16 : HDI Group

Worldwide GWP for 1998 (£000s):
£4,356,896 (1997: £3,801,869)

chief officer:
Wolf-Dieter Baumgartl

Biography:
1967 - Law degree at Erlangen University
1973 - Aachener und Muenchener Versicherung AG in Aachen, ultimately as department manager
1977 - Member of board of Thuringia Versicherung AG, Munich
1981- Member of board of Aachener und Muenchener Versicherung AG, Aachen
1985 - chairman of the board at Aachener und Muenchener Versicherung AG, Aachen
1991 - chairman of the board at AMB Aachener und Muenchener Beteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft, Aachen
1993 - chairman of the board at HDI
Year company established: 1903

Address, telephone and fax number of European head office:
Riethorst 2
30659 Hannover
Germany
Tel: +49 511 645 0
Fax: +49 511 645 4545
http://www.hdi.de

Brief company history :
Founded in 1903 by German industry as a self help facility, HDI has grown steadily in the course of this century.

Modelled on HDI, in 1920 Feuerschadenverband rheinischwestfalischer Zechen (Fire Damage Association of Rhineland - Westphalian Collieries) was set up in Bochum. From the outset the two companies worked together closely -so closely that they merged in 1970.

In 1923 HDI founded an reinsurance subsidiary, Eisen and Stahl Ruckversicherungs AG, which today goes by the name of E+S Re. This marked HDI's entry into the reinsurance business which was expanded when Hannover Re was established in 1996.

The HDI Group received its present structure in 1996 after a strong expansion in reinsurance and life insurance. In 1999 and early 2000 it restructured itself to place its main emphasis on on-line and telephone discount sales.

Main classes of business written:
All classes except Health

Worldwide net written premium for 1998 (£000s):
£3,667,394

Worldwide net written premium for 1997 (£000s):
£3,241,221