Local market expertise is essential to delivering multinational insurance programmes, particularly in regions where regulatory, cultural and economic differences are pronounced.
Speaking to Insurance Business UK at the Axco Global Insurance Summit, Gerald Netal (pictured left), head of corporate business, and Katarzyna Poremba (pictured right), head of country management corporate business at Vienna Insurance Group, said a centralised approach alone does not capture the complexity of operating across markets.
“It’s absolutely key. It’s a must have,” Netal said, pointing to the range of legislation, stakeholder expectations and cultural factors that need to be addressed. “This cannot be achieved through a purely centralized approach alone, it requires a strong combination of central coordination and local expertise.”
Poremba added that multinational programmes must account not only for the master client, but also for local entities, whose needs may differ.
“The local client is also a client and it’s a part of the entire program,” she said, noting that servicing those needs in a compliant way is essential to overall programme delivery.
The complexity becomes more pronounced across Central and Eastern Europe, where markets differ significantly in size, language, regulation and economic maturity.
“The region is extremely diverse,” Poremba said, pointing to the number of countries, languages and legal frameworks involved.
That diversity extends beyond geography. Some markets operate under different legislative regimes within the same country, while others vary widely in economic scale and insurance market maturity.
“We are also faced with varying levels of development across the countries, ,” Netal said, adding that differences in legislation, economic development and insurance market structure all need to be considered when building programmes.
These differences become more visible when global programme structures are applied across markets. While European Union frameworks provide some alignment, variation in interpretation and legal practice can still affect outcomes.
“Due to the translation and interpretation and also legal practice, it might differ,” Poremba said, while noting that complexity increases further in markets outside the EU.
“As soon as we move to liability, casualty and especially financial lines, close alignment with local colleagues is essential early in the process,” she said, highlighting the need to understand local legal environments before finalising programme structures.
Balancing consistency with local requirements requires both standardisation and flexibility in programme design, supported by internal training and more consistent use of policy structures.
“We continuously invest in training and knowledge sharing across our teams,” Netal said, pointing to efforts to standardise elements such as policy wording, while also recognising that expectations are increasing at both a global and local level.
“On average, we see increasing demand for tailored and transparent solutions,” he said, as clients place greater emphasis on coverage that reflects their specific needs and clearer communication across insurers, brokers and clients.
“It’s important to have a proper exchange in these three pillars,” Poremba added, with that need for coordination also driving greater flexibility as companies expand and restructure.
Despite the structural and regulatory challenges, both speakers pointed to communication as the most consistently underestimated factor in multinational programme delivery.
Operating across multiple languages and markets introduces additional complexity, particularly where English is used as a common business language but is not the first language of participants.
“It‘s mostly their second or sometimes even third language,” she said, noting that differences in interpretation and market context may lead to misunderstandings.
Netal added that many challenges stem from assumptions and gaps in local knowledge.
“There are many unwritten rules and unwritten expectations,” he said, adding that “Communication is a key success factor
That makes clear, proactive communication essential, not only in programme design but also in claims handling, where local requirements and response times need to be carefully coordinated.
