The GEB Network Meeting took place this year in the heart of Berlin, where about 200 delegates from 50 countries gathered to discuss how to give our clients the competitive edge they need in fast changing and high-demanding scenarios.
This annual appointment provides the opportunity for all our Network partners to share experiences from their regions, discuss market needs and strategies to work together to keep improving our customer experience.
The agenda this year reflected the ambitious vision informing the strategy of Generali worldwide: reduce the burden and create value for our clients, thanks to a smarter use of data, and establish new partnerships to foster innovation (see the recent partnerships with OBI Mobiles).
Opening the three-day event, Paolo Vagnone, Head of Generali Global Business Lines (GBL), highlighted the strengthened capacity of GBL to integrate Generali top class corporate insurance solutions and thus provide a one-stop shop for business’ risk management needs.
During the following two days, the event programme included thematic workshops and hands-on seminars to analyse how to respond to common challenges (from demographic trends to regulatory pressures) that are placing employee benefits high in Human Resources and Risk Managers’ agenda.
Three main areas of innovation were investigated by attendees:
- Pension and savings, including global trends and future scenarios;
- Wellness solutions, and in particular data availability, return on investment and advantages of global governance; and
- internationalisation of middle market, with tailored solutions to facilitate Small and Medium sized Companies entering the group benefits market and formulating plans to engage their employees.
Countries from Singapore to Slovakia shared best practice and experts contributed to identify how to roll them out in other countries. “When we meet a client as GEB we are perceived as world leader” commented a local partner in the debate on how GEB governance can provide support and empowerment within the network to scale up achievements and to take advantage of synergies.
Further food for thought was provided by the inspirational speech of this year keynote speaker: Professor Simon Anholt.
Professor Anholt is an independent policy advisor who helps national and local governments develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries.
The provocative idea of nations as brands launched his career back in 1998 when he declared governments should carefully manage their reputation and public profile when competing (on FDI, tourists, talents, events…) on the global stage.
To join the GEB Meeting this year he returned to Berlin where in 2014 he presented his new project at a TED talk - soon got viral: the Good Country Index. The index is built in response to findings on what the main driver of a strong image is: being good.
What it takes to be good at global scale? “It is not about morality. Interconnected global challenges led to the rise of a global public opinion, interested not much in what happens within a single country but in how each country contributes to a better world” (based on parameters ranging from research publications and patents, to employment measures).
Companies have a role to play too: “CSR is not a gift for society, it is something companies have to do. Particularly with new generation of employees with a strong global mind-set, the net income is not the only criteria they value. They are looking for meaning, for being proud ... It is about feeling rewarded. It requires a long term vision and a bit of wisdom from governments and companies alike, but in our increasingly social world the vocabulary of key drivers and aspirations is already shifting: from richness to happiness to meaningful”.
GEB partners commented and shared their strong belief that delivering and measuring impact, as well as creating and effectively communicating value, will play a major role in Employee Benefits strategies in the upcoming years.
We would like to thank all participants who contributed with their energy and enthusiasm to the success of this conference, and look forward to celebrating with you all GEB 50th Anniversary in 2016.