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Assicurazioni Generali

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Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. (/ˌdʒɛnəˈrɑːli/ JEN-ər-AH-lee, Italian: [assikuratˈtsjoːni dʒeneˈraːli]; meaning 'general insurances') or commonly known as Generali Group is an Italian insurance company based in Trieste.[2] As of 2022, it is the largest insurance company in Italy and ranks among the world's largest insurance companies by net premiums and assets.[3]

Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.
Company typePublic
BIT: G
FTSE MIB Component
IndustryFinancial services
Founded1831; 193 years ago (1831)
HeadquartersTrieste,
Italy
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Andrea Sironi (Chairman)
Philippe Donnet (CEO)
Products
RevenueIncrease €82.466 billion (2023)[1]
Increase €6,879 billion (2023)[1]
Increase €3,747 billion (2023)[1]
AUMIncrease €656 billion (2023)[1]
Total assets710,000,000,000 Euro (2022) Edit this on Wikidata
Number of employees
81,879 (2023)[1]
Websitewww.generali.com

Generali's major competitors at the international level are AXA, Allianz and Zurich Insurance Group. The company is listed on the Borsa Italiana and is part of the FTSE MIB index of the same stock exchange.

History

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Established on December 26, 1831, as the Imperial Regia Privilegiata Compagnia di Assicurazioni Generali Austro-Italiche ('Imperial and Royal Privileged Company for General Austrian-Italian Insurances') in Trieste. Its promoter was Giuseppe Lazzaro Morpurgo.[citation needed]

The adjective "Generali" ("general") referred to the company's comprehensive insurance coverage across all the branches (fire, life, hail, sea, land and river transport). This approach was rare at the time when most Trieste insurance companies focused solely on maritime transport, except for the Azienda Assicuratrice, which also dealt with hail insurance.[4]

The "Austrian-Italian" label referred to the company's dual management structure, with the main office in Trieste responsible for the company's affairs and relations with the Habsburg Monarchy, (at the time, Trieste was the most important seaport of the Austrian Empire). Meanwhile, a management office in Venice oversaw activities in Lombardy-Venetia and the Italian peninsula.[5]

Financed with a share capital of two million florins, Generali attracted a diverse group of shareholders[6] from Trieste and Lombardy-Venetia, including influential figures like Giovanni Cristoforo Ritter de Záhony, Giovanni Battista de Rosmini, Marco Parente, Samuele Della Vida, and Pasquale Revoltella.[5]

The Habsburg eagle symbol, a nod to Trieste's Austrian possession since 1382 until 1918, was chosen as the company's emblem. Generali's early presence in multiple markets stemmed from the historically commercial nature of both Trieste and Venice. In its first decade, the company's agency network expanded across all Italian states, major cities of the empire, and leading European ports.[7]

Until 1847, Gianbattista de Rosmini, the legal adviser and a significant shareholder, played a pivotal role, serving as the permanent president of the General Congresses and effectively leading the company.[6] Following the uprisings of the Risorgimento in 1848, the "Austrian-Italian" adjective was dropped, and the company became only Assicurazioni Generali.[6]

By 1856, Generali had grown to become the largest insurance company in the Austrian Empire, culminating in its listing on the Trieste Stock Exchange the following year.[7]

Following Italy's unification, Generali's Venetian management led the company to become the largest insurance company in the newly formed kingdom,[7] with Samuele Della Vida overseeing the Italian branch until 1875.[6]

 
The symbol of Assicurazioni Generali is derived from the flag of the Republic of Venice, dissolved by Napoleon three decades before the company was founded.

In 1869, Generali foresaw the significant impact of the Suez Canal's inauguration on world trade. Key figures within the company, including Pasquale Revoltella and Giuseppe Morpurgo, were involved in the historic event, with Revoltella becoming the vice president of the Universal Company of the Suez Canal.[8]

The opening of the canal brought about a favorable economic climate for Generali, leading to its expansion across various regions, from the eastern Mediterranean to North Africa, the Far East, and the Americas.[9]

Under the stewardship of Marco Besso, who managed the company from 1877 to 1920 and eventually became its president, Generali assumed an international dimension. The company opened agencies in the Mediterranean, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, the Americas, and the Far East, while also founding subsidiaries such as Erste Allgemeine Schaden und Unfallversicherung in Vienna, Generala in Romania, Anonima Grandine, and Anonima Infortuni in Italy.[10][11]

During this period, Generali's most prestigious Italian offices were constructed, including notable buildings in Florence, Trieste, Milan, Rome, and Turin.[10] In 1914, the Procuratie Vecchie, the seat of the Venice administration, underwent restructuring.[12] Amidst the challenges of the First World War, which pitted Italy against Austria-Hungary, Generali's Venetian and Trieste headquarters maintained their operational independence, allowing the company to navigate complex circumstances without taking political positions that could compromise its integrity.[6]

The Italian period

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Original metal plaque with raised gilt signature and Lion of Saint Mark, 1924–1940.
 
