Munich Re Group, or Munich Reinsurance Company, is a German multinational insurance company that provides reinsurance, primary insurance, and insurance-related risk solutions. It is the world's largest reinsurer and offers reinsurance cover for life, health, property, casualty, transport, aviation, space, fire, and engineering business. Munich Re's primary insurance operations are mainly concentrated in the ERGO Insurance Group, which writes all types of life and health insurance and most types of property and casualty insurance. Munich Re also has a presence in the life insurance market through its subsidiaries, such as Munich Re Canada Life and Munich Re UK Life Branch. In addition, Munich Re provides innovative services and products, liquidity, and business ideas to support its clients in the rapidly developing life and health insurance sector.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Company Name | Munich Re Group or Munich Reinsurance Company |
Type of Company | German multinational insurance company |
Location | Munich, Germany |
Type of Insurance | Reinsurance |
Primary Insurance Arm | ERGO, a subsidiary of Munich Re |
Public Listing | Munich Re's shares are publicly listed |
Stock Exchange | DAX index at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Euro Stoxx 50, and other indices |
Year Founded | 1880 |
Founder | Carl von Thieme, Wilhelm von Finck, and Theodor von Cramer-Klett |
Notable Achievements | The only insurer that remained solvent after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake |
Business Units | More than 50 Business Units worldwide |
Types of Reinsurance | Life, health, property, casualty, transport, aviation, space, fire, and engineering |
Gross Premiums Written (2018) | €31.3 billion |
Subsidiaries | American Alternative Insurance Corporation (AAIC), American Digital Title Insurance Company, American Modern Insurance Group (AMIG), Bridgeway Insurance Company, Great Lakes Insurance SE, and many more |
What You'll Learn
Munich Re Life US
The company also provides a suite of digital solutions to increase the speed and accuracy of customer service. These include innovative, data-driven solutions across the entire value chain to help businesses succeed.
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Munich Re's role in oil well insurance
Munich Re is one of the world's largest underwriters and reinsurers. The company offers a range of insurance and reinsurance products and services, including life insurance and health insurance.
In the context of oil well insurance, Munich Re has played a role in backing a startup called OneNexus, which offers a novel form of insurance specifically for oil wells. OneNexus was founded by Tony Sanchez III, the former CEO of Sanchez Energy, and it aims to address the issue of orphan wells and their associated emissions. Oil companies often abandon wells without proper funding for the cleanup process, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
OneNexus offers two options for oil and gas firms:
- Purchase a defined benefit that covers the future cost of plugging a well, which would be paid out after proper decommissioning.
- Transfer the title and legal liability for a well to OneNexus at the end of its useful life. OneNexus would then be responsible for capping the well and any associated costs or legal issues.
Munich Re agreed to provide financing to allow OneNexus to write up to $1.2 billion of well-capping contracts, enough to cover approximately 25,000 wells. This agreement demonstrates Munich Re's involvement in the oil well insurance space and its commitment to supporting innovative solutions in the energy industry.
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Munich Re's subsidiaries
Munich Re Group, or Munich Reinsurance Company, is a German multinational insurance company that is the world's largest reinsurer. It has subsidiaries, branches, and group companies worldwide. Here is a detailed overview of Munich Re's subsidiaries:
ERGO Group
ERGO, a subsidiary of Munich Re, is the primary insurance arm of the Munich Re Group. ERGO writes all types of life and health insurance and most types of property and casualty insurance. It has a presence in over 30 countries and services around 35 million clients worldwide. The ERGO Group includes insurance subsidiaries such as D.A.S., DKV, and Europäische Reiseversicherung AG, as well as the IT service provider ITERGO. In 2018, ERGO had a gross premium written of about €17.8 billion, making it one of the largest primary insurers in Germany and Europe.
MEAG MUNICH ERGO AssetManagement GmbH
MEAG, founded in 1999, manages the assets and investments of Munich Re, ERGO, and external clients. In 2018, MEAG managed Munich Re's global investments, amounting to €264 billion.
Munich Re Foundation
The Munich Re Foundation is a charitable organisation founded by Munich Re in 2005. It is equipped with a capital of €50 million and focuses on developing solutions for people at risk in newly industrialising and developing countries. The foundation's main areas of concern include environmental and climatic changes, microinsurance and poverty reduction, water as a resource and risk factor, and disaster prevention.
American Modern Insurance Group (AMIG)
AMIG is a national leader in the property and casualty insurance market in the US. It offers residential and recreational products to protect against specialty risks.
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Hartford Steam Boiler applies specialised data and engineering experience to underwrite portfolios for various businesses, including commercial, equipment-intensive industries, homes, and farms.
