MAPFRE Middlesea CEO eager for ‘new professional challenge’ as he begins role in Malta

“I consider myself very fortunate to be appointed by the MAPFRE Group to this significant responsibility,” says Javier Moreno Gonzalez, CEO of MAPFRE Middlesea, who regards his latest role within the Group as “a new professional challenge that I find exciting and that I face with great enthusiasm.”

Interviewed by MaltaCEOs.mt soon after taking the reins from his predecessor, Felipe Navarro, on 1st April, Mr Moreno Gonzalez says that, from a professional point of view, Malta is an exciting destination for many reasons for him, citing “the importance of our company in the Maltese market in both Life and Non-Life business, the high level of development of this industry in the country, and the high professional qualifications of the different teams that make up the Group here.”

Mr Moreno Gonzalez’s appointment comes with a wealth of experience in the global insurance market, with a career at MAPFRE spanning 21 years, where he held various executive positions in different management areas.

He has also been responsible for commercial and business development, and technical and customer service functions through the management of insured benefits. “All this has given me a broad and managerial vision of the business that I can now apply to the specific development of a country like Malta,” he explains.

Having also been involved in the development of strategic projects at Group level, with implementations in different countries, the CEO says “I feel privileged to know existing capabilities in other countries and at Group level that can potentially be re-used in Malta as they are proven good practices. I believe in the ‘glocal’ concept, combining the global with the local.”

Notwithstanding this, he deems his new role as a challenge and also a daily learning experience “that I face with humility, relying on the excellent professionals of MAPFRE in Malta, who undoubtedly have a high level of expertise not only locally, but also internally within the MAPFRE Group. The human team is truly one of our greatest assets.”

Mr Moreno Gonzalez’s arrival to Malta comes at a time when MAPFRE Middlesea continues to hold a strong position within the local insurance market. While he agrees, the CEO says it is no time to rest on one’s laurels, particularly as Malta’s insurance market “is professional and competitive”.

“Many companies are doing very well and it is becoming more and more difficult to attract clients and renew their trust. Furthermore, in some lines of business we are witnessing the entry of new players,” he asserts. “Customers have also increased their insurance culture and are more demanding, a circumstance that stimulates us because we want to continue to be leaders with the most complete products and the best service.”

He highlights areas that require further hard work which are essential for the sustainability of the business, including a fixed focus on clients, deploying more and better services that adapt to clients’ real needs, equipping technical management with more advanced and sophisticated models, gaining efficiency through new technological platforms, and advancing decisively in digitalisation with the company’s clients, mediators, and strategic partners, who will continue to be the basis of MAPFRE Middlesea’s commercial development.

“There are many challenges, but we look to the future with optimism because we have the capabilities and resources to grasp the opportunities within our reach,” says Mr Moreno Gonzalez. “I would like to highlight the MAPFRE Group’s backing and insurance expertise as the maximum guarantee and level of solvency, which of course also applies in Malta.”

A major challenge at the forefront of every business leader’s mind is the continued prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the CEO says made 2020 a tremendously difficult year for everyone and put the company in uncharted waters, with devastating health, social and economic effects.

“In 2021, we are still suffering the consequences of a pandemic that is still very much present and generating uncertainty. Fortunately, vaccines, although their global deployment is slower than desirable, are producing clearly positive effects not only on public health, but also on psychological and economic health,” he asserts.

“The forecasts are positive, but we must be cautious, and we continue to prioritise above all our service to our customers, adapting to the current situation at any given time. We are now more omnichannel than ever, and the service vocation of all our employees and of our intermediaries is commendable.”

Alongside planned projects for the year and a drive to maintain its competitive position while continuing to achieve profitable growth, he adds that the company will also continue to contribute to society through its Foundation and the voluntary work carried out by its employees.

Reflecting on the legacy he would like to leave throughout his tenure as CEO, Mr Moreno Gonzalez says he would like it to be clear in a few years’ time that he contributed to the Group’s transformation process, making it more digital, efficient and sophisticated.

“We aim to achieve this with one goal in mind: we want to be the company that generates the best experience for its customers in order to capture and retain their trust for a long time, accompanying them and adapting our value proposition to their needs at all times.”