Swiss Life’s comprehensive risk management standards

A key pillar of Swiss Life’s responsible and sustainable business is its comprehensive, value-oriented risk management involving both quantitative and qualitative elements. The goal is to protect customers’ funds and ensure the best possible investment of risk capital, while complying with regulatory requirements and taking account of the persistently challenging capital market environment.

Risk management is a key component of Swiss Life’s management process. The responsible committees of the Corporate Executive Board (Group Risk Committee, GRC) and the Board of Directors (Investment and Risk Committee, IRC) continuously monitor and manage risks, and their decisions are then incorporated into the annual planning process. On the one hand, they conduct qualitative assessments of strategic risks, as well as evaluating operational risks, the internal control system (ICS) and measures aimed at continually improving information and system security. On the other hand, they also cover quantitative elements, such as the risk tolerance of the Swiss Life Group and, for the insurance units, risk budgeting and the investment strategy resulting from asset and liability management.

At Swiss Life, risk management is an integral part of strategy development. In the context of strategic risk management, any risks that could jeopardise the achievement of strategic targets are analysed using a structured process that determines a comprehensive risk profile. This involves assessing all the information relating to these risks, including the expected returns and costs, and using it in strategic decision-making. Risk interdependencies are examined in order to properly consider and address the factors influencing risk when strategies are being developed.

Further information can be found in the Annual Report (section “Risk Management”).