Munich Re Life US - Munich American Reassurance Company, Inc.
Munich Re Life US is a leading life reinsurer that partners with clients to leverage smart, connected data and new technologies. They help their clients make confident, informed decisions and gain a deeper understanding of their underlying risks.
Munich Re Specialty
Munich Re Specialty offers specialised solutions and niche products in various regions, including Ireland, the UK, North America, and Canada.
Munich Re Automation Solutions Ltd
Munich Re Automation Solutions provides digital solutions and advanced analytics for the insurance industry.
Munich Re Canada Life and Munich Re UK Life Branch
These subsidiaries provide reinsurance cover for life insurance in their respective regions.
Munich Re Canada Non-Life and Munich Re US - Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.
These subsidiaries provide reinsurance for non-life risks in Canada and the US, respectively.
Other Subsidiaries
Munich Re has numerous other subsidiaries and group companies worldwide, including the American Alternative Insurance Corporation (AAIC), Great Lakes Insurance SE, Munich Re Investment Partners, NewRe - New Reinsurance Company, and Temple Insurance Company.
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Munich Re's history
Munich Re Group, or Munich Reinsurance Company, is a German multinational insurance company based in Munich, Germany. It was founded in 1880 by Carl von Thieme, a native of Erfurt who was the representative in Bavaria of his father's Thuringia insurance company.
In its early years, Munich Reinsurance Company faced intense competition in the market. Despite this, Thieme was convinced that reinsurance had great potential and gathered wealthy investors to establish a reinsurer that was independent of primary insurers. Under his management, Munich Re quickly became the leading reinsurer in Germany.
International risk diversification was part of Munich Re's corporate strategy from the outset. The company's first foreign client was Allgemeine Versicherungsgesellschaft Phönix in Vienna, and it also succeeded in entering the US market indirectly through a treaty with Transatlantische Feuer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft in Hamburg.
In 1886, Munich Re opened its first branch outside of Germany, in Paris. The company continued to expand its international presence in the following years, particularly in the Russian marine insurance market.
In 1888, Munich Re's shares were introduced on the Munich Stock Exchange, and the company's first life reinsurance treaty was signed with the Russian Company for the Insurance of Capital and Annuities in St. Petersburg.
In 1889, Carl Thieme and Wilhelm Finck agreed to establish an independent accident and marine insurance company in Berlin, resulting in the founding of Allianz Versicherungs-AG.
By 1890, Munich Re had many business clients across continental Europe, but it lacked a strong presence in the United Kingdom and the United States, the two leading insurance markets at the time. To address this, the company opened an office in London in 1890 and entered the US market in 1892.
In the early 1900s, Munich Re continued to diversify its business, developing new forms of insurance for machinery, luggage, and motor liability. The company also experienced significant growth, with its gross premium income reaching 204 million marks by 1913-1914, solidifying its position as the undisputed global market leader among reinsurance companies before the First World War.
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Munich Re's charitable foundation
Munich Re Group, or Munich Reinsurance Company, is a German multinational insurance company based in Munich, Germany. It is the world's largest reinsurer.
Munich Re Foundation
The Munich Re Foundation is a charitable organisation founded by Munich Re in 2005. It is equipped with a capital of €50 million and predominantly works in newly industrialising and developing countries. The foundation's main areas of focus are:
- Environmental and climatic changes
- Microinsurance and poverty reduction
- Water as a resource and risk factor
- Disaster prevention
The foundation's working motto is 'Munich Re Foundation – from knowledge to action'. Its main activities concentrate on four fields: knowledge accumulation and implementation, clarification and sensitisation, networking of experts, and direct help and support of local projects.
The foundation works with local, national, and international partners, with most projects fitting within a global framework. The focus is primarily on people in the developing world, as these countries have a harder time adapting to climate and environmental changes.
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Frequently asked questions
Munich Re Group or Munich Reinsurance Company (German: Münchener Rück; Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft) is a German multinational insurance company based in Munich, Germany. It is the world's largest reinsurer.
Munich Re is a reinsurance company, meaning it assures part of the risk covered by insurance companies. Munich Re's primary insurance operations are mainly concentrated in the ERGO Insurance Group, which writes all types of life and health insurance and most types of property and casualty insurance.
Reinsurance is a form of insurance that is purchased by insurance companies to protect themselves from losses. Reinsurance allows insurance companies to reduce their risk exposure and provide more coverage to their clients.
Yes, Munich Re has several subsidiaries that sell life insurance, including Munich Re Canada Life, Munich Re UK Life Branch, and Munich Re Life US - Munich American Reassurance Company, Inc.