On Allianz Global Benefits’ 5th anniversary, Dirk Hellmuth, CEO and Cyril Samson, Managing Director, take stock, review the achievements and successes and speak about where they want to be in five years’ time.

GBV’s Editor, Eric Muller-Borle, interviews Leslie Lemenager, President, International for Gallagher’s Employee Benefits Reward, Communication and Wealth Division, and LeAnne Stefl, Practice Leader, Multinational Benefits & Human Resources Consulting, on the company’s global mobility and consulting strategy, employee benefits and wellbeing and several other topics, including: How they are tackling the growing importance of employee wellbeing through the long-term value proposition of holistic employee benefits components. How Gallagher’s knowledge-based approach (IBIS Academy and Institute, Center of Excellence, and GVISOR) is gauging market needs and strategic shifts on a global level. How its “Three areas of wellbeing” are the future of employee benefits and mobility. How they view Brexit in their international strategy. How trends in employee benefits and legislation impact client needs.

GBV interviews Tobias Winkler and Marcel Petschek of Albatros and discusses the changing face of employee benefits within the Lufthansa Group, trends in the travel industry, performance metrics and indicators and the road ahead. What role does Albatros (Delvag) play and how does it work within Lufthansa Group? Global Benefits Vision: Could you describe Albatros today? What is its role within Lufthansa, what it does, how it’s organised, where it

Why should employers look to create a positive workplace culture? We sat down with Dr Leena Johns, Head of Health & Wellness at MAXIS Global Benefits Network, to discuss the, often unseen, impact of workplace culture on the productivity and health of employees.

Global Benefits Vision: What is IEBA’s mission in the global employee-benefits industry historically and what is it today? Norman Dreger: IEBA is the world’s leading association providing education, information and professional development opportunities in the constantly evolving world of International Employee Benefits, with more than 800 members worldwide. In addition to the development of the International Diploma and the Certified Practitioner Accreditation, our objectives include facilitating the exchange of information between

Great podcast with OECD Head of Social Policy, Monika Queisser, on social protection for gig workers. A great overview of the issues at hand.

GBV: Thank you all for agreeing to this interview. Can we start with a history of captives in general and of the use of captives for employee benefits over the past 25 years?

It’s a globalized world, and corporations are increasingly multinational, with multiple locations and evermore mobile employees. As pension burdens increasingly weigh on public finances, retirement is not only the responsibility of the state, but also of employers. The time has come for a more global HR policy on pensions. Due to their diversity and complexity, pension schemes often have been set up locally, without neither a common bene­fits policy at the group level nor efficient monitoring and cost control by the parent company. This approach, while practical, is not without risks: counterparty risk in case of default by a service provider; reputational risk if the pensions paid out are insufficient; and above all, financial risk if the company must compensate for the inadequacies of local schemes. The transfer of Defined Benefits to Defined Contributions reduces the financial commit­ment burden on companies. Unmonitored DC plans in countries where regulations provide for guaranteed returns (such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany) can transform DC schemes into a new form of DB, as guaranteed rates often remain the responsibility of the sponsor company.

James Reid in January 2018 was appointed Executive Vice President, Global Employee Benefits at MetLife, reporting to Michel Khalaf, president U.S. business and EMEA and a member of Met’s executive committee. In an exclusive interview, James discusses his plans with Global Benefits Vision. GBV: Should we start with the highlights of your career, focusing on employee benefits and international, that is global employee benefits including global mobility? James Reid:

Global Benefits Vision: Looking at the concept of multinational pooling, which has been around for about five decades, what has changed over the decades, and what has changed recently, in terms of insurance markets and the way multinationals manage benefits and ultimately utilize the concept of pooling?

Marco Giacomelli Global Benefits Vision: Let’s start by recalling the highlights of your career, with an emphasis on iPMI and global employee benefits. Marco Giacomelli: I’ve worked with Generali for the past 23 years on a number of assignments in the United States, Latin America, Asia, and Europe—now London. I have mainly focused on life, health, employee benefits, and now iPMI, with a few forays into bancassurance and other

This interview is also available as a downloadable PDF file by clicking here. Frederic de Courtois Global Benefits Vision: Frédéric, can you give us some highlights of your career, with emphasis on iPMI, global employee benefits, or related fields? Frédéric de Courtois: I trained as an engineer and an actuary, and spent 23 years with AXA; I started in finance there and later moved on to business side. I

Global Benefits Vision: Could you please tell GBV a little about yourself, how you chose your career path and your journey to Zurich? Hanno Mijer: I am a trained actuary, but I have never actually worked in an actuarial position. For the first fourteen years of my career I worked with AEGON Insurance, where I held a number of marketing, sales and executive roles in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Asia.

