Managing Board and Supervisory Board compensation

The Company compensation guidelines are based on the provisions of Solvency II and include standards intended to prevent the compensation rules from creating incentives to assume excessive risk and to avoid conflicts of interest to the extent possible. The Company guidelines include further provisions for key positions – in particular variable compensation for these positions – that are generally aimed at promoting sustainability and careful dealing with risks. Corresponding Group guidelines apply to all insurance and reinsurance companies within the insurance group and therefore apply to all significant subsidiaries included in the consolidation scope.

Compensation plan for Managing Board Members of the Company

Managing Board compensation takes into account the importance of the Group and the responsibility that goes with it, the economic situation of the Company, and the appropriateness of the remuneration in the market environment.

The variable portion of the compensation emphasises the need for sustainability and achieving it fully depends critically on an analysis of the sustainable performance of the Company that extends beyond a single reporting year.

The performance-related compensation is limited. The maximum performance-related compensation that the Managing Board can receive by achieving the traditional targets in financial year 2019 is around 40% to around 50% of fixed salary. Special bonus compensation can also be earned for appropriate target achievement, as well as compensation for overachievement in certain target areas. In total, the Members of the Managing Board can earn variable compensation equal to a maximum of around 80% to to around 105% of their fixed compensation in this way.

Large parts of performance-related compensation are only paid after a delay. The delay for the 2019 financial year extends to 2023. The deferred portions are awarded based on the sustainable performance of the Group.

The Managing Board is not entitled to performance-related compensation if performance fails to meet certain thresholds. Even if the targets are fully met in a given financial year, because of the focus on sustainability, the full variable compensation is only awarded if the Group also achieves sustainable performance in the three following years.

The main performance criteria (targets) for variable compensation in 2019 were the combined ratio, premium growth, result before taxes and – as a non-financial objective – the promotion of social responsibility in practice, for special bonus compensation there were strategic objectives, such as achievements in the area of bancassurance or market share, and compensation could also be earned from overachievement of targets in certain areas.

Managing Board compensation does not include stock options or similar instruments.

In 2019, active Managing Board Members received the following for their services to the Company and as managers of affiliated companies during the reporting period:

The standard employment contract for a member of the Managing Board of the Company includes – depending, among other things, on the length of employment – a pension equal to a maximum of 40% of the measurement base if the member remains on the Managing Board until the age of 65 (the measurement base is equal to the standard fixed compensation). This pension amount can be increased in individual cases if work continues past the maximum pension age, since a pension is not drawn during this period.

A pension is normally received only if a Managing Board Member’s position is not extended and the Member is not at fault for the lack of extension, or the Managing Board Member retires due to illness or age.

The provisions of the Austrian Employee and Employment Provisions Act (Mitarbeiter- und Selbstständigen-Vorsorge-gesetz) (“new severance”) apply to the contracts of the Managing Board Members.

Only the contracts for Managing Board members who have been active in the insurance group for a long time provide for a severance payment structured in accordance with the provisions of the Austrian Employee Act (Angestelltengesetz), in the version prior to 2003, in combination with applicable industry-specific provisions. This allows these Managing Board Members to receive a severance payment equal to two to twelve months’ compensation, depending on the period of service, with a supplement of 50% if the member retires or leaves after a long-term illness. A Managing Board Member who leaves by their own choice, without agreement with the Company, before retirement is possible, or leaves due to their own fault, is not entitled to severance payment.

Managing Board Members are provided with a company car for both business and personal use.

Compensation plan for the Supervisory Board Members

In accordance with the resolutions adopted by the 27^th ordinary General Meeting on 25 May 2018, the Supervisory Board Members elected by the General Meeting are entitled to receive compensation in the form of a payment remitted monthly in advance. Supervisory Board Members who withdraw from their positions before the end of a month still receive full compensation for the month in question. In addition to this compensation, Supervisory Board Members are entitled to receive an attendance allowance for participating in Supervisory Board meetings and Supervisory Board committee meetings (remitted after participating in the meeting). The total compensation paid to Supervisory Board Members in 2019 was EUR 506,000.

Supervisory Board Members received the following amounts:

Supervisory Board compensation does not include stock options or similar instruments.