News

MAI Ukraine office resumes normal service

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers are pleased to inform our partners and our clients that our office in Ukraine has re-opened. Normality has returned to Kiev, and while the situation between Ukraine and Russia is very tense and subject to possible rapid changes, our office is now able to operate in safety.

MAI Czech expands Film Insurance capabilities

MAI Czech Republic has been joined by Mr. Tomáš Trnka, a specialist in Film Insurance. These types of insurance are especially suitable for production companies that are specialized in the production of movies and TV commercials.

MAI CZ is able to provide a wide range of specialized types of insurances related to this area – either in a complete insurance package or on selected risks basis as requested by the client. Film production risks can be placed in the local insurance market and also strong foreign markets (e.g. Lloyds of London). These types of insurance cover a production company up to the total production costs (i.e. shooting and post-production). Taking the today´s budgets of film projects into consideration, we often talk about funds of several tens of millions of USD.

We will be glad to provide you with know-how and assistance with arranging cover for audiovisual works that are going to be made in your country. Tomáš has previously placed the insurance (for the whole or part) of the following productions:

– I served the king of England
– Return bottles
– Van Helsing (Czech part)
– Wanted (Czech part)
– Casino Royale (Czech part)
– Tobruk
– Child 44 (Czech part)
– Personal liability insurance for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Click on the button below to send an email to the MAI Czech office.

Email MAI Czech  

Security situation in Kiev

As a result of the difficulties in Ukraine, the MAI Ukraine office is temporarily closed, however our team are continuing to work from home. This is the same situation for many companies in Kiev, so please be aware that the speed of response from our office, from insurance companies and from local companies will be much slower than normal. Client meetings may not be possible in the short term.

Violent protests and demonstrations are occurring in Kyiv and many other cities. Clashes between demonstrators and the police in Kyiv and elsewhere have caused fatalities, including on 18/19 February when reportedly at least 20 protesters and policemen were killed. There have been demonstrations in Dnipropetrovsk in recent days, some of which have turned violent.

The demonstrations in Kyiv have mainly taken place around Independence Square, European Square, and St Michael’s Square. But violent clashes also occurred near Parliament on 18 February. There are credible reports of attacks in other parts of central Kyiv, especially at night. Many businesses in central Kyiv were closed on 19 February. The metro in Kyiv has also been closed but airports remain open.

For our clients with operations in Ukraine for the personal safety of their staff we recommend that they should avoid all demonstrations and large public gatherings: even peaceful demonstrations can rapidly turn violent. We further recommend against all non-essential trips to the Ukraine at this time. Should you still decide to travel to Ukraine, we strongly suggest that you only move around the country during daylight and in the company of a trusted local contact who speaks fluent Russian and Ukrainian, and also to carry all documentation with you (passport, company papers) showing your reason for being in Ukraine during these difficult times.

For further information please look at the websites of the US State Department, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK or your own country’s embassy website.

Busy times for MAI Russia

MAI Russia led a comprehensive one day seminar in Moscow: “Insurance in Russia: current trends and potential” for the top management of ‘NEO Centre Consulting Group’. NEO Centre is one of the leading independent consulting companies in Russia, with over 400 consultants and 15 years’ experience.

MAI Russia has also recently given presentations about MAI CEE at specially designed business sessions at the Moscow Trade Sections of The Embassy of Great Britain and the Embassy of Lithuania. MAI Russia’s senior management and delegates regularly participate in the working monthly/quarterly meetings of the Insurance and Pension Committee of the Association of European Business ( AEB) and CEEMEA Business Group chaired by Dr. Daniel Thorniley. The CEEMEA Business Group is the largest network of senior executives of multinational companies operating in the CEEMEA region.

Managing Director of MAI Czech Republic elected to the Board of the Association of Czech Insurance Brokers

Mr. Jan Stok, Managing Director MAI Czech Republic and a Member of the Management Board of MAI Central Eastern Europe, has been elected to the Board of the Association of Czech Insurance Brokers (ACIB). The election took place Monday December 2^nd 2013.

“As the leading independent regional insurance broker in Central Eastern Europe, MAI-CEE is dedicated to playing a stronger role in the insurance broker sector across the region.  My election to the Board of ACIB in the Czech Republic is part of this strategy.” Jan Stok said after being elected for a two year term.

The ACIB is the main broker association in the Czech Republic. ACIB is a member of BIPAR (European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries) and the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries. 

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers are heading into space!

We are proud to be the appointed broker and sponsor of Team Puli as they compete in the Google Lunar X Prize. We selected the insurance company AIG to provide insurance, and AIG generously agreed to be a sponsor as well!

The race is to land on the moon and send two transmissions to Earth and travel more than 500 metres across the moon. The team has to achieve this by the end of 2015 in order to win the US$ 40 million prize. Click here for details:

Visit the Google Lunar X Prize website  

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers accepted into the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers is the premier association for the top regional, national and international commercial insurance and employee benefits intermediaries worldwide. Council members are market leaders who annually place 85% of U.S. commercial property/casualty insurance premiums and administer billions of dollars in employee benefits accounts.

