Bright future ahead? Seguro!
Shaping the future of the newly created segment Spain is the task of CEO Juan Estallo. He tells viva what his plans are and what employees can expect from him.
Text Sarah Büchel
Photos Kostas Maros
Juan, you have been with Helvetia for almost 4 months now. What is your impression?
My initial impression was that Helvetia is a company with very solid foundations and with great performance in the past. This has been confirmed as I spent more time here. I also found out that we have a lot of very talented personnel that is committed to our success – in Spain but also in the group.
Can you tell us an anecdote?
I still get lost in the many different offices. They are all so different. But everyone is helping me. I was not expecting this. Coming from a southern county I thought that people from central Europe might be a bit more distant. The reality has shown that I was completely wrong.
And what can you tell us about the strategy?
We created it together, harnessing the strengths of Helvetia Seguros and Caser, with the objective of helping to boost growth and improve the Group’s margin. The strategy seeks to accompany clients throughout their lives, with a particular emphasis on the 50+ segment, primarily via its strongest and most widely recognised distribution networks and combining products and services in its offer. As in all other markets, we will work with a focus on technical excellence and efficiency.
It is undoubtedly an opportunity for us all achieve long-term profitable growth and thus create a stronger and more resilient company.
Where would you like Spain to be in 2035?
The collaboration will be key to efficiency, which is why we firstly intend to intensify the collaboration between the two entities and, this year, efforts will be made to align their structures in order to integrate Helvetia Seguros and Caser into one single organisation.
«The collaboration will be key to efficiency.»
How do you think Spain will contribute to Helvetia’s progress as an international group?
I think by sharing our knowledge of the handling of this saturated and sophisticated market. It might be interesting for other market units to see what the trends and dynamics in the Spanish market are and how we deal with this.
Customer-centricity is an important pillar of the new strategy. How do you plan to further improve this?
Customer access is already strong in Spain. Additionally, we have a good combination between services and products – thanks to the constellation of Helvetia and Caser. Because of this, we’re already able to fulfil most of the customers’ needs. We have the access, and we have the solutions. Now we have to analyse the customer’s needs and serve them even better through the access that is already there.
Spain is Helvetia’s second-largest market and is now represented in the Group Executive Board (GEB). What will change as a result?
I think that the Spanish segment will benefit from it. Everything that is being done will get more visibility. But I also think that the Group will benefit because having Spain represented in the GEB means being closer to the customers and therefore better understanding the opportunities and challenges there.
Was this step overdue?
The model that was in place before is the one that brought us here. Now we’re in a situation where we’re becoming more international. So, no. I think the timing was exactly right.
What qualities would you highlight about Spanish culture that could bring significant value to the group?
Spanish people always put a lot of passion in what they do. You can always feel it. It’s very fitting because, as we all know, passion is one of our values. The second one that I see is that Spanish people tend to always see clearly what is not going well. This might not always be pleasant but helps to get clear feedback and to set priorities. And lastly, people are very resilient. Even when there is a lot going on, they can keep up the passion.
What others, from different MUs, could be interesting to adopt in Spain?
Maybe consistency and governance are not as strong in the Spanish market unit. There we can learn from other market units. This is the beauty of working in an international company.
How are you going to organise your work to serve both companies?
I’m currently spending a lot of time at the different offices, getting to know the people and the business. I don’t have one dedicated office, and I want to keep it that way.
What else can the employees expect from you in the coming years?
The first thing they can expect from me is closeness. I want to get to know the team but also want them to get to know me. The second one is clear guidance on what the priorities are that we need to follow. At the same time, I’m going to challenge everyone. And I expect everyone to challenge me. To succeed we need to hear all the different perspectives. I can’t do it alone.
How are you personally contributing to achieving the strategy?
By supporting our people. I don’t have the knowledge and the technical skills that we have across the organisation. I see myself as a supporter of those that do.
In the city
The World and European Cycle Messenger Championships are a more relaxed type of competition. Of course, the winner of the main race is the one who finds their way through the urban jungle the fastest. After all, this is the whole point of being a bicycle messenger. However, there are also more playful disciplines, including the “track stand”: who can balance on the spot on their bike for the longest time?
Photo David Fürst, Bern