Reinsurance Company of the Year (GWP of more than $2bn) winner: Swiss Re

With a score of 190 Swiss Re took the lead, closely followed by Munich Re with a score of 175. Hannover Re and SCOR followed with a score of 155 each, followed by PartnerRe with 120.

Swiss Re secured first place in both the client service category and the innovation category, taking second in the expertise and market knowledge and ability to pay claims categories.

It’s been a busy year for Swiss Re as it continued to tighten the strategic focus of the group. In July, the reinsurer acquired RSA’s Sun Alliance Insurance (China) for £71 million.

The reinsurer received masses of praise throughout the survey. One respondent said: “Swiss Re has a consistent and strong service ethic”, while another added that it was “hard to beat the research capabilities and global reach” of the reinsurer.

Leadership at Swiss Re was highly praised along with “friendly staff” who are “always available and respond quickly”.

“They offer an excellent service and have been doing it for a long time.”

The reinsurer was also commended on its creativity in “applying unique solutions” and its “leading analytical capabilities”. Comments continued in this fashion throughout the survey, with Swiss Re receiving high praise on its performance on claims, the extent of its research and its “expertise along with competitive rates”.

In the second quarter of 2014, Michel Liès, Swiss Re’s group CEO, said: ”$2.0 billion profit in the first six months of 2014 is an impressive result. I’m especially pleased as it demonstrates our strong client relationships, and obviously translates well into shareholder value. We see the insurance market generally softening.

“Thanks to our leading position we continue to take advantage of opportunities as they arise—for example in high growth markets—and actively manage our overall portfolio. I am confident that Swiss Re will remain successful at every stage of the cycle.”

Munich Re took second place, after securing top spot in the pay claims and market knowledge and expertise categories. The reinsurer was consistently commended throughout the survey, particularly on its overall high standards.

“They always give us prompt and reliable attention.”

The German reinsurer was praised highly for its reliability and timely responses, along with the scale and breadth of its expertise. It was also praised for considering “just about any type of risk” and offering flexible solutions and plenty of innovation.

Hannover Re took second place in the innovation category and scored well throughout the rest of the survey. The reinsurer was praised on its responsiveness and professional service. “They are experts in the non-traditional reinsurance field,” said one respondent.

PartnerRe was commended for its in-depth approach to clients’ needs. One respondent said that PartnerRe was “keen to develop its global specialities and is thorough and rewarding to work with”.

SCOR received a number of positive comments throughout the survey and took second place in the client service category. Chairman and CEO Denis Kessler received high praise, along with consistent approval for the rest of the team.

Companies were awarded points for their positioning in the prior relevant categories in which they featured: 50 for first place, 45 for second place, 40 for third etc down to tenth place. Companies that performed well in more categories had the chance to gain more points than those that did not feature in all.