Helvetia now rated 'A' in sustainability by MSCI

Media release
St.Gallen, 19 August 2022

The independent rating agency MSCI has upgraded Helvetia's ESG rating to 'A', thus acknowledging the measures the insurance group has taken in the area of sustainability. As Helvetia's first Chief Sustainability Officer, Kaspar Hartmann will implement and further develop the sustainability strategy with even more drive in the future.

As a European financial service provider, Helvetia wants to contribute to the sustainable development of business and society. As part of the Sustainability Strategy 20.25, the insurance group is pursuing the ambition of being committed to sustainability and being there when it matters, in line with its purpose. To do so, Helvetia is focussing on four areas that are relevant to its stakeholders and the insurance industry: its own business operations, customers and products, investments, and culture and governance. Examples of milestones that have already been achieved include CO₂ neutrality for own operations since 2017, signing the UN Principles for Responsible Investment in 2020 and adopting the Responsible Investment Strategy 2021.

Improved sustainability rating
The recent rating increase to 'A' (previously 'BBB') by the independent rating agency MSCI shows that the various measures taken in the area of sustainability over the past few years are viewed very positively. Helvetia has therefore achieved the goal of an 'A' ESG rating from MSCI set as part of the Sustainability Strategy 20.25 and will continue to work hard on sustainability issues and push forward improvements.

Kaspar Hartmann becomes Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer
Philipp Gmür, Group CEO of Helvetia, emphasises: "Sustainability is a key success factor for our company. With our business model, we promote economic, social and environmental action, and thus deliver sustainable financial performance." That's why Helvetia is also strengthening its sustainability work on an organisational level: Kaspar Hartmann is now Helvetia's Chief Sustainability Officer. In this newly created role, he will be implementing and further developing the Group-wide sustainability strategy with even more drive. Kaspar Hartmann (46) has held various management positions at Helvetia in Switzerland and abroad for 17 years. Most recently, he has been successfully managing the non-life business at Helvetia Austria.
 

About the Helvetia Group
Helvetia Group, with its headquarters in St. Gallen, has grown since 1858 to become a successful insurance group with over 12,000 employees and more than 7 million customers. It has been enabling its customers to seize opportunities and minimise risks for all that time Helvetia is there for them when it matters. Helvetia is the best partner and is present everywhere that protection needs arise, with insurance, pension and investment solutions from a single source as well as simple products and processes. The insurance group knows the business, from mobile phone insurance and insurance cover for the Gotthard Base Tunnel to the long-term investment of customer assets. Helvetia develops and opens up new business models with enthusiasm and drives forward its own business in a powerful and future-oriented manner. It acts with foresight and responsibility in everything it does: for the benefit of its shareholders, customers and employees as well as its partners, society and the environment.
Helvetia is the leading all-lines insurer in Switzerland. In the Europe segment comprising Germany, Italy, Austria and Spain, the company has firmly rooted market positions for generating above-average growth. In the Specialty Markets segment, Helvetia offers tailored special insurance and reinsurance cover worldwide. With a business volume of CHF 11.22 billion, Helvetia generated IFRS net income after tax of CHF 519.8 million in the 2021 financial year. The shares of Helvetia Holding AG are traded on SIX Swiss Exchange.

Cautionary note
This document was prepared by Helvetia Group and may not be copied, altered, offered, sold or otherwise distributed to any other person by any recipient without the consent of Helvetia Group. The German version of this document is decisive and binding. Versions of the document in other languages are made available purely for information purposes. Although all reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the facts stated herein are correct and the opinions contained herein are fair and reasonable, where any information and statistics are quoted from any external source such information or statistics should not be interpreted as having been adopted or endorsed as accurate by Helvetia Group. Neither Helvetia Group nor any of its directors, officers, employees and advisors nor any other person shall have any liability whatsoever for loss howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of this information. The facts and information contained in this document are as up to date as is reasonably possible but may be subject to revision in the future. Neither Helvetia Group nor any of its directors, officers, employees or advisors nor any other person makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document.
This document may contain projections or other forward-looking statements related to Helvetia Group which by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there is a risk that predictions, forecasts, projections and other outcomes described or implied in forward-looking statements will not be achieved. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include: (1) changes in general economic conditions, in particular in the markets in which we operate; (2) the performance of financial markets; (3) changes in interest rates; (4) changes in currency exchange rates; (5) changes in laws and regulations, including accounting policies or practices; (6) risks associated with implementing our business strategies; (7) the frequency, magnitude and general development of insured events; (8) mortality and morbidity rates; (9) policy renewal and lapse rates as well as (10), the realisation of economies of scale as well as synergies. We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive; when evaluating forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Helvetia Group on the date of its publication and Helvetia Group assumes no obligation to update such statements unless otherwise required by applicable law.