Allianz Group Reshuffles Leadership: New CEOs for Allianz Partners and Allianz Direct

Allianz Group has reshuffled its leadership team at Allianz Partners and Allianz Direct to accelerate its digital "Connected Platforms" strategy. Following Tomas Kunzmann’s elevation to the Allianz SE Board of Management, the appointments of Philipp Kroetz and Laurent Floquet signal a push for deeper integration between the group’s insurance, assistance, and technology-driven service models across Europe.

What was announced

The leadership transition is scheduled for November 1, 2026, to ensure a seamless handover across the group’s digital and assistance divisions. Philipp Kroetz, who has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Direct since early 2022, will take over as the Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Partners. Kroetz is credited with transforming Allianz Direct into a profitable European digital platform, nearly doubling its customer base to 3.2 million across five markets. Under his tenure, the business reached a total volume exceeding 1.5 billion euros in 2025, maintaining a 95% combined ratio while introducing AI-driven innovations like 60-second claims settlements and indicative pricing via ChatGPT.

Succeeding Kroetz at Allianz Direct is Laurent Floquet, the current Chief Operating Officer of Allianz Partners. Floquet, who joined the group in 2014, has a background in mobility and service-led solutions. In his role as COO, he has been responsible for deploying AI-assisted customer solutions, including automated claims handling and AI voice agents for travel and medical assistance. Before his time as COO, he served as a member of the Board of Management responsible for the Assistance business and as Regional CEO for the DACH and Eastern European markets.

These moves follow the appointment of Tomas Kunzmann, the current Chairman of the Board and CEO at Allianz Partners, to the Allianz SE Board of Management. The group stated that a successor for Floquet’s current COO role will be named at a later date. All appointments remain subject to regulatory approval.

"Allianz Partners and Allianz Direct are central to our ambition to build Connected Platforms, Allianz’s irreplicable combination of AI-enabled technology with real-world global service networks that bring individualized solutions and simplified interfaces within reach for our customers. As we bring our businesses closer together and center them around our customers, we can not only reimagine customer journeys but also create stronger connections between our people and leaders. Philipp and Laurent have both demonstrated how the right digital insurance models can create meaningful, differentiated value for our customers as well as for our shareholders. I am pleased that they will bring their experience and ethic of close collaboration to their expanded responsibilities as we continue to build the capabilities and momentum needed for our next phase of growth."

Sirma Boshnakova, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE.

The companies involved

Allianz Group is a global financial services provider with a significant footprint in insurance and asset management. The group operates through various specialized entities, including Allianz Direct and Allianz Partners, to address specific market segments and distribution channels. Allianz Direct serves as the group’s pan-European direct insurer for property and casualty (P&C) products. It focuses on a digital-first approach, providing motor and home insurance through a unified platform designed for scalability and customer ease.

Allianz Partners is the group’s B2B2C specialist, focusing on assistance and insurance solutions across travel, health, and mobility. It operates globally, often integrating its services into the offerings of corporate partners such as banks and automotive manufacturers. The entity has undergone significant transformation to move beyond traditional assistance, incorporating digital tools to manage global service networks. Both subsidiaries are central to the "Connected Platforms" initiative overseen by Sirma Boshnakova at Allianz SE. This strategy aims to transcend traditional geographic and operational silos by leveraging AI and standardized digital infrastructure to deliver personalized insurance experiences at a massive scale across the European market.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the expansion of the Allianz ecosystem, particularly its moves into embedded finance and strategic acquisitions. In late 2024, the publication reported that Swiss Re Agrees to Sell iptiQ's European P&C Business to Allianz Direct, a move that significantly bolstered the direct insurer's footprint. On the partnership front, Allianz Partners appointed by NatWest Group as travel insurance provider highlighted the company's strength in the UK banking sector. More recently, the group has focused on technological innovation, as seen when Allianz Partners Launches Metaportal to Revolutionize Embedded Travel Insurance for Banks. Additionally, the group’s broader global reach was evidenced when UOB and Allianz Global Investors Ink Strategic Wealth Management Partnership in Southeast Asia.

What this means

This leadership rotation signals that the era of siloed digital insurance is ending for major incumbents. By swapping the heads of its direct-to-consumer and B2B2C assistance arms, Allianz is forcing a convergence between pure-play digital insurance and service-led assistance. The industry is moving toward a model where the policy is secondary to the service platform, and Allianz is betting that the technical architecture of a direct insurer can be successfully grafted onto a global assistance network. This puts pressure on traditional insurers who lack the scale to build proprietary AI platforms. The challenge for the sector remains whether these connected platforms can maintain high customer satisfaction while aggressively automating claims and pricing.