HDI swoops on AXA XL for new Swiss-based digital solutions unit

Germany-based  Talanx Group's industrial lines insurer  HDI Global has launched a new digital solutions unit based in Switzerland, with the hiring of Meryem Seyyar and three others from re/insurer  AXA XL.

Led by Seyyar, the new team will include Matthew Hammer as underwriting manager, responsible for autonomous systems, technology and crypto currency; Sarah Turan as underwriter for digital products and Asian markets; and Jan Schumacher as pricing analyst.

Seyyar has held responsibility for this line of business in the past as underwriting manager shared economy & Hub Underwriting, International Casualty, at AXA XL in Switzerland and has an expertise in online platforms and mobility ecosystems.

The unit will be a part of the liability line of HDI Global and will operate from its location in Switzerland. It will develop tailor-made, holistic insurance solutions for digital business models and products.

Mukadder Erdönmez, member of the management board of HDI Global SE, said: “All new colleagues will contribute a great deal of expertise in the area of digital business models and products. As a modern industrial lines insurer, this will make our insurance solutions and services even more attractive for our portfolio customers and for new customers.”

Verena Brenner, managing director of HDI TH!NX, added: “The new colleagues will help us to further expand our underwriting competence in the HDI Group for the protection of new digital business models. We will work together in order to develop insurance solutions for our customers that will enable us to protect and support their business models. The result is that we are thereby accelerating the development of digital business models even more at our customers.”

Seyyar commented: “We are operating in a segment that is undergoing strong growth – with a team that has already been working with digital business models for several years and with the new role of insurance in this sector. We are now in possession of valuable know-how.

"Many new digital business models have been created in the New Economy and traditional models have undergone rapid development. Meanwhile, there are a large number of digital ecosystems and technologies, e.g. Autonomous Driving Systems & Vehicles, Mobility Solutions, Integrated Technologies, Smart Contracts & Tokenisation and Asset Sharing on Internet platforms. Innovative operating risks are coming into being at these companies that no longer fit traditional insurance logic. This creates new risk models for insurance cover for which we need to provide a robust structure in order to deliver appropriate and sustainable solutions for customers. This will be our mission.”

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