Corporate insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty expands in China and Indonesia

Following the opening of a new branch office in South Korea in June, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS) is targeting further growth in Asia by expanding its presence in China and Indonesia. AGCS has commenced operations in Beijing, China, as a division of Allianz China’s new office in the country’s capital. The Beijing division, located in China Overseas Plaza is AGCS’s third in the country, after Guangdong and Shanghai, and marks full network coverage across China’s tier-one cities. In Indonesia, AGCS operates as a division of Allianz Utama in Jakarta.

By expanding its network AGCS aims to capitalize on opportunities from the growing insurance markets in China and Indonesia. China is the world’s second-largest insurance market, and in 2016, accounted for close to half of global insurance growth. In Indonesia, regulators have indicated that positive economic developments such as an acceleration of the country’s GDP to 5.3% by year-end 2017, would boost Indonesia's insurance premium growth with growing demand in property and engineering insurance following a larger government budget for infrastructure.

AGSS expects strong demand for environmental liability (EIL) and entertainment insurance, too. EIL cover offers solutions for companies which are held liable for pollution or environmental or health damage even in cases where they had not acted negligently. Recent regulatory enforcement of environmental law in China will undoubtedly increase the need for EIL protection.

Entertainment is another growth sector for AGCS in China: China’s domestic film production has tripled from 2005-2015 and is now ranked third in the world behind USA and India. Allianz is a global leader and expert in entertainment insuring film production and live events for more than a century.

In Indonesia, AGCS operates as a division of Allianz Utama in Jakarta and will initially focus on financial lines and engineering products alongside the country’s robust economic growth and increased investment into infrastructure. Major appointments include Megasari Manurung, Underwriter for Financial Lines, and Indrajaya Wardhana, Underwriter for Engineering. Both experts are based within Allianz Utama in Jakarta.

Patrick Zeng, AGCS CEO Hong Kong and Greater China, said, “This is an exciting time for AGCS, as we expand not only into new markets but also our range of products. The growing interconnectivity and complexity of risks affecting businesses have also led to the rising demand for newer offerings such as EIL, crisis management, entertainment and cyber as recent high profile cases have increased the awareness of the necessity of such coverage.”

The Beijing and Jakarta offices further increase the capability of AGCS to meet increasing demand for International Insurance Programs (IIP), which are a core competence and AGCS will look to grow this offering across Asia as more Asian businesses expand internationally as a result of globalization. International clients for IIP benefit from a larger Asian AGCS network. AGCS currently manages 2,500 IIPs globally, including 6% from Asia.

Mark Mitchell, Regional CEO for AGCS Asia, said, “We have seen an increase in demand for global insurance programs in Asia, and China and Indonesia are no different. AGCS’s strong technical expertise and global network makes us attractive partners for companies looking to expand operations beyond their borders. Our multinational customers from the United States and Europe also benefit from our expanded network in Asia for their own global program set-up. As risk exposures grow in multitude and complexity, having a global partner for international insurance coverage can really facilitate smooth and efficient operations for businesses worldwide.”

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) is a leading global corporate insurance carrier and a key business unit of Allianz Group. AGCS provides risk consultancy, Property-Casualty insurance solutions and alternative risk transfer for a wide spectrum of commercial, corporate and specialty risks across 12 dedicated lines of business.

Our customers are as diverse as business can be, ranging from Fortune Global 500 companies to small businesses, and private individuals. Among them are the world’s largest consumer brands, tech companies and the global aviation and shipping industry, but also wineries, satellite operators or Hollywood film actors. They all look to AGCS for smart answers to their largest and most complex risks in a dynamic, multinational business environment and trust us to deliver an outstanding claims experience.

We constantly strive to deliver the best for our customers through our global team of around 4,400 employees from over 70 nationalities in 34 countries worldwide. As the one of the largest Property-Casualty units of Allianz Group, we are backed by strong and stable financial strength ratings and a global network in over 200 countries and territories. In 2018, AGCS generated a total of €8.2 billion gross premium worldwide.