Last year was an exceptional year for UNIQA Insurance Company partly because this was an extraordinary year for the Hungarian market as a whole. On top of the extra taxes imposed on the Hungarian financial sector, insurance companies also had to deal with unexpected torrential storms and natural disasters. On the other hand, the year marked the twentieth anniversary of our entry into the Hungarian market (through our legal predecessor).

Over the past two decades, we have achieved results that demonstrate that our business model is resistant to negative economic trends. We set up our national sales network and built a clientele of nearly half a million.

Despite the crisis and damages caused by the series of storms, in 2010 our premium revenues increased both in the life and non-life segments. Beyond proving our success, the trust of our customers also places responsibility in our hands. We need to provide services that offer more than conventional forms of insurance do. In Hungary, UNIQA introduced, for example, the first tier structure on life insurance payments and the first unit-linked insurance providing guarantees in Euro. We are proud to be the first to introduce the Storm Alert System and Safe Line assistance technology in Hungary relying on cutting-edge technology, as well as the legal expenses insurance scheme. The Storm-warning service provides information by e-mail or by text message in the event of extreme weather – enabling clients to take measures to prevent damage. During the year the number of satisfied clients using the storm-warning service rose from 20,000 to roughly 70,000. The number of sent text messages exceeds 710,000, and the number of e-mails 150,000. Our other new product, the Safe line service notifies the emergency services in the case of accidents (emergencies) and provides help. During 2010 our operator centre provided help on average four times a month. In 2010 we expanded our group of products for legal expenses insurance, which now comprises products for families, car-owners, property-owners and for hunting. 2010 is the first full year and generated more than HUF 108 million in written premiums from over 9000 policies. We are convinced that this product will make a significant contribution to strengthening our clients’ ability to enforce their legal rights, and exploiting the opportunities inherent in cross sales we trust that what is still a relatively unknown product in Hungary will generate substantial growth in the coming years.

Aside from offering innovative services and a wide range of products, the commitment and expertise of our staff and the excellent partnerships we established also contributed to our success. Alongside acknowledgement from our clients, we have equally earned respect within the sector.

UNIQA’s awards in Hungary
Excellent Call Centre 2010
The customer service of our Company received an Excellent Call Center rating in the TOp 10 Call Center competition launched by GfK Hungária Market Research Institute. In addition to general customer management, through the application of test calls the competition assessed problem solving and phone-based sales as well. We achieved the best result among insurance companies in the Sales category of the Insurance sector, thereby winning the category, and also received an excellent rating in the Complaint Management category.

Superbrand Award 2011
Our services and sponsorship activities have earned us not only the recognition of our clientele but also that of our peers. In 2011 we were awarded the Superbrands rating for the fifth time. The jury, composed of independent marketing experts, deemed the UNIQA brand, our ethical approach and conscious innovation efforts exemplary.

Money Moon Best Choice 2010
As a testament to the outstanding performance of our asset funds, our company was ranked first in six out of eight categories under the Money Moon Best Choice 2010 list, compiled by financial and capital markets magazine Premium Inside on the best performing unit-linked asset funds available on the market. The remarkable returns aside, what we are most proud of is our comparative ranking based on the Sharpe ratio (which uses historical data to establish, under identical levels of risk, the asset management fund capable of delivering the highest rate of return), because it clearly illustrates our ability in delivering stable added value to our investors.

After receiving Hungarian awards, we are now also the proud holders of the international World Finance Insurance Award. This proves to us that we are on the right track, which we will continue to follow. Our customers and partners will be able to count on us in the future too.

Why UNIQA is the insurer of the new generation
We place special emphasis on providing innovative services and applying innovative solutions. Our products feature several unique novelties setting an example for other insurance companies as well. In addition to focusing on the needs of 21st century customers, corporate social responsibility is also a priority and constitutes an integral part of our philosophy. Despite the natural disasters affecting the sector and the challenging economic situation, we remained unwavering supporters of sports and art in 2010. We provided sponsorship to professional associations, amateurs and the paralympics swimmer Tamás Sors. European championship winner and Olympic pentathlon athlete Leila Gyenesei, and the Olympic hammer thrower Krisztián Pars are the “faces” of our company representing the world of sports and healthy living until the 2012 Olympic Games. Our Company has collaborated successfully over the years with the Hungarian Red Cross, the Hungarian Olympic Committee, the triple Olympic winner Hungarian Waterpolo Association, the TEVA-Vasas-UNIQA men’s water polo team and the UNIQA Euroleasing Women’s Basketball team.  Trough the collaboration with the Hungarian Red Cross, we were able to help to the victims of Red Mud catastrophe, and support the National Association of Water Rescue around the Lake Balaton as well. The “The Eight – Under the spell of Cézanne and Matisse” exhibition held in the context of the pécs2010 European Capital of Culture programme, the exhibition of painter Judit Reigl and the Gleen Brown collection in the Ludwig Museum Budapest was the highlights of our art sponsorship events in 2010.