Dutch Association of Insurers
Dutch Association of Insurers
trade association of private insurance companies
The Dutch Association of Insurers represents the interests of private insurance companies operating in the Netherlands. The Association’s members represent more than 95 percent of the insurance market expressed in terms of gross premium income. The Association is an independent organisation managed and financed by its members.
Representative organisation
Disability for work, occupational illnesses, crime control, pensions and road safety. These are just a few of the subjects that insurance companies have to deal with every day. Political decisions and developments in society often have a major impact on the insurance world. This is why it is so important that the interests of insurers, and hence also the interests of their clients, are properly considered in making those decisions and that the industry closely monitors opportunities and threats in determining its policy.
This is precisely where the Dutch Association of Insurers has a role to play, as an association which represents the common interests of private insurance companies in the Netherlands. The Association is involved in many projects, working groups and consultative platforms covering a wide spectrum of public issues. On behalf of its members, the insurance companies, the Association maintains intensive contact with members of parliament and the government in the Netherlands and in Europe, with sister organisations in other countries, with other trade associations and with other representative organisations such as the Consumers’ Association, trade unions and employers’ organisations.
Through its activities the Association establishes a bridgehead between the insurance industry and other sectors of society. This bridgehead role has become particularly important in recent years as the government has assigned more and more responsibility to the market and because insurers realise the importance of keeping their eyes and ears open to what is happening in the world around them.
The Association has four main tasks as a trade association:
> Representing its members to the outside world
The Association’s principal task is to represent the common interests of private insurance companies. The Association provides a voice for its members in discussions with parliament, the government and other organisations. Together with these other parties the Association looks for common ground to find solutions to social problems.
> Promoting the image of the insurance industry
A second task of the Association is to promote and protect the insurance industry’s good name in the Netherlands. Communication is an important element of this aspect of its activities. The Association coordinates the PR for the entire sector, keeps the media informed of the industry’s policy and responds to trends. Via the Association’s website (www.verzekeraars.nl), which is updated every day, anyone interested can keep in touch with the latest insurance news and the activities of the Association.
For a considerable time the objective of the insurance industry has been to restore trust : it must be customer-oriented. This focus has been repeatedly expressed in recent times. But since 2007 the introduction of concrete measures has already proved the insurers’ serious concern with customer orientation. VerzekeraarsVernieuwen (insurers innovate) is what these collective initiatives have been called.
> Providing a platform
The Association must have a mandate to represent its members. The Association secures the support of its members by organising meetings for representatives of the sector. It regularly organizes seminars on themes of topical interest affecting the insurance companies. There is also the annual general assembly where members can discuss general policy. The meetings also have a social function: the Association is so to speak like a club where members can meet each other.
> Providing services
Representing interests means you have to be there for your members. In its role as their representative the Association closely monitors relevant developments and so acts as a centre of expertise for its members. The members are kept informed of activities through various channels. Since the Association coordinates the collective interests of the sector as a whole it plays an advisory role on the policy its members should pursue.
Organisation of the association
The Dutch Association of Insurers has an executive board and four boards for specific sectors: Working Conditions, Life Insurance, Non-life Insurance and Health Insurance. Each sector board takes decisions on subjects specifically relating to the sector and is assisted by various committees. The Association’s executive board is responsible for general policy and decides on issues of major political importance, even where they relate to a specific sector. The executive board also deals with subjects which transcend the insurance industry, such as consumer policy, corporate social responsibility, medical-ethical issues, crime prevention and control, supervision of the insurance industry and reporting.
General meeting
R.R. Latenstein van Voorst MBA (chairman) - SNS REAAL
mr. drs. M.B.A. Keim RA (vicepresident/treasurer) - AEGON
F. Wansink (vicepresident) - Generali
mr. J.P.M. Baeten - ASR Nederland N.V.
mr. W.A.J. van Duin - Achmea
M. Duvivier - UVIT
drs. N.W. Hoek - Delta Lloyd
R. van het Hof - Allianz
drs. R.H. Kliphuis - Nationale-Nederlanden
drs. ir. P.J.A.Th. Loyson - Onderlinge 's-Gravenhage
Organisation of the secretariat
The Association has a secretariat, which is located at Bordewijklaan in The Hague. The internal organisation is built around the Representation sector (which includes the sectors General Policy, Employment Conditions, Life, Non-life and Health). This sector is assisted by the Central Staff department (which includes the departments Public Affairs/Public Relations, Service and Information and Personnel & Organisation departments), the Centre for Insurance Statistics and the Insurance Fraud Bureau. Finally, the General Affairs department provides general facility management services. There are around 120 people working in the Association’s secretariat.
Board of Management
mr. R. Weurding (Managing director)
mr. H.L. De Boer (director)
drs. H.J. Herbert (director)
Secretary: W.F.M. Terwisscha van Scheltinga
Secretariat: Mrs. S.C.J. ten Cate
Central Staff department
Communications Department
Head: C. Groeneweg
Service and Information Department
Head: R. Van Rijn
Personnel & Organisation Department
Head: M.L.C. Simons
Representation
General Affairs
Head: M.L.C. Simons
General Policy / Working Conditions Sector
Head: H.F. Treur
Life / Medical Sector
Head: mrs. C. Verhoog
Non-life Sector
Head: F. Soeteman
Insurance Fraud Bureau
Head: F. Soeteman
Centre for Insurance Statistics
Head: R.L. Santbulte