The academy, headquartered at Palazzo Berlam in Trieste, replaces the group's previous learning function with a more integrated model governed by a multi-country learning committee representing all business units. It also introduces a shared group learning catalogue, an internal faculty drawn from leaders and subject matter experts, and AI-enhanced personalised learning tools.
The launch follows a sharp increase in investment. The group spent €74 million on learning initiatives in 2025, up from €62.5 million the previous year. Its upskilling index stood at 31% in 2025, with a target of exceeding 90% by 2027.
"The Generali Excellence Academy will play a key role in fostering a culture where human talent and technology work together, enabling our organisation to adapt, innovate and remain close to the customers," said Philippe Donnet, Generali Group CEO.
The initiative arrives at a moment of acute pressure across the industry. According to the Chartered Insurance Institute, 25% of the UK insurance sector is set to retire within the next decade, creating a significant knowledge transfer challenge at precisely the point the industry is undergoing rapid technological change.
The problem is compounded by a widening AI skills gap. Research published earlier this year found that a quarter of insurance executives cite skilled talent shortages as the main factor limiting their ability to extract value from AI. Despite this, only 24% of organisations have embedded continuous learning programmes related to AI, and fewer than one in ten are redesigning job roles to support its adoption.
A Financial Services Skills Commission report from May 2025 concluded that financial services will be the sector most impacted by AI, but that realising its potential depends on training programmes addressing existing gaps, particularly around adaptability, relationship management and technical fluency. More than 75% of UK financial services firms are now using AI, with insurers among those with the most significant take-up.
Industry observers have warned that without structured investment in development, firms risk falling behind both technologically and competitively — a challenge that falls particularly hard on mid-sized and specialist carriers without the resources of a global group.
The academy launch is underpinned by strong group finances. Generali reported record results for 2024, with total gross written premiums rising 14.9% to €95.2 billion and an adjusted net result of €3.77 billion. Performance has continued into 2025, with gross written premiums reaching €73.1 billion in the first nine months of the year and the operating result climbing 10.1% to €5,941 million, with the P&C combined ratio improving to 94.2%.
The Lifetime Partner 27 plan, presented to investors in January 2025, identifies people, AI and data, and sustainability as its three strategic foundations, with the Excellence Academy positioned as the primary vehicle for delivering on the first of those pillars.
For the broader market, Generali's move is likely to sharpen competitive pressure around talent retention. Research from 2025 found that 70% of insurance leaders report business performance suffering because employees lack necessary competencies. Firms that can demonstrate well-funded, structured learning programmes are increasingly differentiated in the competition for professionals who combine insurance domain knowledge with technical capability.
The CII continues to develop its own AI-focused training offer, including an Introduction to Data Science and AI for Insurance course developed in partnership with Southampton Data Science Academy, carrying up to 30 CPD hours.
The parallel efforts of a global insurer and the UK's principal professional body point in the same direction: in an industry facing simultaneous demographic and technological disruption, the question of who invests in people and how is becoming a strategic differentiator.
