EDITORIAL
December 06,2021
In the high-risk insurance brokerage and consulting market there is currently great emphasis on consolidation. With this in mind, our parent company, SIACI SAINT HONORE, has just merged with DIOT-LSN, a leading broker that is part of the Franco-Swiss Burrus Group. The new DIOT-SIACI entity has therefore become one of the world's top 10 brokers with more than 5,000 staff in 42 countries and revenue of almost EUR 700 million. In Switzerland, Swiss Risk & Care and Qualibroker, subsidiaries of SIACI SAINT HONORE and the Burrus Group respectively, will gradually initiate their merger to create a single, coherent and ambitious group. Swiss Risk & Care is already the leading company in French-speaking Switzerland. This merger allows us to extend our scope towards the German-speaking part of Switzerland, as Qualibroker is well established in Zurich and Liechtenstein. In these areas, Qualibroker is quite close to our business model. This union will double our positions and enable us to become a true national player. We will continue our development using our business model, as it has proved its effectiveness and is perfectly aligned with the new Group's strategy: to become an alternative to the large local and international brokers for clients of SMEs, International Organisations, Large Companies and Multinationals here in Switzerland. We will take the time required to ensure that this merger is a success both internally and externally. A marriage is first and foremost a human journey. We have to get to know one another, learn to respect each other, assess our practices and define the best path to take to achieve consensus. This is a real challenge, and the answers are to be found at local level. It must be guided by a single purpose: to provide the best service to our clients, and for our clients to be convinced of the benefits of our services! The benefits are exactly what we will be looking at in this article. Employee benefits are an essential lever for HR departments in retaining and attracting staff. Insurance and pension schemes can make an effective contribution to this. Your broker is there to assist you in exploring these often overlooked avenues. I would like to take advantage of this holiday season to thank you for your trust and to wish you and your loved ones a very happy new year in 2022.
This article was published in Insurance Inside n°24 - December 2021.
November 17, 2021
The merger between the DIOT-LSN and SIACI SAINT HONORÉ groups has been given the green light from the European Union and the regulators and authorities in the various countries where the new Group will be operating. The birth of the leading independent European insurance broker operating worldwide took place on November 16, 2021. The new group will generate turnover of almost €700 million, with 5,000 employees in 42 countries.
The transaction signed on July 2 between the BURRUS GROUP, headed by Christian Burrus the majority shareholder of DIOT-LSN, and SIACI SAINT HONORE, chaired by Pierre Donnersberg, was completed on November 16, paving the way for the creation of a new European leader in insurance brokerage, reinsurance and risk management consulting.
By becoming one of the world's top 10 players in large corporate risks, the new group is positioning itself as a key player in this market alongside the global brokers from across the Atlantic.
The Burrus Group and the management of the new entity will hold the majority of the capital and voting rights, thus guaranteeing its independence. Alongside them, the presence of leading investors, led by the Canadian pension fund Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board with a 30% stake, Bpifrance with 10%, Cathay Capital with 5% and Mubadala Investment Company in addition to Ardian which is already an existing shareholder in the SIACI SAINT HONORE Group, confirms the international ambitions of the new Group.
Pierre Donnersberg will be Chairman of the new "DIOT-SIACI" group and Christian Burrus will become Vice-Chairman and Managing Director within an Executive Committee of directors from both entities.
In Switzerland, Swiss Risk & Care and Qualibroker, respectively subsidiaries of SIACI SAINT HONORE and GROUPE BURRUS, will gradually begin to merge to create a single coherent and ambitious Group.
For Pierrick Leprince, CEO of Swiss Risk & Care: "We will take the necessary time to make this merger a success both internally and externally. It reinforces our position as a leader in French-speaking Switzerland. Our top priority remains to serve our clients."
Grégory Féret, CEO of Qualibroker adds: "The skills and experience of the employees of our two groups will enable us to help our clients face the current challenges of a rapidly changing market."
DIOT-SIACI is a leading insurance brokerage and consulting group in France, operating in more than forty countries. It designs and develops customized solutions for its clients which include Large and Mid-cap companies, SMEs-SMIs and professionals, in personal insurance, and property and liability insurance. DIOT-SIACI has a stable, family-owned shareholding base which means it can support its clients over the long term and across the entire value chain in Property & Casualty, Marine and Cargo, Professional Liability, Employee Benefits and Consulting and International Mobility. The Group has almost 5,000 employees and expects to achieve turnover of almost €700 million in 2021.
www.s2hgroup.com
Press relations: Havas - Amélie de Bourbon Parme +33 1 57 77 71 91 s2h@havas.com
Swiss Risk & Care is the leading broker in French-speaking Switzerland in the fields of insurance, pension and human resources services. It positions itself as a solution architect for its clients, both companies and individuals. Its mission is to deliver high value-added services in response to the challenges that decision-makers face on a daily basis.
www.swissriskcare.ch Press relations: Valérie Cruchet +41 79 665 96 41 | vcruchet@swissriskcare.ch
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