Swiss Re is a reinsurer that has three core divisions: property and casualty reinsurance, life and health reinsurance, and corporate solutions. Swiss Re was founded in 1863 when the general manager of Helvetia sought to stem the flow of reinsurance premiums outside Switzerland. Moritz Grossmann argued he could cut the premiums paid to foreign firms, still make a profit, and pay mid-single-digit dividends. Swiss Re is now the second-largest reinsurer in the world by market cap, has 80 offices globally, and employs nearly 15,000 people. While the business did lose its way in the early part of the millennium, led by an ex-investment banker who took the business heavily into securitizations, lately Swiss Re has been focused on establishing quality within its three core divisions.
