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Isabella Von Mesterhazy takes up the reins as Managing Director for Allianz UK Specialty business

25 November, 2024

In this role Bella will lead the specialty business, which comprises Petplan, Petplan Equine and LV= Pet, and will report directly to Colm Holmes, CEO Allianz UK, as a member of the Allianz UK Executive Committee. Allianz’s combined pet businesses make it the UK’s largest pet insurer.

Allianz Specialty is an important arm of the UK business and has achieved consistently strong performance figures throughout 2024 and in previous years. Established over 48 years ago, Petplan is the UK’s number one pet insurer, insuring over 1.3 million pets and supporting 1,200 animal charities.

Since Bella joined in 2011 as head of marketing and sales for Petplan and Allianz Pet, through to her most recent role as director of trading for Allianz Specialty, she has been instrumental in brand development and change. Ensuring that, at all touchpoints, the customer and their beloved pets are at the heart of the specialty business.

Isabella Von Mesterhazy

Colm Holmes, CEO, Allianz UK, said:

“It’s fantastic news that Bella has taken up the reins for the specialty arm of Allianz. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry to this role and I look forward to working with her within our executive committee.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say a final farewell and thank you to Kieran, we’re deeply appreciative of his contributions and the positive impact he has had on our business.”

Colm Holmes, CEO, Allianz UK
Kieran O’Keeffe will retire at the end of 2024, ensuring a smooth transition of the pet business. A recruitment process is now underway for the director of trading for Allianz Specialty and will be announced in due course. 

About Allianz Holdings plc

Allianz Holdings plc is the non-regulated holding company which owns the principal insurance operations of Allianz SE in Great Britain including Allianz Insurance.

About Allianz

The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with around 125 million* private and corporate customers in nearly 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 737 billion euros** on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 1.7 trillion euros** of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are among the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2023, over 157,000 employees achieved total business volume of 161.7 billion euros and an operating profit of 14.7 billion euros for the group.

* Including non-consolidated entities with Allianz customers.

**As of December 31, 2023.

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Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This document includes forward-looking statements, such as prospects or expectations, that are based on management's current views and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance figures, or events may differ significantly from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.

Deviations may arise due to changes in factors including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the general economic and competitive situation in the Allianz’s core business and core markets, (ii) the performance of financial markets (in particular market volatility, liquidity, and credit events), (iii) adverse publicity, regulatory actions or litigation with respect to the Allianz Group, other well-known companies and the financial services industry generally, (iv) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, including those resulting from natural catastrophes, and the development of loss expenses, (v) mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (vi) persistency levels, (vii) the extent of credit defaults, (viii) interest rate levels, (ix) currency exchange rates, most notably the EUR/USD exchange rate, (x) changes in laws and regulations, including tax regulations, (xi) the impact of acquisitions including related integration issues and reorganization measures, and (xii) the general competitive conditions that, in each individual case, apply at a local, regional, national, and/or global level. Many of these changes can be exacerbated by terrorist activities.

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