The Other CEE Markets segment includes Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The companies in the Other CEE markets segment contributed 6.8% of the total premiums of the Group.
Albania
The Albanian company Sigma Sh.a. was established in 1998 in Tirana. Besides its operations in Albania, it also operates through a branch office in Kosovo. Around 240 employees provide service to its Albanian insurance customers. Sigma was first included in the Vienna Insurance Group consolidated financial statements in 2009.
Bulgaria
The Vienna Insurance Group is represented in Bulgaria by Bulstrad Insurance JSC, Bulstrad Life Insurance JSC, Bulgarski Imoti Non-Life Insurance Company, and Bulgarski Imoti Life Insurance Company. Bulstrad non-life has more than 500 employees, and is the leading insurance company in Bulgaria. Bulstrad life focuses on traditional life insurance, as well as casualty and health insurance products.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
The Vienna Insurance Group is represented in the Baltic countries by the life insurance company Compensa Life, formerly Seesam Life Insurance SE. The company has around 20 sales offices with around 120 employees in these three countries. Compensa Life was established in the Estonian capital of Tallinn in 1993 and expanded into Latvia in 1999 and Lithuania in 2001. Compensa Life has been a member of the Vienna Insurance Group since 2007. The three companies were first included in the Vienna Insurance Group consolidated financial statements in 2009.
Croatia
The Vienna Insurance Group plans to merge its Croatian Group companies Helios Vienna Insurance Group d.d. and Cosmopolitan Life Vienna Insurance Group d.d. during the course of the coming year. This will allow the Vienna Insurance Group to consolidate and take greater advantage of synergies in Croatia as well, as part of the Group-wide, forward-looking action plan begun in the spring of 2009. In the future, the company formed by the merger will operate in the high-growth Croatian insurance market under the name Helios Vienna Insurance Group d.d., a composite insurer offering attractive insurance solutions in both the life and non-life sectors. In addition to Helios, the Vienna Insurance Group is also represented by Kvarner and Erste osiguranje in the Croatian market.
Macedonia
In Macedonia, the Vienna Insurance Group is represented by Winner Vienna Insurance Group a.d.o. Originally established under the name Sigma in 2002, the company changed its name to Winner in 2009. The new name will give this non-life insurance company an even more dynamic presence in the Macedonian insurance market. The non-life Insurance company has been a member of the Vienna Insurance Group family since 2007, and was included in the Group’s consolidated financial statements for the first time in 2009.
Serbia
The composite insurance company Wiener Städtische osiguranje a.d.o. Beograd has represented the Vienna Insurance Group in the Serbian market since 2003, and is the leading life insurance company in Serbia. The company has a strong, salaried field sales force, with more than 900 employees in around 50 sales offices contributing to its success. Sales of insurance products are also increased by a long-term distribution agreement concluded between Wiener Städtische osiguranje and Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad in 2008.
Turkey
The Vienna Insurance Group is represented by Ray Sigorta A.Ş. in the Turkish insurance market. The company was established in 1958, has around 260 employees in eight offices, and operates in the non-life area with a focus on motor insurance. Ray Sigorta works in cooperation with more than 700 agents and brokers.
Ukraine
The Vienna Insurance Group operates through four insurance companies in Ukraine: CJS UIC Kniazha, IC Globus Insurance Company, CJSC Life Insurance Jupiter Vienna Insurance Group and CJSC Insurance Company (UIG). Kniazha was founded in 1997 and operates very successfully as a non-life insurer in the motor insurance segment. Globus and UIG also help to strengthen the Vienna Insurance Group’s position in the motor insurance segment. Jupiter represents the Vienna Insurance Group in the life insurance area. Distribution alternatives were expanded by means of a cooperative arrangement concluded with the Erste Group’s Ukrainian subsidiary in order to take advantage of additional potential in the Ukrainian insurance market.
Hungary
The Vienna Insurance Group is represented in Hungary by the composite insurer Union Vienna Insurance Group Biztosító and the life insurance company Erste Vienna Insurance Group Biztosító Zrt. (ESB). Union has around 250 employees in 25 offices, and offers a full range of insurance solutions for both retail and corporate customers. ESB sells its products through the branch network of Erste Bank Hungary Nyrt.
Compare to 2008