Insurance policy of the Assicurazioni Generali, issued 1919[13]

In 1920, Edgardo Morpurgo assumed the role of president, ushering in a phase of further international expansion for the company. By 1924, due in part to the division of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Generali had established eight overseas management offices and had a presence in sixty branches and agencies across thirty countries. By 1935, it had expanded to include twenty-nine subsidiaries in Europe, four in the Americas, two in Africa, and one in Asia. During this time, the company's image was managed by Marcello Dudovich, contributing to its growing reputation.[12] Alleanza Assicurazioni was acquired during this period.[14]

However, the mid-1930s brought challenges, as the rise of racial laws and the tightening relationship with Fascism created a difficult environment.[6] In the first century of activity, Assicurazioni Generali had consolidated and expanded also thanks to the decisive presence of shareholders and managers of Jewish origin,[15] from the Morpurgos to the Maurogonatos, from the Levi Della Vidas to the Treves de' Bonfilis.

In 1938, as the impending "racial laws" loomed and Benito Mussolini visited Trieste, a Morpurgo, who was serving as president at the time, was asked to resign, handing over the presidency to Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata. During this era, Generali was under the guidance of managing director Gino Baroncini.[6]

The company faced significant challenges during World War II, including German and Yugoslav occupations and the subsequent British-American administration of the Free Territory of Trieste. Following this tumultuous period, Generali's branches in Eastern countries were expropriated under the presidencies of Antonio Cosulich (1943–1948) and Mario Abbiate (1948–1954), adding to the complexities.[12] Between 1960 and 1968, Baroncini, who had been with Generali since 1937, served as president during Italy's economic boom.

In 1963 the French branch of Generali, Concorde, adopting the intuition of Pierre Desnos, founded Europ Assistance; the new company gave birth to the concept of "private assistance", offering organized support to individuals facing difficult situations away from home.[16]

In 1974, the company established Genagricola, which focused on the Group's agricultural activities.[17]

From 1968 to 1979 Cesare Merzagora was president and restructured the company in a more efficient and transparent way.[16][6] He was succeeded by Enrico Randone, who held the position until 1990.[18]

In 1988, Generali bolstered its presence in France by acquiring a stake in Compagnie du Midi. The following year, it became a shareholder in the AXA Midi group.[19][20] In 1996,[21] Generali made a strategic decision to sell its share package, providing the necessary liquidity for the purchase of INA Assitalia.[22][23][24]

In 1994, Generali launched Genertel, the first company in Italy to offer financial services via telephone.[25][26] Four years later, in 1998, Banca Generali was established as an online bank. Over time, Banca Generali evolved into a banking hub within the Group, moving into the private banking segment.

Recent years

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Generali Tower in Milan
 
Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali in Florence, Italy

Following the acquisition of INA Assitalia in 2000, Generali acquired Toro Assicurazioni in 2006.[27] As the company expanded, it established Generali Real Estate in 2011 to manage its real estate activities.[28] Generali Real Estate soon became a prominent player in the sector, becoming the sole owner of CityLife,[29] the new residential and commercial complex that stands on the area of the old Milan fair at Portello. Among the notable structures within CityLife is the Generali Tower, designed by archistar Zaha Hadid, which has served as the Group's headquarters in Milan since 2019.[30]

In 2013, a significant corporate restructuring took place when the Italian branch of Assicurazioni Generali was incorporated into INA Assitalia, leading to the formation of Generali Italia. The new entity, effective from July 1, 2013, encompassed Toro Assicurazioni, Lloyd Italico, and Augusta Assicurazioni, with Philippe Donnet assuming the role of Managing Director and Country Manager in Italy.[31] Donnet became CEO of the Generali Group in March 2016.[32][33]

In 2022, the general shareholders' meeting reappointed Donnet for a third term,[34][35] During the same meeting, Andrea Sironi, an academic and president of Bocconi University, was elected president of the Group.[36]

The company continued its expansion efforts in June 2023, announcing the acquisition of Liberty Seguros, a competitor operating in Spain and Portugal's non-life insurance sector, from the US group Liberty Mutual.[37] As a result, Generali will rise to become the fourth non-life insurance company in Spain, the second in the Portuguese market and will enter the top ten in the sector in Ireland and Northern Ireland.[38][39]

