GGA Emerges as Generali Expands Market Presence in North America
Chris Carnicelli is on a mission. CSA Travel Protection, a leading provider of travel i
nsurance, is now Generali Global Assistance. This corporate initiative is part of a broader organizational program to rebrand several Europ Assistance business lines in the United States to Generali Global Assistance. Europ Assistance is part of the Generali Group, one of the world’s largest insurance groups.
“As Generali Global Assistance, the Company will be able to fully leverage the global scale and resources of one of the strongest and most successful corporations in the world. Further, the rebrand supports Generali Global Assistance’s North American business growth and aligns its operations as the company continues to expand its global leadership position in the insurance industry,” he stated.
Carnicelli added, “This is another exciting step our company has taken to bring our global solutions and talents directly to our clients. In the U.S. travel insurance space, our partnership capabilities and service to customers is unrivaled—now having the global scale and resources of one of the 50 largest companies in the world puts us even further ahead in the quest to provide cutting-edge solutions to our business partners and end-clients.”
Products and solutions carrying the CSA Travel Protection name will be transitioned over time to fall under the Generali Global Assistance brand, while retaining and enhancing the offerings and services to its customers that it has established over the past 25 years. Generali Global Assistance offers a full suite of innovative, vertically integrated travel insurance products and assistance services that protect consumers against risks associated with travel and helps resolve issues that may arise. These services span the entire travel insurance value chain, including underwriting, product design, commercial delivery and claims administration. Several new and enhanced travel insurance plans under the Generali Global Assistance brand are being launched in the U.S. marketplace shortly.
Carnicelli concluded, “Our travel insurance and emergency assistance services unit has long been recognized for our uncompromising commitment to our customers’ peace of mind. We are committed to growing our leadership position in the travel insurance industry, and as such, we are continually improving the value we bring to our customers. Backed by the global resources and strength of Generali Group, we are in an even better position to enhance our value proposition.”
Serious issues while traveling happen more often than consumers realize. One in six U.S. adults reported having to cut a trip short or change travel plans, and of those affected, only 22% had travel insurance to protect their investment, according to a recent U.S. Travel Insurance Association survey. With a Generali Global Assistance travel protection plan, travelers can be reimbursed for unused, prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if they need to cancel or interrupt a vacation for a covered reason. Additionally, the Company’s medical and dental coverage, as well as emergency assistance services, are designed to provide necessary medical, surgical and emergency dental care costs along with around the clock 24-hour Emergency Assistance services. However, that represents only a fraction of the Company’s offerings. One of Generali’s key differentiators is that its executive team has diversified experience across all insurance markets, including health, life, casualty, travel, property, liability and more. This unique expertise allows the Company the ability to offer innovative, customizable products that make travel safer and protect travel investments.
On another front, Generali Global Assistance is the developer of the Iris® identity protection platform, and has published its latest whitepaper, in a series of reports highlighting the many aspects of identity theft, entitled “Phishing and Tax Fraud: Understanding these Growing Crimes’ Effects on Businesses.”
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, in 2016 just over 55 percent of the reported 1,093 U.S. data breaches were caused by spearphishing, an identity theft scheme targeting employees with access to sensitive data, whereby scammers send bogus emails that appear to come from a “trusted” source and request that confidential information be forwarded to cybercriminal enterprises. These emails may also include links or attachments that lead to malicious websites or install malware that has the capacity to disable an organization’s entire computer network. Last year, the IRS issued a consumer alert citing a 400 percent surge in spearphishing and malware incidents, putting both companies and consumers on notice that they must be aware of these scams and take precautions to secure sensitive data.
Fortunately, there are measures that can help protect against these scams. Companies can institute educational programs for their workforce, utilize spam filters, and update anti-virus software and firewalls. Consumers should file their taxes as soon as possible, sign up for Federal Trade Commission Scam Alerts, and never send emails with personally identifiable information attached.
Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, commented, “Both individuals and businesses have a shared responsibility to take action against these scams. The speed with which they occur and the lightning-fast pace with which they evolve means virtually everyone is a stakeholder in combatting hackers, scammers, and thieves. The companies that have incorporated a response strategy are the ones that will be less vulnerable to the web’s many cyber risks. Likewise, those individuals who have taken the time to be their own best advocate when it comes to protecting their identities will be less likely to fall victim.”
Generali’s presence is becoming stronger here as well as its reach in several related product and service areas—a great model.
Chris Carnicelli’s star is rising rapidly and he has hitched it to a winning formula at Generali.[IA]
