Mario Greco has told has told shareholders the group will see better results after a disappointing 2015.
Zurich Group new chief executive Mario Greco has told shareholders that the group will see better results after a disappointing 2015.
In his first public address since taking over as group boss Greco said: “Based on what I have seen so far and on what I know of Zurich I am confident that we will be able to improve shareholders returns and group profitability.”
Greco, who replaced Martin Senn after he left suddenly in December, has joined his former employer following a difficult 2015 for the insurer.
The insurer has suffered a double-whammy of a ballooning cost base and worsening claims performance on large losses.
The combined operating ratio jumped 17.9 percentage points to a loss-making 109.5% (2014: 91.6%).
The losses in the UK came as the group announced a 53% drop in profit and thousands more job cuts.
The UK losses were almost exclusively caused by the estimated $275m (£189.8m) of claims from the storms and flooding in the UK and Ireland as well as a series of large individual claims, including the fire at stately home Clandon Park.
Shares also fell 17% last year, the stock’s worst performance since 2008, in response to a sluggish performance in the GI business and back-to-back quarterly profit warnings, Reuters reports.
In his speech to shareholders Greco said his three priorities were gaining a deeper understanding of the root causes of Zurich’s under performance, restoring confidence in the company and positioning the group for the future.
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