Atradius
Encyclopedia
With an estimated 31% global market share, Atradius is one of the world’s largest trade credit insurers. The company, rated A- (outlook stable) by Standard and Poor (March 2011) turned over €1.5 billion in 2010.
Atradius insures an estimated €465 billion of trade around the globe each year. Atradius holds information on over 60 million businesses used to make over 20,000 credit limit decisions each day.
The core of Atradius came from the 2001 acquisition of Dutch insurer NCM (founded 1925) by German insurer Gerling (founded 1954).
Each had made their own acquisitions prior to this including government ECAs (e.g. 1991, the UK’s ECGD) and private insurers (e.g. 1994 Namur Assurances du Crédit S.A., Belgium) who themselves dated back to the birth of trade credit insurance around 1919. The Atradius group today is the amalgamation of a number of international trade credit insurers and affiliated organisations from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, UK and USA.
In addition, Atradius remains the official Export Credit Agency of the Dutch Government, a role it has held since 1932.
The now highly international group was rebranded as Atradius in 2004. This new name was created to reflect support for trade around the radius of the globe. In 2008 the group was further augmented with the addition of Spanish insurer Crédito y Caución and subsequently brought additional footholds in the Spanish speaking world.
Today, though largely Spanish owned, the business is headquartered in Amsterdam in the Netherlands
, Bonding
, Instalment Credit Protection, Reinsurance Business
, Collections
and Business Information Services.
, includes:
Atradius insures an estimated €465 billion of trade around the globe each year. Atradius holds information on over 60 million businesses used to make over 20,000 credit limit decisions each day.
History
Trade credit insurance was created after World War 1 by various governments and private insurers as a means of economic stimulus. Atradius’ roots are to be found in these early organisations.The core of Atradius came from the 2001 acquisition of Dutch insurer NCM (founded 1925) by German insurer Gerling (founded 1954).
Each had made their own acquisitions prior to this including government ECAs (e.g. 1991, the UK’s ECGD) and private insurers (e.g. 1994 Namur Assurances du Crédit S.A., Belgium) who themselves dated back to the birth of trade credit insurance around 1919. The Atradius group today is the amalgamation of a number of international trade credit insurers and affiliated organisations from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, UK and USA.
In addition, Atradius remains the official Export Credit Agency of the Dutch Government, a role it has held since 1932.
The now highly international group was rebranded as Atradius in 2004. This new name was created to reflect support for trade around the radius of the globe. In 2008 the group was further augmented with the addition of Spanish insurer Crédito y Caución and subsequently brought additional footholds in the Spanish speaking world.
Today, though largely Spanish owned, the business is headquartered in Amsterdam in the Netherlands
Products
Today, Atradius has 3,300 staff based in 160 offices in 42 countries and providing products and services to businesses to assist them in managing trade credit risks, particularly those involved in trading with new partners or in new territories. These include Trade Credit InsuranceTrade Credit Insurance
Trade credit insurance, business credit insurance, export credit insurance, or credit insurance is an insurance policy and a risk management product offered by private insurance companies and governmental export credit agencies to business entities wishing to protect their balance sheet asset,...
, Bonding
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
, Instalment Credit Protection, Reinsurance Business
Reinsurance
Reinsurance is insurance that is purchased by an insurance company from another insurance company as a means of risk management...
, Collections
Collection agency
A collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
and Business Information Services.
Shareholders
- Grupo Catalana Occidente S.A. is, either directly or indirectly, the parent company of a group of insurance companies. GCO is listed on the Barcelona and Madrid stock exchanges. Grupo Catalana Occidente has an economic stake in Atradius N.V. of 74.09%, of which 26.66% is directly owned and 47.43% is owned indirectly through Grupo CyC holding company. GCO controls 90.89% of the voting stock
- Grupo Crédito y Caución S.L. (Grupo CyC) is a holding company majority owned, 73.84%, by Grupo Catalana Occidente.
- INOC SA is a holding company with more than 400 shareholders. It owns directly and indirectly, 56.71% of Grupo Catalana Occidente’s share capital.
Management
The executive board, a distinct entity from the board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, includes:
- Isidoro Unda, Chairman & CEO
- Delfin Rueda, CFO & CRO
- David Capdevila, Chief Market Officer (Responsible for Credit Insurance in Spain, Portugal and Brazil.)