On July 6, 2023, Generali acquired Conning and its subsidiaries. Additionally, the company entered into a ten-year partnership with Cathay Life, making the latter a minority shareholder (holding 16.75% of shares) in Generali Investment Holding, an entity that houses the majority of Generali's asset management activities.[40] This acquisition bolstered Generali's total assets under management, which then amounted to 775 billion euros, an increase of 144 billion euros.[41] Consequently, Generali claimed its position as the ninth European player in terms of assets under management.[42]

Operations

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Generali operates in 50 countries through a network of over 400 companies.[43]

The company's current organizational structure comprises five distinct Business Units:[44]

  • Italy
  • Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • France & Global Business Activities
  • International
  • Asset & Wealth Management

The company's business model revolves around three core pillars:[45]

  • Life insurance
  • Property & Casualty insurance
  • Asset Management

Bank ownership

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Banca Generali is a subsidiary of Assicurazioni Generali, of which it owns 50.17%.[46]

Shareholder structure

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As of April 17, 2023, Assicurazioni Generali's shareholders were:[47]

Based on the share capital, 65.13% of Assicurazioni Generali is owned by Italian investors.

Notable employees

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  • Franz Kafka worked for nearly nine months (between November 1, 1907, and July 15, 1908) at the Assicurazioni Generali office in Prague.

The Human Safety Net

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The Human Safety Net is the foundation established by Generali in 2017 with the mission to support disadvantaged individuals and communities.[48] The foundation focuses on assisting people living in vulnerable conditions, providing them with opportunities for growth and progress.[49]

To fulfill its mission, The Human Safety Net collaborates with approximately 60 entities, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social enterprises.[50] Through these partnerships, the foundation implements various programs aimed at two primary target groups: families[51] and refugees.[52] The Human Safety Net is based at the Procuratie Vecchie, Generali's historic headquarters in Venice.[53]

Sponsorship

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Generali demonstrates a strong commitment to sports sponsorship and sustainability, engaging in various initiatives that promote and support sports activities. In 2010, Generali launched the Responsible Sports Charter, aimed at actively fostering a culture of sustainability in sports. Furthermore, Generali sponsors two football stadiums, the Stadion Letná in Prague and the Franz Horr Stadium in Vienna.

For over four decades, Generali has been a sponsor of Barcolana, a historic international sailing regatta held annually in the Gulf of Trieste.[54]

Additionally, Generali is a sponsor of two marathons, the Generali Berlin Half Marathon in Berlin[55] and the Generali München Marathon in Munich.[56]

Generali also supports culture and in France, since 1995, it has been committed to promoting and reviving Italian art and culture. The first commitment was to support the restoration of Giambattista Tiepolo's "Henry III Received at the Villa Contarini", a fresco depicting the arrival of King Henry III in Venice, exhibited at the Jacquemart-André Museum.[57]

Controversy

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Although Generali is involved in indemnifying the policies of Holocaust victims (having created in 1997 a “Policy Information Center” in Trieste, funded the independent trust “The Generali Fund in Memory of the Generali Insured in East and Central Europe Who Perished in the Holocaust”, ceased in 2008, and being a founding member of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims), a lawsuit aiming to collect claims on life insurance policies sold to victims of the Holocaust was started. In 2007 Generali decided to voluntarily[58] enter into a class action settlement approved by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after the lower court had already dismissed all of the cases and claims against it.[59][60]

