Skip To Main Content

How AIG Iberia is helping small and medium-sized enterprises manage risk

Benedetta Cossarini is leading innovations that cater to local businesses in Spain.

Imagine an entrepreneur in Spain searching for an insurance policy to cover the operations of her growing startup. She reaches out to an insurance broker, who assesses her business’s needs and almost instantly provides an insurance quote using AIG’s new online broker portal for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) .

The online portal, which AIG is launching in Spain and France with select brokers, is part of a larger SME initiative that is planned to expand across the broader European market.

“Time is of the essence for SMEs,” says Benedetta Cossarini, who leads AIG Iberia as the General Manager. “Because many of these enterprises have limited time and resources, they’re looking for efficient solutions to help manage risks and their businesses.”

AIG was already underwriting policies for SME clients when Benedetta joined the insurance organization in 2005 as a Financial Lines Manager. However, at the time, the insurance products available were designed for large corporations and therefore took extra time to adapt to the different needs of smaller clients. This proved challenging for brokers, who serviced the SME market at higher volumes and needed a quicker and more efficient process to respond to their clients.

With SMEs making up most businesses in Spain and Portugal, Benedetta saw opportunities to make it easier for brokers working with small and medium-sized business owners to turn to AIG for insurance coverage.

Adapting products for the SME market

Benedetta strategized to further penetrate this market when she assumed her role as AIG Iberia’s General Manager in 2016. She recognized that to be successful, AIG needed to readjust existing insurance products and create solutions designed for SMEs. For example, whereas a large company operating in several countries may need policies that comply with regulations in different regions, a smaller company that operates only in Spain may need a more slimmed-down version of that coverage to follow local legislation.

And because the financial health of most SMEs is more closely tied to the net worth of their founders and owners, AIG Iberia restructured its insurance products to expand protections.

Traditionally, directors & officers (D&O) coverage only covers claims against individuals. For SMEs, a more comprehensive package is offered, which includes D&O coverage, plus professional and general liability to insure the entity.

“The idea behind this product offering is to protect both the company and individuals, since their liabilities are more intertwined,” Benedetta says.

Digital transformation allows brokers to process SME coverage quickly and easily

AIG Iberia is launching its new online portal as part of its efforts to deepen its footprint across the local SME market. Through it, brokers can review offerings in the SME product suite, select the coverage the client needs, and immediately get a quote for the policy. This digital approach saves both the broker and the client valuable time, while providing the client with an insurance solution specific to their needs.

“This new portal represents a digital transformation to efficiently process SME policies, virtually eliminating the need for phone and email communication with the broker,” Benedetta explains. “That’s a big time saver.”

The SME portal currently offers cyber, D&O, and general liability coverage, with AIG Iberia planning to add professional indemnity, environmental impairment liability, marine, and accident & health policies at a later stage.

“SME is a flow business – it’s all about distribution,” Benedetta says. “It involves partnering with brokers already working in that niche that can input a high volume of submissions.”

Tapping into AIG’s allyship and expertise

Although this approach to the SME market is new for Europe, Benedetta notes, other AIG offices have similar online portals supporting SMEs and have shared their experience with AIG Iberia.

“One of the things I am most proud of at AIG is its allyship,” Benedetta says. “Colleagues from other countries are always open to share their knowledge. It’s such a valuable resource when working through new strategies.”

AIG is also an ally to its broker partners, sharing expertise and market trends to help them attract clients and find insurance solutions. For SMEs, being aware of risks that could potentially impact their business is crucial and AIG’s experts proactively share new and emerging insights with brokers to help them manage risks.

“By providing brokers with the right resources and tools, SMEs are strongly positioned to operate with more certainty and realize their business potential,” Benedetta says.

“Our SME-specific products and efficient, online portal are key to growing AIG Iberia’s business and diversifying our portfolio of clients.”


This article may contain third party content or links to third party websites. These content and links are provided solely for your convenience and information. AIG has no control over, does not assume any liability or responsibility for and does not make any warranties or representations as to, any third party content or websites, including but not limited to, the accuracy, subject matter, quality or timeliness.

##

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions and other financial services to customers in approximately 70 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference herein.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries and jurisdictions, and coverage is subject to underwriting requirements and actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.