Zurich’s Global Associate Program – a truly global experience

Zurich, July 23, 2008 – Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) congratulates the 78 successful graduates of its Global Associate Program (GAP) 2007/2008. At a graduation ceremony in Zurich, the 26 female and 52 male graduates, representing 21 nationalities, together with senior managers from Zurich, looked back on their 44-weeks deep dive into the world of insurance.

Zurich’s GAP focuses on providing in-depth on-the-job-experience, both at home and abroad, as well as on intensive classroom training. Every associate signs up for a core business area from a variety of disciplines such as Underwriting, Claims, Marketing and Distribution, Finance or IT where they want to play an important role right from the beginning. Besides the extensive technical training in their chosen discipline, the program includes an assignment to a different business area as well as an international rotation to further develop and deepen their knowledge.

Axel P. Lehmann, Zurich’s Group Chief Risk Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee, said: “Zurich is serving customers in more than 170 countries, a footprint that offers exciting opportunities for talented people who are seeking a highly professional environment and to work abroad. Having worked in several roles and geographies myself, I can say that a program like GAP is the ideal kick-start for a rewarding international career.”

Peter Goerke, Global Head of Human Resources, said: “Developing our employees is one of Zurich’s strategic priorities. The Global Associate Program established in 2006 is one building block in our talent management efforts which positions us well in the race for the best talents across the globe.”

Besides developing its own people, Zurich is also building insurance and risk management capabilities in emerging markets, for example with its recent donation to the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University in China to establish a Research Center for Insurance and Risk Management (see http://www.zurich.com/main/mediarelations/notes/2008/2008_0430_01_article.htm).

Click on the following link to learn more about Zurich’s GAP program
http://www.zurich.com/main/aboutus/Careers/GlobalAssociateProgram/GlobalAssociateProgram.htm