From 2004 to 2007, prior to founding his own company, Kai-Uwe Schanz served as Chief Communication & Corporate Development Officer at Converium, then a global Top 10 reinsurer. In this function, reporting to the CEO, he was responsible for corporate communications, investor relations, strategy development and market research. At Converium, Dr. Schanz made a significant contribution to managing a severe corporate crisis, stabilising the company, achieving a successful turnaround and merging it with SCOR, the world's 5th largest reinsurer, in a US$ 2.5 billion transaction.
From 1995 to 2004 Kai-Uwe Schanz worked for Swiss Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers, performing various senior management roles such as Senior Vice President & Chief Economist Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong, and Managing Director & Global Head of Communications Content and Strategic Issues Management, based in Zurich.
From 1992 to 1995 Kai-Uwe Schanz led various consulting and research projects at the Institute of International Economics at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). He also served as lecturer in International Economics.
Kai-Uwe Schanz holds a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of St. Gallen. In 2003 he was appointed Research Fellow at the China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research at Beijing University. In 2005 he received the Geneva Association / International Insurance Society Research Award for a paper on “Stakeholder Management in Insurance as a Driver of Corporate Performance”. Kai-Uwe Schanz is a Member of the Board of Governors of the Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association, Singapore. He also serves as a Special Adviser to the Geneva Association, Geneva, the think-tank of the world’s 80 leading insurance companies’ CEOs. His record of publications and media quotes includes leading newspapers such as the Economist, Financial Times, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as well as the insurance and financial trade press in Europe, Asia, the US and Latin America.
Details on the professional track record
Converium Holding Ltd, Zurich (2004 - 2007)
- Built and led integrated Corporate Communication & Development function (PR, IR, strategy development, market research)
- Led crisis communication in 2004, including capital increase of US$ 420 million (with CS and JPMorgan)
- Responsible for defence and merger communication relating to take-over by SCOR (US$ 2.5 billion transaction)
- Developed corporate key messaging process
- Redesigned corporate strategy process
- Helped position new CEOs (Inga Beale and Terry Clarke) with staff, investors, clients and the media
Swiss Re, Zurich and Hong Kong (1995 - 2004)
- Co-established Swiss Re’s issue management and agenda setting processes
- Built up a market research unit in Hong Kong focusing on publishing, strategic consulting and marketing support for Swiss Re’s regional expansion strategy
- Participated in discussions with insurance regulators in China (CIRC) and India (IRDA)
- Edited a number of Swiss Re sigma studies
- Acted as copy-writer for CEO and Executive Board
- Contributed regularly to leading international financial and trade publications
- Spoke regularly at high-profile conference events
University of St. Gallen (1992 - 1995)
- Managed a major strategic research project for the Swiss federal government on Switzerland’s accession to the World Trade Organization
- Advised Swiss multinational companies and industry associations on world trade matters
- Contributed to a major study on how to secure Switzerland’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century (led by David de Pury, then Co-Chairman of ABB)
- Co-edited a leading German textbook on the World Trade Organization (with Professor Dr. Heinz Hauser)
