Swiss Life Global Solutions partners with Generali establishing the #1 employee benefits network globally

Swiss Life Global Solutions and Generali Group have entered into a long-term commercial partnership and a binding commitment for the acquisition of Swiss Life Network (SLN) by Generali Employee Benefits (GEB). With this transaction, Generali will establish the global #1 employee benefits network managing more than €3 billion in premiums with the aim to set new standards in service and innovation for multinational clients and their employees worldwide.

Swiss Life Global Solutions and Generali will combine the strengths of both networks – GEB and Swiss Life Network – and their complementary profiles. This includes synergies across product offering (protection and pension, multinational pooling, reinsurance to captive), geographical footprint, client segments, and commercial and technical capabilities, underlined by a clear ambition to set a new reference in the global employee benefits market for customer experience, innovation and sustainable growth.

Ludovic Bayard – CEO of the Generali Employee Benefits Network (the employee benefits business line of Generali Care) – will lead the new combined network. This new unit will be part of Generali Care, the global B2B2C/E partnerships arm of the Generali Group, reporting to Antoine Parisi.

Frederik Van Den Eede, Chief Commercial Officer at GEB, and Michael Hansen, Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Life Network, will jointly lead the commercial area, to ensure a seamless transition and continued service excellence for all clients and partners. Additionally, GEB will welcome the experienced Swiss Life Network employees in their teams once the transaction is closed.

Theo Iaponas, CEO of Swiss Life International, commented: “By contributing our expertise and excellent partner and client relationships to the well-established network and reinsurance and captive business capabilities of Generali, this creates a unique value proposition as a ‘Network of Choice’ for multinational clients.”

Michael Hansen, CEO of Swiss Life Network commented: “By uniting the best captive and most flexible pooling solutions we will provide our network partners and clients with a true one-stop-shop experience, bringing together fresh perspectives and ideas through a diverse and inclusive global team a further strengthened network offering”.

Ludovic Bayard, CEO of Generali Employee Benefits said “The new platform marks a major milestone in strengthening Generali’s employee benefits business. By combining our well-established network with Swiss Life Global Solutions’ expertise and excellent partner relationships, Generali becomes the go-to partner for international corporations and employees worldwide. We are excited to welcome the team and to work with Swiss Life Global Solutions Partners. Together, we will deliver best in class protection and pension solutions, enhanced by advanced digital services that promote employee wellbeing and drive sustainable business performance”.

Antoine Parisi, Group CEO of Generali Care, said: “This strategic step to strengthen and scale our employee benefits business, establishing the new global leader in this space, underscores Generali’s commitment to accelerating our B2B2C/E Care business growth with a clear focus on excellence in protection and health. It is fully in line with the ambitions of our “Lifetime Partner 27: Driving Excellence” plan and our commitment to delivering best-in-class Care solutions and innovation for multinational clients worldwide.”

New global leader in employee benefits

With coverage in more than 130 countries and close to 200 network partners, this alliance will establish a new worldwide leader in employee benefits, built on:

• Best-in-class local partnerships,
• A comprehensive offering across all key lines of business – protection (life, disability, accident, medical) and pension, 
• A diverse and inclusive team that leverages local expertise and global reach, 
• Expanded global digital services (data & analytics, health & wellbeing, benchmarking through AI partnerships), supporting local employees, expatriates and their families.

Following a transitional period, the network will adopt a new brand, to be unveiled after closing, which is expected in the first semester of 2026, and remains subject to customary regulatory approvals.

A “Network of Choice”

This unified platform shall constitute a true Network of Choice for multinational clients offering:

• Choice of employee benefits
  Comprehensive protection, medical and pension solutions, enhanced with high-value digital services for both local employees and expatriates (health & wellbeing platforms, analytics, reporting, etc.). 
• Choice of network partners
  Two or more local insurers in core markets, offering genuine options and flexibility for the local subsidiaries of multinational companies. 
• Choice of comprehensive products
  Two alternative multinational pooling models and a reinsurance-to-captive solution, enabling tailored risk and financing strategies for employee benefit plans.