Achmea is a leading private insurance company based in the Netherlands, with a customer base of more than 10 million insurance customers, mainly in the Netherlands. Achmea provides primarily insurance services, including health, life and non-life, as well as pension and asset management services. Its subsidiary Achmea Bank also provides retail banking services (including mortgage loans and savings) to private customers in the Netherlands. The insurance group is also active in Greece, Turkey, Slovakia and Canada, and has a partnership with Rabobank in Australia.
Achmea is structured as a cooperative and therefore held in majority (65%) by its customers through the Achmea Association (Vereniging Achmea). Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. (Rabobank) holds one third of the shares of Achmea and the remainder is held by cooperative financial institutions elsewhere in Europe.
In the Netherlands, Achmea has three leading brands: Centraal Beheer, Zilveren Kruis and Interpolis. It also operates insurance activities under the following Dutch and international brands: FBTO, Avéro, Inshared, De Friesland, Pro Life, OZF, Woonfonds, Hagelunie, Eurocross Assistance, Eureko Sigorta, InterAmerican, Union Slovakia and Onlia. Achmea offers asset management for institutional and private investors and Syntrus Achmea invests in real estate and mortgages on behalf of institutional investors.
Achmea and CSR
Our products and services have an important social function. The world around us is changing rapidly and confronts our customers with new uncertainties. We link up with contemporary products and services with a social impact. Innovation and smart use of data play an important role in this. By this we want to be customer relevant and trendsetting for our customers and for society.
The products and services we deliver provide solutions to risks too substantial to be borne by any individual party. This is another aspect of solidarity that is inherent to our business.
Achmea regularly meets with his stakeholders. For instance, in 2013 Achmea took the initiative of De Kamer (The Chamber): bringing together wholesale clients several times a year, to talk with each other about societal issues linked to Dutch entrepreneurship.
As a touchstone for our societal actions, Achmea endorses the Principles of Sustainable Insurance (PSI) and the Principles on Responsible Investment (PRI)
CSR has been embedded in Achmea’s corporate strategy. Central to this is our mission to contribute to a healthy, safe and future proof society and to this end we have defined five focus areas in which we aim to have a positive impact for our stakeholders. These focus areas are:
- Good health closer to everyone
- Clean, safe and smart mobility
- Safe home, living and working environments
- Carefree entrepreneurship and good employership
- (Financial) solutions for now, tomorrow and later
These were selected based partly on insights derived from the dialogue we conduct with our stakeholders and on our environmental analysis.
Achmea wants to contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 SDGs together form the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We believe it is important to participate in this agenda. We aim to excel in SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 13 (Climate action). These three SDGs touch on major trends and risks that our customers and society face and are closely bound up with Achmea’s core business. Our choice of SDG’s is strategic in nature. They are close to the core of our company, our cooperative identity and encourage innovation and growth.
Achmea encourages and supports activities that focus on social involvement and solidarity. A large number of Achmea employees are active as volunteers for social activities. Achmea stimulates these activities with extra days off.
The Achmea Foundation and Achmea Victim and Society Foundation focus on strengthening the resilience of vulnerable groups in society. The Achmea Foundation makes € 100,000 available annually, to financially support twenty volunteer organizations to which employees contribute.
Achmea and Sustainability on the web
www.achmea.nl/en/sustainabiity