insurance group with around 6.7 million customers and 2,300 employees, won bronze twice at the international Employer Brand Management Awards 2024: for the best internal communication of the employer brand and for the successful alignment of the employer promise with the corporate values. The jury was particularly impressed by the cultural programme called “I respect, I don’t hate”. It anchors values such as diversity and inclusion in everyday corporate life through an ambassador programme, volunteer work, the advancement of women and mentoring. The award for UNIQA Poland is a confirmation of our commitment to creating a dynamic and inclusive workplace culture in line with our brand values.
Promoting culture and talent in Southeastern Europe
Our commitment in Southeastern Europe goes far beyond our business activities: Through various initiatives, we strengthen local communities and their future prospects and show our commitment to the sustainable development of the region in a variety of ways, from promoting culture and sponsoring sport to protecting bees. In 2024, for example, we once again supported the Sarajevo Film Festival as the exclusive sponsor and insurer. This festival stands for cultural diversity and international cooperation and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. With our new UNIQA SEE Future Foundation, we are supporting young talents in sport and culture in six countries as well as people who are committed to sustainability. We were able to win over former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević as a brand ambassador.
Withdrawal from Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia
As part of a strategic market assessment, in November 2024 we decided to sell our 90 per cent holding in SIGAL UNIQA Group Austria, which operates in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, and to focus our activities more strongly on our core markets in Central and Eastern Europe. The shares previously held by UNIQA will be transferred to the founder and minority shareholder of SIGAL UNIQA Austria. This ensures a smooth transition and continuity for all stakeholders. Assuming all regulatory approvals are granted, we expect the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2025.
Creative exchange at the commUNIties Summit
At the commUNIties Summit in early December 2024, more than 100 employees from various countries came together to jointly develop innovative customer solutions for the retail, bancassurance and corporate & affinity sectors. The inspiring results once again emphasised the importance of commUNIties, our cooperation model for cross-country and cross-functional collaboration introduced in 2021. It now comprises around 900 members in twelve groups and is an integral part of the Group strategy “UNIQA 3.0 – Growing Impact”.
Austria
Expansion of private healthcare in Vienna
The Mavie Med Group (formerly: PremiQaMed Group), which has been part of the UNIQA family since 2011, is consistently driving forward the expansion of private healthcare in Vienna and is investing a total of €265 million to this end. The decision about which architects will design the property for the planned merger of Confraternität and Goldenes Kreuz private hospitals was made in October 2024: Baumschlager Eberle Architekten impressed the jury with their visionary, sustainable design for the new building in the 8th district of Vienna. With 120 beds, six operating theatres, four delivery rooms and a centre for doctors’ offices and a day clinic, the new hospital meets the highest medical standards. Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is due to be completed by 2028. At Mavie Med’s most high-capacity private establishment, Döbling Private Hospital, a modern extension with three additional operating theatres, four new delivery rooms, a central sterilisation unit and 19 rooms went into operation at the beginning of 2025.
New digital service for business customers
Since January 2025, our business customers have been able to easily handle their insurance agendas online: The myUNIQA business web portal enables small and medium-sized companies to manage their policies at any time from anywhere and to update data on their own. An integrated messenger also enables direct contact with our support team. The new business portal is an important step in our digitalisation strategy.
Broader range of healthcare services in Upper Austria, Salzburg and Tyrol
We also expanded our healthcare offering outside Vienna in 2024: With the new UNIQA Medical Partner Centres in Salzburg and Upper Austria – including the St. Stephan Health Competence Centre in Wels, the Salvida Health Centres in Salzburg, Linz, Kirchham and Traun and Mavie Med’s Wehrle-Diakonissen Private Hospital in Salzburg – our policyholders now have access to a comprehensive range of medical services under one roof at five additional locations. The centres enable prompt medical appointments and day surgery appointments as well as comprehensive diagnostics and preventive examinations. With the purchase of the Wörgl Private Hospital our subsidiary Mavie Med also successfully moved into Tyrol at the beginning of 2025.
In addition, we expanded our telemedical services with a new digital platform in cooperation with our corporate start-up Mavie. It offers our 500,000 privately insured customers the opportunity to take advantage of online medical consultations, including prescriptions, by video, telephone or chat between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays.
More individuality and innovation in the product world
In 2024, UNIQA further expanded its product portfolio for Austrian private customers. With the mobility cover “Auto & Frei”, a new car insurance policy was introduced that offers maximum customisability thanks to its modular design. It also sets new standards with extended comprehensive cover options and protection for “shareconomy” and renewable energies. Supplemented by highly attractive compensation and innovative pension packages in casualty insurance, UNIQA is thus strengthening its position as a leading provider of flexible insurance solutions.
UNIQA Austria impresses with high customer satisfaction
With a customer satisfaction index of 4.61 from over 200,000 ratings, UNIQA once again demonstrated its service quality in 2024. The best results were achieved by Sales with 4.81. These top ratings are proof of the high level of trust placed in UNIQA by customers and also attest to UNIQA’s unwavering customer focus, even in times of crisis: After the floods in September 2024, many claims were settled directly on site – quickly and with the minimum of bureaucracy. The results achieved in 2024 encourage us to continue setting standards in terms of trust, quality and customer proximity.