13. Groupama

GWP less treaty: £619m.

Groupama Insurances

Address:
Groupama House
24-26 Minories
London EC3N 1DE

Telephone: 0870 850 8510

Fax: 020 7264 2862

Email: corporate.office@groupama.co.uk

Website:

Year established: 1999

Major shareholders: Wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupama

Number of UK offices: 7 - In addition to its London HQ, Groupama has offices in Barnet, Birmingham, Croydon, Manchester, Portsmouth and Tonbridge.

Number of UK employees (2002): 1,000

Main lines of business: Personal insurance: home and motor. Commercial insurance: SMEs, commercial packages, motor fleet and tradesmen. Healthcare: accident, sickness, PMI and cashplans.

Company history: The company was formed in 1999, following the merger of GAN Insurance (now Groupama Insurance Company) and Lombard General Insurance Company (now Groupama General Insurance Company).

Groupama can trace its origins to 1840 in France, from where the company grew from its roots in the agricultural community to become one of the world's leading mutual property and casualty insurers and one of Europe's largest financial services groups.

In February 2002, Groupama announced a long-term commitment to Groupama Insurances in the UK. In Marchr, Pierre Lefevre was appointed UK chief executive as the business began to align itself more closely with the strategy of its parent company by moving out of mid-sized and larger property and liability business and into specifically targeted smaller commercial package business.

Groupama has since restructured its commercial insurances operation to focus specifically on the UK's growing SME sector, repositioning itself as 'the supplier of choice for SME protection solutions'.

In April 2003, Francois-Xavier Boisseau was appointed managing director of the UK group's continuing business. Boisseau has operational responsibilities for the implementation of the group's strategy and a key role in delivering its business plans.

Today, the UK group insures over 1 million individuals, together with a growing number of the country's SMEs and affinity groups.

Groupama's focus is on underwriting for profit before volume, offering simple products in mainstream classes of business for smaller, less hazardous risks. The group is committed to supporting its brokers and intermediaries and is keen to forge affinity partnerships that will provide mutually beneficial business opportunities.

Heavy investment is being made in technology to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and optimise Groupama's claims service capability. Already successful in using electronic trading initiatives, such as full cycle EDI for private car business, Groupama is also working to deliver similar full-cycle facilities for other lines of business. Furthermore, Groupama is one of six founding insurers involved in the iMarket initiative, which is set to change the way insurance business is conducted.

Groupama is one of the largest general insurers in the UK to write business entirely through intermediaries (including corporate partners and affinity groups).

Chief officers: Pierre Lefevre, chairman and chief executive

Francois-Xavier Boisseau, managing director.