Chris Mayo – Head of Global Services & Solutions, Non-North America,Willis Towers Watson Global Benefits Vision: Tell us about your career in Global Employee Benefits. Christopher Mayo: I have been involved with international employee benefits since 1990, when I was one of four people who set up the international practice at R. Watson & Sons. In 1995 I had the opportunity to work in Milan.

Thomas Piketty, in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, partly attributes the rise in inequality during the latter part of the 20th and early part of the 21st centuries to “the rise of the super-manager”.

How to maintain leadership in a challenging environment: lessons learned from GEB Even the insurance sector, once widely associated with stability, is seeing the impact of disruptive forces and shifting landscapes, from technology to demographic trends and of course economic volatility. The new strategic plan announced by Generali Employee Benefits is all the more interesting as it sees a company that is an integral part of the history of

How to maintain leadership in a challenging environment: lessons learned from GEB Even the insurance sector, once widely associated with stability, is seeing the impact of disruptive forces and shifting landscapes, from technology to demographic trends and of course economic volatility. The new strategic plan announced by Generali Employee Benefits is all the more interesting as it sees a company that is an integral part of the history of

Even the insurance sector, once widely associated with stability, is seeing the impact of disruptive forces and shifting landscapes, from technology to demographic trends and of course economic volatility. The new strategic plan announced by Generali Employee Benefits is all the more interesting as it sees a company that is an integral part of the history of employee benefits getting ready to shape determinedly its future.

GBV once again gains exclusive access to Chris Bruce of Thomsons Online Benefits for an insight into the global benefits market from one of the largest benefits software providers in the world Global Benefits Vision: What are Thomsons Online Benefits’ core businesses and main activities in general, and how do they specifically relate to the global employee-benefits industry, today?

GBV magazine published this candid interview of Guy Abbiss, the managing partner of London-based lawyers Abbiss Cadres and one of the founding members of the CELIA Alliance, a global network of law firms, in the December 2015 issue, now available as a free downloadable PDF here. Abbiss Cadres LLP specializes in tax and social security, employment law, and employee incentives as well as broader HR consulting and communications services.

Navigating the ever-changing global HR, Law & Tax, and Communications maze: An interview with Guy Abbiss, Managing Partner of Abbiss Cadres LLP and one of the founders of the CELIA Alliance of professional service firms

Global Benefits Vision: What is AEIP’s mission in general terms and how does it relate to global employee benefits? Bruno Gabellieri: AEIP is mainly a lobbyist organization; it is registered as a special-interest lobby with the European Parliament and the European Commission. I am also registered with EIOPA as an independent member of the occupational pensions stakeholder group, because I’m the Secretary-General of AEIP.

For the PDF version, click here. October, 2015 As he eased into his new position of President of Lockton Benefits, Bob Reiff answered the questions of Global Benefits Vision and reflected upon the challenges ahead. Global Benefits Vision: Give us a little background about your career. Bob Reiff: I’ve only been president of Lockton Benefit Group since January 1 though I’ve been with Lockton for five years, serving as

Lockton Benefits President Bob Reiff‘s interview with Global Benefits Vision  is available here as a free-access PDF file. The text-only version is available here. Website : www.lockton.com/locktonglobal

As he eased into his new position of President of Lockton Benefits, Bob Reiff answered the questions of Global Benefits Vision and reflected upon the challenges ahead.

IEBA Chairman Marco Giacomelli‘s interview with Global Benefits Vision  is available here as a PDF file. IEBA, the International Employee Benefits Association, is the largest organization of people working in global employee benefits, with more than 700 members from around the world. Website : ieba.org.uk

As he juggled his full-time position and his new role as chairman of the rapidly-expanding International Employee Benefits Association, Generali’s Marco Giacomelli took a few minutes to sit down with the editors of Global Benefits Vision and reflect upon the changing nature of the industry and the association.