Voices from the sector

CEO, ALLIANZ COLOMBIA

How have clients received your newly launched app Allianz Salud?

Allianz Global’s 130-year history serves as a testament of the company’s culture of innovation. 2020 was a great catalyst for changes and advances, not only for Allianz internally, but also for our customers. We launched an app for our health division that extends customers a spectrum of self-service solutions. This app is aligned with our global aim of becoming simpler and more digital. The benefits from a customer perspective are tangible, and we want to extend these solutions to our other lines of business in motor and home care. Our end goal is to make our customers’ lives simpler.

How can Allianz, with its global best practices, increase access to insurance for Colombians?

The penetration of insurance in Colombia is still extremely low, and if one does not include compulsory policies, it is even lower. Improving access to insurance requires a multi-pronged approach that involves government, industry, and local players within the insurance ecosystem—a big part of it is promoting an understanding of risk mitigation. Allianz contributes to insurance adoption in Colombia by way of the Allianz customer model based on three main pillars: being scalable, digital, and simple. In Colombia, one prevailing belief is that insurance is too complex and depends on the fine print. We have worked on having simple products that are easy to understand and do not have any fine print clauses regarding coverage. They are designed to pay; people need to feel this certainty. Our ambition is to secure the future of our clients and being trusted is a priority. People need to see their insurance company as an ally, someone that protects them against unforeseeable events. Allianz is committed to improving the public’s understanding of insurance, though this also requires a coordinated approach amongst all the key stakeholders in the insurance industry.

How is Allianz adapting its business model to accommodate increases in the demand of services?

Building a solid value proposition is a priority for Allianz; it not only gives customers the best service when they have a claim but it also improves their understanding of risk mitigation. The company has invested in its loss control and risk engineering teams, especially in branches of property, casualty, and health. Our main proposal is the hashtag “vivo saludable” because it is necessary to invest in prevention. To this extent, we promote healthy lifestyles through events such as the Allianz 15k in Bogotá or the Iron Man in Cartagena. We need to work with our customers to prevent future claims. One fundamental part of Allianz is helping the public understand risk and affront those risks.