Philipp Belau appointed as new Managing Director of the BDAE Group

Philipp Belau was appointed to be the new Managing Director of the BDAE Group on 1 August 2019, following Andreas Opitz, founder of the company which specialises in overseas insurance policies and global mobility solutions. The 64-year-old will continue to support the company in his role as a shareholder for the next year.

His 32-year-old successor has already been the Chief Operating Officer and authorised signatory at BDAE since 2017. He will continue to pursue the goal of providing German and international expats and emigrants with premium-quality, worldwide insurance cover at an affordable price. To this end, the company plans to make existing insurance cover solutions more flexible as well as develop customised products for large companies and corporate groups. As a trained IT expert, Belau also intends to continuously advance the digitalisation of BDAE.

Passing the baton to the next generation

“After nearly a quarter of a century, it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation,” says Opitz. “Philipp Belau is the perfect Managing Director to introduce modern innovations and lead the BDAE Group into the future. I believe that at a certain point, every company needs a new generation to bring the fresh energy needed to continue to succeed on the market.”

“We’re working in a market of the future which offers great potential and presents exciting global challenges, and I am delighted to be a part of it. I look forward to working with our team to develop innovative solutions for keeping up with market developments and continuing to meet the needs of our international target group,” Belau says.

Around 66 million expats and emigrants worldwide

The importance of innovative insurance to expatriates, emigrants and their families is demonstrated in a study by Finaccord, which reports that in 2017, approximately 66.2 million people were living abroad for private or professional reasons. Projections show this number climbing to 87.5 million people worldwide by 2021. According to a study by OECD, approximately 3.4 million Germans were living outside Germany in 2011 (most current data). BDAE estimates this number to have now risen to around 3.8 million.

Since July 2017, the French international insurance company MSH International has been the majority shareholder in the BDAE Group. The global player, which operates as a managing general underwriter (MGU) and third party administrator (TPA), has enjoyed particular success as one of the leading insurance providers in Southeast Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and France. To explain: In Germany, an MGU is comparable with an insurance solutions developer, and a TPA predominantly operates as an insurance provider which specialises in regulating insurance claims.

About the BDAE Group:

The BDAE Group was established in 1995 with the founding of an association called the Bund der Auslands-Erwerbstätigen (BDAE) e.V. (Association of People Working Abroad). The aim was, and remains, to provide international insurance solutions for people living abroad, as well as for companies sending employees on overseas assignments. People from all over the world should be able to travel without gaps in their social security – and BDAE offers an extensive product portfolio in support of this important objective.

The corporate group also encompasses a consulting company specialising in global mobility and employee assignments overseas, and a successful online magazine on the topic of living and working abroad.

BDAE Group websites:

https://www.bdae.com/en/
www.versichert-im-ausland.com (in German)
www.bdae-ev.de (in German)
www.entsendeberatung.bdae.com (in German)
www.expat-news.com (in German)

Press contact:

Anne-Katrin Schwanitz (person in charge)

Katrin Wollgast
Press & Marketing
Tel.: +49-40-30 68 74-41
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