Focusing on the customer
Zurich was founded in 1872, and has long been a reliable and stable company in an unstable world, with dedication and a deep history of using our expertise to help care for society and people.
We care about our customers
We care about our company because we are proud of Zurich’s heritage and brand, and understand that protecting our reputation and our assets is critical for our long-term success.
Our purpose is to create a brighter future together with our customers across the world. Our customers range from individuals, small businesses, mid-sized and large companies to multinational corporations. We strive to make them feel confident that they are doing their best to protect themselves, their families, their businesses and our world. Additionally, they should have peace of mind that they contribute towards sustainable businesses and practices.
We are committed to become the sustainable choice for our customers, because we understand that our role as an insurer is not only to help our customers protect themselves today, but to help them and our world adapt to the risks of tomorrow.
We endeavor to provide our customers with personalized services, expert advice and peer-to-peer information to assist them in identifying and mitigating risks – and with reliable protection and support in case something happens.
All employees have an important part to play in our quest to create a brighter future together with our customers. Regardless of our role within the company, we are all working to serve our customers. Our actions should be driven by our customers and the goal to have a positive impact towards a brighter future for society and our planet.
What does it mean for me?
In all business activities, make sure you keep the customer at the heart of what you do and promote positive customer outcomes.
Never put short-term gains over long-term success. Our company will succeed through building long term relationships with our customers and by empowering sustainable practices.
Never lose focus on the customer when driving forward innovation.
Ensuring appropriate Customer Facing Conduct
We are committed to delivering on our promises and standing up for what is right. This includes fostering behavior that puts our customers’ needs at the center of our business.
We strive to manage the risks of poor outcomes for our customers and we conduct our business in a way that seeks to treat customers fairly.
What does it mean for me?
Consult with your manager or Compliance whenever you have doubts about whether our Customer Facing Conduct framework is meeting the standards of conduct outlined in this Code.
Respecting data privacy and safeguarding confidential information
Trust is at the core of our business, and we have a responsibility to keep the data of our customers, as well as of employees and other stakeholders, secure and only use it in a legal and transparent manner. In line with this, Zurich is committed to high standards of data privacy and information security.
We respect the privacy rights of customers, employees and other individuals across our operations globally and protect their data.
We honor our customers’ long-standing trust with our Data and Responsible AI Commitment and make a promise to our customers to:
- Keep their data safe;
- Never sell their personal data;
- Be transparent about how we share their personal data;
- Use data to produce better outcomes for them; and
- Use AI responsibly.
We are committed to collecting, processing and sharing personal data of our customers, employees and other individuals fairly and only for specified and legitimate purposes.
When using data in the context of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), we do that in a responsible manner by applying our data privacy and information security standards (see chapter Deploying Artificial Intelligence in a responsible manner).
We respect the privacy rights and preferences of the individuals whose data we process. We access, use and share confidential information, including personal data, on a “need-to-know” basis only. In addition, before transferring data across national borders, including to other Zurich entities, we confirm whether special requirements apply.
What does it mean for me?
Familiarize yourself with the key processes and tools that will enable you to be compliant with applicable data privacy requirements. You can find further information in our Group Policy: Data Protection and Records Management and relevant local policies.
I have sent a confidential email that includes an attachment with personal data to the private email address of my colleague instead of the work email. What should I do? – This is a personal data incident. Keep in mind that data incidents and potential breaches must be reported through appropriate management channels as quickly as possible. Consult with your local data protection and privacy contact or Data Privacy Officer if you have any questions or concerns.
Deploying Artificial Intelligence in a responsible manner
AI has the potential to drive efficiencies, foster innovation, improve decision-making, and ultimately enhance the experience of our customers and employees. We also recognize the challenges that AI can present for society, and are committed to using AI responsibly.
At Zurich, we are convinced that AI will help drive Zurich’s competitive advantage and further enhance our customer-centric approach. We comply with applicable AI and data privacy laws and regulations.
In line with our Data and Responsible AI Commitment (see chapter Respecting data privacy and safeguarding confidential information), we use AI responsibly, guided by the following principles:
- Safety
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Reliability
These principles are further detailed in the AI Assessment Framework.
We are committed to developing solutions and products that leverage AI and other new technologies in a safe, fair and transparent way in order to meet our promise to our customers and protect the rights of all our stakeholders.
Additionally, we are committed to appropriate human oversight to mitigate potential risks, biases or inaccuracies.
What does it mean for me?
Familiarize yourself with Zurich’s definition of AI, its risks as well as our responsible AI principles, and consult with your local contact in the Global Responsible AI Champions Network for more information on responsible AI at Zurich.
You can find further information in the AI Assessment Framework.
