How did it all start? What did you do first at Delvag?

I started my career at Delvag in the Reinsurance Settlement department. My job was to settle our share with the primary insurer or other parties after claims payments.

And then you moved to Albatros?

Exactly. At Albatros, I was in the Tourism Insurance Service division from 1980 and responsible for insuring Lufthansa's financial investments in travel agencies, hotels, etc. With the establishment of a large number of associated companies (airlines, ground handling companies) in the Lufthansa Group, our area became bigger and bigger. I took over the management of the Third-party Corporate Business division and continued to expand it. When I left the Delvag Group in 2003, I was Deputy Head of “Group and Insurance Business”.

Is there a particular highlight from your time at the Delvag Group that sticks in your mind?
Among the many great tasks that the job offered me, one of my highlights was the introduction of transport accident insurance in connection with the purchase of Lufthansa flight tickets via a so-called “Universal Air Travel Plan” credit card (UATP). This special credit card was the forerunner of today's Airplus card.

Delvag was the first German insurer to underwrite transport accident insurance (VMU). And this is how it came about: When transport accident insurance came to Europe from the United States at the beginning of the 1980s, Lufthansa also had to offer such insurance via its UATP credit card.

Due to a lack of risk experience, German insurers were not prepared to underwrite the risk at that time. In the first year, the German branch of an American insurer took on the risk, but quickly canceled it again as there was no profit to be made. Delvag was commissioned to find suitable follow-up insurance cover. As no other German insurer was willing to take on the risk, Delvag took it on itself. Unfortunately, we also had to drop out after a short time, as other credit card providers were now covering far higher sums insured, which exceeded our underwriting capacity. Nevertheless: We were the first VMU insurer in Germany!

And apart from work - are there any experiences with colleagues that you remember fondly?

The Delvag Group had a lot of good soccer players. We were able to prove this year after year at the “Lufthansa Directorate Cup”. The individual Lufthansa directorates competed against each other in a knockout system. 

In 1978, Delvag won the “Lufthansa Cargo Euro Cup” sponsored by Lufthansa Cargo (all European stations could take part in the tournament) and became the European champion in a penalty shoot-out in Amsterdam.

In the same year, our female colleagues challenged their male colleagues to a soccer match (condition for the men: no active soccer players). Numerous photos show the superiority of the ladies, who won the game 3:2 in the end.

There were also matches against broker companies from London and against staff from the Kempinski Hotels in Hamburg and St. Petersburg.

Another major success came in 2002, when we won the annual airline tournament for the first time, in which staff from 16 European airlines took part.

That sounds like a great time! It's great that you have such fond memories of the team spirit at Delvag.

Is there anything else you would like to wish Delvag?

I'm still in good contact with the Delvag Group and many former colleagues. I also follow what's happening on social media. When I read how the company has developed at all levels in the meantime, it makes me want to apply again for a job.

I wish Delvag another 100 years of success!
 

Thank you Charlie for your time and the interview.
 

The interview was held by Inga Stöver, Corporate Communications.