Groupama launches new leading player on romanian insurance market

Built upon the merger of Asiban and BT Asigurari, the new company will deliver the best possible value, service and performance to Romanian customers via both life and non-life insurance solutions.

“Our clients will benefit from a strong service offering, an innovative product proposition and, during the current economic difficulties, the strength of one of the leading international insurance companies, which already proved itself to more than 16 million customers from all over the world,” said Denis Rousset, the general manager of Groupama Asigurari.

Groupama Asigurari’s business model will be based on establishing long-term partnerships with customers and will leverage the knowledge and expertise which the France-based company has already successfully deployed in other 13 countries.

“With our strong track record, we are well placed to meet the demands of the Romanian insurance market and to play a leading role within it,” said Jean-Francois Lemoux, International General Manager of Groupama.  At the end of June 2009, the cumulated results of Groupama’s companies in Romania placed the group on the third place, with a 10% market share.

Groupama Asigurari provides a competitive range of life, property, liability, agricultural and motor products, specially tailored to the needs of both retail and corporate customers. Over the next four years, the new company targets a 25% market share the non-life sector (excluding motor), plans to double its market share in life, to 20%, and to maintain its 15% market share in auto.

To achieve these ambitious goals, Groupama Asigurari benefits from a completely rebuilt network structure, based on professionalism and efficiency. The sales network is spread across eight regions and counts 300 agencies and point-of-sales. To better serve its customers, the company has opened a claims center in Bucharest and plans to open a regional call center in Cluj Napoca, in 2010. The management team includes both local and international experts, from within the management of Asiban, BT Asigurări, OTP Garancia and Groupama.

This structure will be further enhanced once OTP Garancia will also complete its integration in Groupama Asigurari, at the end of 2009.

The new brand, Groupama Asigurari, will be supported by a comprehensive campaign which will include advertising, public relations and corporate responsibility programmes. The corporate image campaign will start on Monday, the 28th of September and will include all channels of promotion: TV, print, online, outdoor and unconventional projects – under the tagline: “Groupama Asigurari. We insure all that matters to you”.

The first initiative in CSR on the Romanian market is being materialised through the support given to the Comedy Cluj Film Festival, on its first edition, taking place between 10-18 October in Cluj. Groupama Asigurari, sustained by the Foundation Groupama Gan for the Cinema, will present 4 Jacques Tati restored films (Les Vacances de M. Hulot, Mon Oncle, PlayTime, Trafic). The Foundation regularly lends its support to the restoration of film masterpieces from all over the world, for more than 20 years, Groupama has a worldwide experience in practising socially responsible values and principles, its commitment to society being a natural extension of its activities.