We are a leading specialist insurer with: Catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes
Why invest balance that creates opportunity
throughout the cycle;
could hit at any time, and naturally would have
an impact on our business. Therefore twice
in Hiscox? strong financial performance; a year, in our analysts’ presentations and on our
a transparent approach to risk; website, we publish estimates of what the Group’s
specialist expertise that is valued losses would be should such a catastrophe occur.
by our customers.
Our people
Our business Specialist expertise that is valued
A balanced portfolio that creates by our customers
opportunity throughout a cyclical market We are market leaders in many of our specialist
8.0%
Increase in gross premiums
Hiscox’s strategy is to balance the more volatile
catastrophe-exposed insurance and reinsurance
with steady local specialty insurance. Our
areas and our customers value the expertise
and cover we provide.
written diversity by product and geography gives us What our UK customers said:*
great flexibility, particularly in a tough commercial 97% of home insurance customers
environment. We are able to grow and shrink were satisfied that we answered their
the catastrophe-exposed lines according questions and provided the information
to market conditions. Currently, rates for they needed today;
reinsurance, which makes up 28% of our 94% of our home insurance customers
income, are healthy. When these rates are surveyed were satisfied with the service
no longer favourable, we have the flexibility they received.
to shrink this side of the business. Our local
specialty insurance business tends to be In Europe, a survey** of our brokers saw
steadier throughout the insurance cycle and Hiscox rated as a leading high net worth
we have successfully grown our retail lines insurance brand.
by 8.9% year-on-year over the last five years.
Hiscox was awarded ‘Best small business
Our performance insurer’ as voted for by Start your Business
Strong financial performance magazine. As well as the Customer Care award
Hiscox has a strong record of top-line growth at The British Insurance Awards 2012, for putting
with a focus on ROE. Performance highlights our customers at the heart of our business and
between 2008 and 2012 include: moving against the tide by bringing our direct
increased gross written premiums household claims back in-house.
by 36.5% to over £1.5 billion;
healthy combined ratio averaging 87.3%; Hiscox won Company of the Year at the
delivered average ROE of 14.9%; 2012 London Market Awards, recognising
maintained a progressive dividend policy the strength of the business over the previous
with compound growth of 9.0%; 18 months. Robert Hiscox was presented with
returned additional £150 million of capital. a lifetime achievement award at both the 2012
London Market Awards and the 2012 Insurance
Our expertise Insider awards.
A transparent approach to risk
* Results from our monthly customer satisfaction survey for customers
The very business of insurance is managing risk. telephoning one of our UK-based contact centres.
** Results from a survey of 301 existing household/commercial brokers
The understanding of risk is intrinsic to every in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, 1 January 2012 –
31 December 2012.
level of decision-making in the Group. We devote
a great deal of expertise to understanding
the impact of global events and model these
rigorously. We also draw on over 100 years
of experience in insurance to assess these risks.
The quality of our people has been managers, their teams and their role. In 2012
a key ingredient in our success our survey shows Hiscox enjoys high employee
engagement as we average in the top 85th
Hiscox’s reputation for innovation and dynamism percentile when compared with 127 companies
has been built in large part on the energy, based around the world. Particularly pleasing
professionalism, commitment and expertise was our ‘intent to stay’ score which was in the
of our employees. in the 95th percentile.
In September, Hiscox conducted its fifth global Hiscox Spain gained recognition for Best
employee engagement survey. Open to all Workplace 2012 as awarded by Great Place
permanent members of staff, it looks at how to Work.
committed employees feel to Hiscox, their
Why invest in Hiscox? Hiscox Ltd Report and Accounts 2012 3