Now in its hundredth year, the Council continues to expand its international reach, and currently 20% of its members are headquartered outside the USA. Based in Washington, D.C., The Council fosters relationships industry-wide by engaging lawmakers, regulators and stakeholders around the world to promote the interests of its members and the valuable role they play in the mitigation of risk for their clients.

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers is now a member of the CIAB for the whole of Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Caucuses and most of Central Asia.  Natalia Zaborovska and Piotr Cieslak attended the 100th Anniversary Meeting of the CIAB in Colorado Springs in October to represent the company at our joining the Council. Further details of the CIAB can be found by clicking the button below:

Visit the CIAB website  

Alica Krsakova of MAI Slovakia honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers is proud to announce that the Slovak Association of Insurance Intermediaries (SASP) and the Slovak Association of Risk Management awarded Mrs Alica Krsakova their prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the development of the Slovak insurance industry and specifically the intermediary sector. The award was given at the 2013 Slovak Insurance Broker and Agent Forum (SIBAF) in Bratislava.

Alica Krsakova opened MAI Slovakia in 2001 and remained as country manager until April 2013 when she retired and handed over her responsibilities as managing director to Mr Pavol Lim. In additions to the challenges of building up MAI Slovakia, Alica was the President of the Slovak Association of Insurance Intermediaries for several years.

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers are honoured that our former country manager has been recognized for her achievements in promoting the development of insurance intermediaries in Slovakia. We congratulate Alica and thank her for her hard work and dedication during a long and distinguished career.

If you wish to send Alica a congratulatory email, please click the button below:

Send Alica an email

Baden-Baden Reinsurance meeting, 20 – 24 October 2013

MAI Reinsurance brokers will be present at the annual Baden-Baden reinsurance gathering this October. Over 2,000 delegates from the reinsurance industry will gather in the spa town in southern Germany for a series of meetings that allow cedants, brokers and reinsurers and insurers to get together to discuss the renewal of reinsurance contracts prior to the major renewals season in January.

Attending from MAI Re will be Hugo Barker, Kristian Garancis, Dmitry Ribakov, and Levan Jishkariani amongst others:

To send an email to the MAI Re delegation please click here: Contact Us

InsuranceCom Vienna 2013.

CEO Jeffrey Manners and Broker Board member Seamus Conlan attended the 2013 InsuranceCom seminar in Vienna. Hosted in the beautiful surroundings of the Palais Niederoesterreich, the event drew together senior officers of the region’s major insurance companies and industry players.

MAI CEE were the only insurance broker present at the invitation only event which was moderated by Prof. Dr. Peter Maas, Member of the Executive Board, Insurance Institute University St. Gallen, Switzerland. Topics discussed included Heterogeneous CEE Market Dynamics – Strategic Priorities, New Bancassurance Model with Citibank, Digital Consumer Trends: Impulses for Innovation and Growth and Customer Centricity: Multiple Channel Access. Full details are available here:

Click here for brochure

We thank Ernst &Young AG, Swiss Re, Hannover Re  and others for their generous sponsorship.

MAI CEE Insurance Brokers: Ongoing Corporate Rationalization.

As a leading independent Central and Eastern European broker, MAI CEE Insurance Brokers owns and manages insurance broker companies, multi-agents, managing general agencies, consultancies and third party administration companies across 13 countries. As our broking group grows and evolves, and the business environment changes, MAI must occasionally rationalize its corporate structure to improve  efficiencies and maintain transparency.

As part of this process MAI’s management has determined one of its several legal entities in Hungary is now surplus to requirements and will be wound down. We have requested that the Hungarian supervisory authority ‘PSZAF’ withdraws this company’s broking license. This will have no impact on MAI’s services in Hungary, with all client and broking activities remaining unchanged. MAI Hungary (MAI Kft) is a licensed Hungarian broker established in 1991. It has been servicing and will continue to support our business and our partners in Hungary.

Should you have any questions please contact either Akos Pal, the Managing Director of MAI Hungary, or Jeffrey Manners, the CEO of MAI CEE Insurance Brokers through the ‘Contact’ page on this website.

MAI CEE HQ and MAI Hungary move to new offices

MAI Hungary and the HQ of MAI CEE Insurance Brokers moved to new offices on the 27th September 2013. Due to continued growth, MAI Hungary had outgrown the previous office and has decided to take advantage of the depressed real estate market in Hungary to move to new and larger offices in the centre of the 3rd District of Budapest. This move brings the advantages of being closer to many of our clients, reducing the commute time for most of the MAI Hungary team as well as being in a more pleasant area of the city. The new address is Perc utca 8, Budapest 1036. The postal address (see the main ‘Contact’ page) remains the same.

MAI Poland move to new offices

Due to continued expansion and growth, MAI Poland has moved to a new and larger office in Warsaw. Our new address in Warsaw is: ul. Gen. Zajączka 9, 01-518 Warszawa For full contact details and telephone numbers click on the ‘Poland’ country page.