Zwitserleven was a clear winner on many points.
For 25 years, Erik Triesscheijn worked at the Rotterdam advertising agency ARA, the company behind the successful Zwitserleven campaign. As chairman of the board of Omega, a pension fund for the advertising industry, he was involved in the transfer of the fund to an insurer. After an extensive process, the choice fell on a pension from Zwitserleven.
The Zwitserleven experience of Erik Triesscheijn
“Due to economic developments and changes in the sector, we decided at the beginning of 2009 that it would be better to transfer the pension fund to an insurer. No less than 12 advertising agencies participated in this pension fund worth a total of around €60 million. So it was a big responsibility and quite a huge job. Actually, it was like a second job on the side for me, for two years.”
“The number of individual agreements and the diversity of participants is what made this quite a complicated story. Some people had only just been employed, while other employees were about to retire and some were already over 65. Therefore, transferring the fund to an insurer was not a one-man job. We had the help of specialist accountants, lawyers and actuaries.”
“We talked to many different insurers. From a longlist of about nine insurers, we went to a shortlist of five and then three. In the end, two companies remained. Of those two, Zwitserleven proved to be the best at meeting all the requirements.”
“It is not as if we had a list of requirements and could simply cross them off. The matter is too complex for that. You have to present your case to various parties and then look at the offers. The first thing you look at, obviously, is the financial side of the story. After that, other matters are considered, like for example the facilities and support offered by an insurer. Zwitserleven clearly scored best in this respect.”
Familiar with Zwitserleven
“Of course I already knew Zwitserleven. The company had been a customer of the advertising agency where I worked for many years. ARA came up with the Zwitserleven Feeling, a campaign we are still incredibly proud of. The fact that I knew Zwitserleven so well was both an advantage and a disadvantage. I wanted to avoid the appearance of partiality at all cost. Zwitserleven really had to prove that they were the best candidate.”
“One of the objectives of the transfer was to ensure greater simplicity and transparency. That is what we found in Zwitserleven. A single easy-to-understand product, with room for customisation for each individual participant."
“Nobody can look into the future, but you should think ahead as much as you can. ”
“Partly thanks to Zwitserleven, people’s reaction to the implementation was very positive. Zwitserleven took on the costs for a first round of information. Someone from the company visited all the participating advertising agencies and explained everything clearly and unequivocally. An excellent job, considering how complex the subject matter was. All participants were also given the chance to discuss their situation in a personal meeting and make any necessary adjustments.”
Looking ahead
“Nobody can look into the future, but you should think ahead as much as you can. I am convinced that the new situation will provide greater certainty and clarity for all participants. Now and in the future. I am also insured at Zwitserleven myself and I look to the future with peace of mind. I think you could say that I definitely have the Zwitserleven Feeling.”