The Future of Financial Provision Starts Now

Mr Junker, many people feel that these are uncertain times. Why is financial provision more important than ever today?

The world is changing faster than ever before. Geopolitical crises, economic uncertainty and demographic change are shaping our lives. Rising prices for everyday essentials and concerns about affordable housing are very real issues for many people. This makes reliable and expert financial provision even more important.

Today, this goes far beyond insurance policies or financial products. It is about fundamental questions: How do I want to live in the future? How can I protect my family financially? How can I become a homeowner? How can I prepare for retirement? These are precisely the areas where we want to support people and provide guidance.

What does this mean in practice for the W&W Group?

We want to be the partner people think of when it comes to the major financial provision decisions in their lives. We understand our customers and develop solutions that are simple, easy to understand, relevant and effective.

We continuously enhance our products, services and advisory offerings. Our aim is to make financial provision as straightforward as possible.

In the past, the industry was primarily associated with contracts and products. Today, many companies talk about customer experience. Is that more than just a buzzword?

We should focus less on buzzwords.

Products remain important. However, a good product is only one part of the equation. Today, customers expect to receive prompt and helpful answers, handle their requests with ease and obtain the support they need at the right moment.

That is why we consider the entire customer journey, from advice and policy purchase through to service and claims interactions. Our goal is to make each of these stages simpler, clearer and more convenient.

Many financial services providers are currently investing heavily in artificial intelligence. What role does AI play at W&W?

A very important one.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform our industry significantly. Above all, we see it as an opportunity to become faster, more efficient and more customer-focused. We already use AI in a range of areas today, including customer service, analytics and internal processes.

What matters most, however, is something else: AI should never be adopted for its own sake. It must deliver tangible value. Value is generated when customers receive faster responses, employees have more time to provide individual support, the quality of advice improves, and customers benefit from even better support throughout their journey.

Does that mean personal advice is becoming less important?

Quite the opposite.

The more digital the world becomes, the more important personal advice is in complex situations. Anyone looking to finance a property, plan for retirement or seek support after a major claims event expects more than a purely digital process. That said, AI can provide valuable support.

That is why we believe in a hybrid model: digital services where they make life easier, and personal advice where experience, trust and individual guidance matter most.

The W&W Group is also investing strongly in digitalisation and efficiency. How does that fit with being close to customers?

For me, the two are fundamentally linked.

More efficient processes create greater capacity for better advice, faster and high-quality service, and new offerings. Digitalisation is not an end in itself. It helps us meet our customers' expectations more effectively.

At the same time, we need the financial strength to continue investing in innovation, products and services. The two are closely interconnected.

Housing remains a major challenge for many people. How do you see developments in this area?

The desire to own a home remains as strong as ever in Germany. At the same time, many people are experiencing how much more difficult the path to home ownership has become.

From my perspective, greater support for building equity and a stable, long-term framework for residential construction are needed. For many families, home ownership remains a key element of their long-term financial provision. We therefore continue to see considerable need for action in this area.

Sustainability is also an important topic. What role does it play for the W&W Group?

We view sustainability as an integral part of our responsibility. It is neither a standalone project nor a short-term trend.

We take sustainability considerations into account across our corporate management, business operations, workforce, investments, products and social commitment. At the same time, we aim to support our customers in making forward-looking decisions, for example when undertaking energy-efficiency improvements to their homes or choosing modern financial provision solutions.

If we were to have this conversation again in five years, what would you like to be judged on?

On whether we have become more relevant to our customers.

Of course, growth, profitability and financial performance matter. What is most important to me, however, is that people perceive the W&W Group for what it truly is: a modern, reliable and strong partner for financial provision.

If we succeed in combining customer focus, personal advice, strong products and the opportunities offered by new technologies, we will continue to be successful in the future.