Helvetia Holding history, profile and corporate video
Helvetia Holding AG is an insurance and financial services company headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Helvetia Holding is the parent company of the insurance group Helvetia Group.
Helvetia Group operates in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Spain, as well as in Latin America and Asia. The Group offers vehicle insurance, leisure and travel insurance, pet insurance, personal liability insurance, home insurance, pensions & health insurance, business insurance, and other financial services.
HISTORY
Helvetia was established in 1858 as Allgemeine Versicherungsgesellschaft Helvetia in St Gall.
In 1861, Helvetia Schweizerische Feuerversicherungsgesellschaft was founded in St Gall.
In 1862, Helvetia Feuer started business operations in Germany (Bremen and Hamburg).
In 1864, the first own German branch of Helvetia Feuer (Karlsruhe), Anker opened the tenth branch (Salzburg) and first representative offices outside of the Austrian Empire.
In 1876, Helvetia Feuer opened a branch in California in the US.
In 1878, Basler Sterbe- und Alterskasse was founded in Basel.
In 1882, Basler Sterbe- und Alterskasse changed its name to Schweizerische Sterbe- und Alterskasse.
In 1883, Previsión Española was founded in Seville, Spain.
In 1895, Schweizerische Sterbe- und Alterskasse merged with the Bernese Cantonal Sterbe- und Alterskasse.
In 1896, Helvetia Feuer started business operations in New York in the US.
In 1900, La Vasco Navarra was founded in Pamplona, Spain.
In 1910, Schweizerische Sterbe- und Alterskasse changed its name to Patria, Schweizerische Lebensversicherungsgesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit.
In 1921, Helvetia Feuer started business operations in Paris, France.
In 1930, Cervantes was founded in Madrid.
In 1938, Helvetia Feuer started business operations in Canada.
In 1946, Helvetia Feuer acquired the Belgian insurance company Uranus S.A. in Antwerp.
In 1948, Helvetia Feuer took up business operations in the property insurance in Italy.
In 1949, Helvetia Allgemeine acquired a majority stake in Les Assurances Françaises in Lyon.
In 1951, Helvetia Feuer acquired Het Hollandsche Kruis N. V. Verzekering Maatschappij in The Hague, the Netherlands.
In 1959, Helvetia Feuer acquired a stake in Previsión Española.
In 1960, Helvetia Feuer obtained a holding in Assurances Françaises in Lyon.
In 1962, Helvetia Feuer acquired a stake in Anker.
In 1968, Helvetia Feuer merged with Helvetia Unfall (twin shares).
In 1968, Helvetia Feuer also withdrew from its US business.
In 1972, Helvetia Feuer sold its holding in Assurances Françaises.
In 1974, Helvetia Feuer and Helvetia Allgemeine merged to become Helvetia Feuer.
In 1986, Helvetia Feuer acquired Cervantes and sold Uranus S.A.
In 1987, Helvetia Leben Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main, and Helvetia Vita, Milan, were founded.
In 1988, Helvetia Feuer became Helvetia.
In 1989, Helvetia International, Frankfurt am Main was founded.
In 1990, Helvetia resumed its business activities in the new German federal states.
In 1995, Helvetia sold its Dutch business.
In 1996, Helvetia Patria Holding was founded.
In 1997, the Greek business was sold.
In 1998, La Vasco Navarra was acquired in Pamplona (Spain).
In 1998, the NCD portfolio (Italy) was also acquired.
In 1999, a cooperation agreement with the Swiss Raiffeisen Group was started and two Spanish companies Cervantes and La Vasco Navarra, merged to create Helvetia CVN. That year, the Canadian business was also sold.
In 2000, Previsión Española, Seville, was acquired.
In 2001, Norwich Union Vita, Milan was acquired and renamed Helvetia Life.
In 2002, the company acquired the transport insurance business of UK-based Royal & Sun Alliance in France.
In 2003, the two Spanish companies Helvetia CVN and Previsión Española merged to create Helvetia Previsión.
In 2004, two transport insurance portfolios from France were acquired.
In 2005, the Italian companies Helvetia Vita and Helvetia Life merged to create Helvetia Vita
In 2005, the insurance portfolio of Sofi d Vita in Italy was also acquired.
In 2006, Helvetia Patria Group started operating under the name Helvetia.
In 2008, the company took over Padana Assicurazioni S.p.A. and Chiara Vita S.p.A.
In 2009, Helvetia acquired the French transport insurer L´Européenne d´Assurance Transport (CEAT).
In 2010, the Swiss insurance companies Alba Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Alba), Phenix Versicherungsgesellschaft AG and Phenix Lebensversicherungsgesellschaft AG (Phenix) were acquired.
In 2011, Helvetia merged with Alba Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Alba), Phenix Versicherungsgesellschaft AG and Phenix Lebensversicherungsgesellschaft AG (Phenix).
In 2011, the company also sold the Alba/Phenix health/accident insurance portfolio to the insurance companies innova and Solida.
In 2012, Helvetia took over the French transport insurance portfolio of Gan Eurocourtageand the SEV Versicherungen Genossenschaft portfolio and its approximately 15,000 policyholders. That year, Helvetia also acquired a majority stake in Chiara Assicurazioni and increased its holding in Chiara Vita from 70% to 100%.
In 2014, Helvetia acquired Basler Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft in Austria, becoming one of the largest insurance companies in Austria. That year, it also took over Schweizerische National-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (“Nationale Suisse”).
In 2015, Helvetia merged with Nationale Suisse.
In 2016, the major Gotthard Basel Tunnel Construction Site Insurance project was completed.
With more than 11,000 employees, Helvetia is considered one of one of the largest insurance companies in Switzerland. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.helvetia.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “Helvetia Versicherungen Schweiz“.