The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with increased catastrophe activity and a shifting global geopolitical landscape provided a challenging backdrop in 2020. Although the lowest point of the crisis may be behind us, the effects of the pandemic are likely to reverberate for some time, creating ongoing uncertainty for our business, our customers and society at large.
Amid the great upheavals of 2020, we remain focused on a better, more sustainable tomorrow and on the importance of working with our stakeholders, industry partners, governments, regulators and others to drive better outcomes for our customers and communities.
Evolve and reinvigorate cell reviews and Brilliant Basics+ to further enhance performance discipline and drive portfolio optimisation
Targeted, sustainable, profitable growth, maximising the favourable rate environment
Deliver against our sustainability and climate commitments
Continued focus on shareholder returns
Deliver value and exceed customer expectations through Customer@QBE
Better understanding of our customers’ industries and needs
Embed a culture of proactive, insightful customer engagement
Fully embed the use of Salesforce and related analytical tools across the business, central to all our customer activity
Enhance the QBE culture and reinforce a positive risk culture by building on the QBE DNA through the Culture Accelerator
Accelerate our talent and leadership strategy by developing our people and building a diverse talent pipeline
Focus on embedding performance through ME@QBE and retaining and motivating people through our Reward approach
Define our future ways of working
Deliver on our program of work to accelerate our technology infrastructure modernisation
Continued automation across underwriting, distribution and claims to support the evolving needs of our customers and partners
Accelerate adoption of machine learning models across pricing and claims
As an international insurer and reinsurer, strong corporate governance, sustainable business practices, being a great employer and making a positive and impactful contribution to the economies and communities in which we operate underpin everything that we do.
Sustainability is integrated in QBE’s strategic priorities, particularly within the performance pillar where we remain focused on meeting our climate and broader sustainability commitments. Our priorities around customer, talent and culture are also deeply linked to our sustainability approach. We build current and emerging environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into our decision‑making processes to help our customers, partners and communities manage risk through our products and services. Our holistic, integrated, long‑term approach to risk seeks to create value for our stakeholders and supports the ongoing success and sustainability of our business. The events of 2020 have reinforced the importance of integrating sustainability considerations throughout our business. Our Sustainability Framework continues to help us drive performance, manage risks and identify opportunities across the areas of sustainability that are most important to our business, customers and stakeholders.
We strongly support the aims and objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to address the world’s most urgent economic, environmental and social challenges. As a universal agreement to work towards a better and more sustainable future, the SDGs closely align with our purpose – to give people the confidence to achieve their ambitions. Our sustainability agenda continues to be aligned to, and supports, the advancement of these global goals.
Through our products, services and publications, we continue to help our customers address sustainability issues and ESG risks. ESG considerations are embedded in our product design and decision‑making processes, helping provide our customers with sustainable solutions and products.