2023 annual report
2.6.1Key stakeholders

a.s.r.’s key stakeholder groups are customers, employees, investors and society.

Customers

Customers expect to obtain good value for the premiums they pay. They must be confident that their funds are being managed skilfully and in a socially responsible way, and that a.s.r. is protecting and upholding their rights. Customers must be able to rely on a.s.r. being able to meet its financial obligations, now and in the future. a.s.r. is committed to delivering a high level of customer service in its product offering in order to sustain strong customer relationships. a.s.r. measures its customer satisfaction through the NPS. a.s.r. distributes most of its products and services through independent advisors. They have a broad knowledge of the insurance market, including of products, prices and providers, and an acute sense of the needs of insurance purchasers. Their specific knowledge and experience of local markets and customers is invaluable for a.s.r.

Among other things, to improve the overall service and customer participation, The Council of Doing (Raad van Doen) has been set up. The Council of Doing is the online customer and advisor panel for all a.s.r. brands. Through this panel, customers and intermediaries are involved in improving a.s.r.'s services. It functions as a panel for a.s.r.'s strategy, as a forum for co-creation, product development, representation of customer interests and as a sparring partner. Business units also use members of The Council of Doing to conduct customer research on customer expectations regarding sustainability aspects for specific insurance products and services. This can be done through questionnaires but also by organising a dialogue session with members. In 2023, a.s.r. continued the "Wat doen kan doen"news bulletin. During this bulletin, customers are invited to share their experiences with a.s.r.

Employees

Employees look for a professional working environment where they can manage themselves, make choices relating to their career, and enhance their sustainable employability. They want good terms of employment, work that is enjoyable, a good work-life balance, attention for their health and well-being, and an appreciation of the contribution they make. a.s.r. encourages and supports employees to develop themselves to enhance their opportunities on the internal and external labour market. They also want to be recognised for who they are and to feel included and at home. a.s.r. aims to achieve a balanced workforce in terms of gender, age, religious conviction, physical and mental capacity, background, and sexual orientation.

Investors

Investors rely on a.s.r.'s management to devise and successfully execute the best strategy in order to create long term value. a.s.r. does so with a continued focus on value over volume, maintaining a strong cost discipline, and only concluding M&A that tie in well with its strategy. a.s.r. also maintains a strong balance sheet and a robust Solvency II ratio with manageable sensitivities and ample financial flexibility. Investors are also increasingly interested in the impact of and the social relevance of the companies they invest in. It is important to them that a.s.r. represents the interests of all stakeholders in order to create long-term value and a good return on capital.

Society

As well as the aforementioned stakeholders, a.s.r. has a range of other stakeholders to take account of when doing business, such as civil society organisations, the government, tax and regulatory authorities, trade unions, the media, suppliers, academics, peers and business partners. Depending on the topic and type of relationship involved, expectations and interests may vary from responsible investments, regulatory compliance, helping people to become financially self-reliant, inclusiveness, and constructive cooperation with business partners in different contexts. Overall, these various stakeholders expect a.s.r. to create sustainable and responsible societal value.

Stakeholder consultation

Strategic, constructive and proactive consultation with stakeholders is very important to a.s.r. to properly align strategy, policy and activities with the expectations and interests of its stakeholders. The way a.s.r. communicates depends on the type of stakeholder, the topic and the purpose of the communication in question. The means used for this purpose range from personal contact to organising roadshows, customer and employee surveys and roundtable and dialogue sessions. Section 8.3 provides a complete overview of how a.s.r. communicates by stakeholder group.

An extensive stakeholder consultation process took place in the spring of 2023. The dialogue consisted of two sessions, one for employees and one for external stakeholders. The purpose of the stakeholder dialogue was to obtain reflection, insight and feedback from stakeholders on the plans, objectives and activities of a.s.r. in relation to the three themes of the sustainable enterprise strategic framework. More information on the outcomes of this is available in section 2.6.2.

A new stakeholder policy was also drawn up in 2023, establishing that the interests of external stakeholders will be taken into account in the determination and further development of the sustainability strategy. Link to asrnl.com.