A reinsurer specializes in taking on risk which direct insurance companies cannot carry alone. Reinsurers are like wholesalers supporting the retail insurance industry. They share in large risks, specialized contingencies, and act to smooth out the earnings pattern of client companies.

The Swiss Reinsurance Company was founded in 1863 in Zurich, Switzerland. The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading and financially strongest reinsurers. Its gross premium income from all lines in 1996 was approximately U.S.$11 billion. Swiss Re does business from over 70 offices in more than 30 countries. Besides classic reinsurance coverages, the Swiss Re New Markets division brings a broad range of supplementary services for comprehensive risk management.

Swiss Re Life & Health, a specialist global division of Swiss Re was formed in 1997 as a result of combining the life and health operations of Mercantile and General Reinsurance with those of Swiss Re. Swiss Re Life & Health is now the largest life and health reinsurer in the world when measured by premium income.

In the highly specialized life and health market, Swiss Re Life & Health exceeds the role of a traditional reinsurer. In addition to providing the means to transfer and reduce risk the Company also strives to be equally valuable to clients by sharing knowledge and ideas to assist in the achievement of faster business growth and improved profitability. Company specialists supplement the expertise of clients on a range of mortality and morbidity issues. They hold conferences, seminars, and workshops internationally on the major topics of the day.
 

Swiss Re Head Office in Zurich Switzerland.

A key strength of Swiss Re Life & Health people – and central to their philosophy – is that they operate as a global team with a local touch. This global network puts the team at the leading edge of marketing and product trends, enabling them to share with clients the knowledge of local insurance markets as well as to offer a global viewpoint of current issues. The Company is able to leverage its presence in all the major commercial and financial centres of the world to provide advantageous reinsurance arrangements for a client.

Swiss Re is a public company and its shares are traded on the Swiss exchange.

“The formation of Swiss Re Life & Health has created the world’s largest reinsurer in the life and health market. Our collective strengths and expertise will bring significant benefits to our clients at a time of opportunity and market growth,” states Walter B. Kielholz, Chief Executive Officer.

Swiss Re Life & Health – At a Glance

• global division of Swiss Re which was founded in 1863
• the world’s largest life and health reinsurer by premium volume
• gross written life premium income in excess of US$ 4 billion in 1996 representing about 1/3 of Swiss Re’s total premiums
• premiums split by product line: 56% life reinsurance, 44% health reinsurance
• premiums split by geography: 43% North America, 44% Europe, 13% the rest of the world
• establishments on all continents, serving clients in virtually all the countries of the world
• 1,400 life and health staff globally
• worldwide life and health headquarters in London, England.