The Law & Order episode "Blood Money" is based on Generali subsidiaries selling life insurance to poor Jews in WWII Europe and then not paying out in case of death. In the episode, the motive for a retired insurance salesman's murder appears to be a series of policies he sold to Jews in Poland during the Holocaust.[61]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Annual Integrated Report and Consolidated Financial Statements 2023 Generali Group" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Company References Archived July 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Assicurazioni Generali. Retrieved on 8 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Forbes 2023: Top 20 largest insurance companies in the world". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  4. ^ Stefani, Giuseppe (1933). Il comitato triestino degli assicuratori marittimi [The Trieste committee of marine insurers] (in Italian). Il Comitato.
  5. ^ a b "Archivio Storico Assicurazioni Generali" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Zaninelli, Sergio; Taccolini, Mario (2002). Il lavoro come fattore produttivo e come risorsa nella storia economica italiana [Work as a productive factor and as a resource in the Italian economic history] (in Italian). Vita e Pensiero. ISBN 9788834309391.
  7. ^ a b c "Our history: 1st period". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. ^ Saraval, Gino (1938). "I deputati triestini al parlamento di Vienna dal 1873 al 1897". La porta orientale: rivista mensile di studi giuliani e dalmati (in Italian). Vol. 5-6 (May - June). pp. 221–241.
  9. ^ "17.11.1869: taglio istmo di Suez. Il ricordo di Giuseppe de Morpurgo". 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
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  11. ^ Generali
  12. ^ a b c "Our history: 3rd period". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  13. ^ Alex Witula: Le Più Belle Azioni D'Epoca, p. 41; ISBN 978-88-95848-10-5
  14. ^ Martina, Antonio; Fois, Corrado. Lavorare è difficile [Work is hard] (in Italian). ISBN 9788891745385.
  15. ^ Assicurazioni, commerci e migrazioni
  16. ^ a b "Our history: 4th period". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  17. ^ Basile, Nicola Dante (2005). I cavalieri della tavola: storie di uomini e aziende del buongusto italiano [The knights of the table: stories of men and companies of Italian good taste] (in Italian). Libri Scheiwiller. ISBN 978-88-7644-485-2.
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  19. ^ "AXA - MIDI SI RISTRUTTURANO UNA OPS SU 4 COMPAGNIE". 20 September 1989. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  20. ^ "MIDI SI FONDERA' CON AXA SECONDO SOCIO LE GENERALI". 25 June 1988. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  21. ^ "GENERALI: FIRMATA INTESA CON AXA". 16 January 1996. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  22. ^ "GENERALI HA UN' AXA NELLA MANICA". 13 May 1994. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  23. ^ "GENERALI PIU' FORTI IN FRANCIA". 17 January 1996. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  24. ^ Nozze francesi per Generali
  25. ^ Il Direct Insurance in Italia - Trend di mercato, modelli di business e strategie competitive [Direct Insurance in Italy - Market trends, business models and competitive strategies] (in Italian). Egea. 2011. ISBN 9788823811133.
  26. ^ Intermediazione assicurativa e mercato [Insurance brokerage and market] (in Italian). Franco Angeli Editore. 2009. ISBN 9788856809701.
  27. ^ "Our history: 5th period". Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  28. ^ "Debut of Generali Real Estate". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  29. ^ Generali Real estate punta sul continente asiatico
  30. ^ "Conte: «Generali, orgoglio italiano» - Il premier inaugura la torre Hadid". 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
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  32. ^ "Donnet: «Inizia un nuovo percorso. Generali vincerà la sfida dei mercati Fondamentale è fare squadra»". 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  33. ^ Galvagni, Laura (12 March 2021). "Generali gioca la maxi cedola. Via ai lavori sul nuovo piano". Il Sole 24 ore (in Italian).
  34. ^ "Donnet e Mediobanca vincono la battaglia per Generali". 29 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  35. ^ "Strategic Plan: Lifetime Partner 24". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  36. ^ "Bocconi: Andrea Sironi nuovo presidente al posto di Mario Monti". 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  37. ^ "Generali reinforces European insurance leadership with the acquisition of Liberty Seguros from Liberty Mutual". Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  38. ^ "Generali ha comprato la compagnia assicurativa spagnola Liberty Seguros per 2,3 miliardi di euro". 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  39. ^ "Generali cresce in Europa: rileva Liberty Seguros per 2,3 miliardi". 15 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  40. ^ "Generali to enhance global asset management business with acquisition of Conning and its affiliates, and create long-term partnership with Cathay Life". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  41. ^ "Generali to enhance global asset management business with the strategic acquisition of Conning and its affiliates, and create long-term partnership with Cathay Life". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  42. ^ "Generali, new coup: acquires Conning Holding and enters into partnership with Cathay Life". 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  43. ^ "Annual Integrated Report and Consolidated Financial Statements 2022 Generali Group" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  44. ^ "Our organization: Since 1831 we are an Italian independent Group with a strong international presence". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  45. ^ "Our business model". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  46. ^ "Banca Generali - Company profile (June 2023)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  47. ^ "Ownership structure". Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  48. ^ "Dai rifugiati alle famiglie, Generali lancia piano The Human Safety Net". 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  49. ^ "THSN: Who we are". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  50. ^ "Inclusione e integrazione "Così si realizzano i sogni"". 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  51. ^ "THSN: for families". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  52. ^ "THSN: for refugees". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  53. ^ "La nuova sede di The Human Safety Net nelle Procuratie Vecchie". 27 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  54. ^ "Trieste, Generali primo sponsor della Barcolana". 24 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  55. ^ "Generali Berliner Halb Marathon". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  56. ^ "Generali München Marathon". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  57. ^ "La patte mécène de Generali". La Tribune de l'Assurance (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  58. ^ "Generali, valanga di reclami". 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  59. ^ "Holocaust-era insurance programs - Generali's Payment Programs for World War II and Holocaust Era Insurance Policies". Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  60. ^ "Holocaust victims settle with Generali - Business - International Herald Tribune". The New York Times. 30 January 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  61. ^ ""Law & Order" Blood Money (TV Episode 1999)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
 
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