Philippe Donnet (born 26 July 1960 in Suresnes, France) is a French business executive with Italian citizenship and has been the CEO of Assicurazioni Generali since March 2016.[1][2]

Philippe Donnet
Philippe Donnet
Born (1960-07-26) July 26, 1960 (age 63)
Suresnes, France
Alma materÉcole Polytechnique, Institut des Actuaires
EmployerAssicurazioni Generali
TitleCEO
Term2016–present

Education edit

Donnet entered École Polytechnique in 1980 and graduated in Engineering in 1983; there he met Claude Bébéar, the founder of AXA, who later became his mentor.[3] In 1986, he became an actuary,[4] and in 1991 he became agrégé at the Institute of Actuaries of France.[5][6][7]

Career edit

Early career edit

In 1985, Donnet began his insurance career at AXA,[5] where he held different positions until 1997, when he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of AXA Conseil.[8]

In 1999, Donnet was appointed CEO of AXA Assicurazioni in Italy[5] and then in 2001 he was appointed Regional CEO, responsible for the Mediterranean region, Middle East, Latin America and Canada.[6] Additionally, in 2002, Donnet was assigned the role of chairman and CEO of AXA Re as well as Chairman of AXA Corporate Solutions.[8] In 2003, Donnet was named CEO of Axa Japan[9] where he operated in the context of an economy characterized by very low interest rates;[3] in 2006 he took on the role of CEO for the entire Asia-Pacific region.[6][10]

In 2007, he left the insurance sector for a period of six years to take on the position of General Manager for the Asia-Pacific region at Wendel Investissement, Singapore.[9] In 2010, Donnet founded HLD, an investment firm.[11] In 2008, he joined the Board of Directors of Vivendi, a role he kept until 2016.

Career at Generali edit

Donnet joined Generali in 2013 as country manager for Italy and CEO of Generali Italia.[12][13] He led the integration of five Generali Group brands (Generali, Ina Assitalia, Toro, Lloyd Italico e Augusta).[14][15] In the same period, starting from February 2015, he held the position of Chairman of the MIB School of Management in Trieste for three years.[16]

Appointed CEO of Generali Group on 17 March 2016,[17][18] under his management the Group's results improved significantly between 2016 and 2021: the operating result grew from 4.8 billion to reach 5.9 billion euros (the best operating result ever),[19] the net result reached 2.8 billion from 2.0 billion euros, debt dropped to 9.6 billion from 13.1 billion euro, and the Solvency Ratio rose to 227%, up from 175%.[20][21] Under his guidance, Generali renewed its relationship with Venice, collaborating in the restoration of the Royal Gardens (2019),[22] restoring the Procuratie Vecchie (reopened to the public in 2022),[23][24] and participating in the foundation of the association "Venice, the world capital of sustainability.”[25]

In May 2016, he was appointed Chairman of Generali Italia, a role he held until August 2022.[26]

In 2022, Generali’s outgoing board put forward Donnet for a third mandate as CEO.[27] On 29 April 2022, Donnet was reconfirmed as Group CEO of Generali, with the majority of votes of the Shareholders' Meeting in favour of his reappointment.[28][29]

Other activities edit

  • Italian National Association of Insurance Companies (ANIA), Vice President (2016-2017)[30][31]
  • He supported the creation of The Human Safety Net, Generali's initiative to help vulnerable families and the integration of refugees through work and entrepreneurship, of which he is a Board member (since 2017)[32]
  • Insurance Development Forum (IDF), Member of the Steering Committee (since 2022)[33]
  • Domaine national de Chambord, President of the Board of Directors (since July 2023)[34]

Personal life edit

Donnet is a former rugby player[35] and he is among the major French wood barrel manufacturers.[36]

He is very attached to the city of Venice, where he chose to reside; on 23 April 2021, he was conferred Italian citizenship by the mayor Luigi Brugnaro.

He is passionate about cycling and tennis and has three children.[37][38]

Honours and awards edit

Other awards edit

  • In 2022[43] and 2023[44] he was named "Best CEO" of the insurance sector in the All-Europe Executive Team ranking of Institutional Investors
  • In 2023
    • the Foreign Policy Association awarded him the "Corporate Social Responsibility Award"[45]
    • the Fondazione Premio Galileo 2000 awarded him the "Premio Galileo 2000 per l'Impresa"[46][47]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Generali: Board of Directors". Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Reuters - Profile: Philippe Donnet". Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b Grégoire Pinson (30 March 2017). "Portrait - Philippe Donnet, directeur général de Generali". Challenges.
  4. ^ "Philippe Donnet, la force tranquille de Generali". Les Echos. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Roger Philippe Donnet - Ania". www.ania.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Niccolò Mazzarino (11 March 2016). "Philippe Donnet, chi è il successore di Mario Greco alle Assicurazioni Generali". Formiche.net. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. ^ Anna Messia (12 March 2016). "Un Leone alla francese". Milano Finanza.
  8. ^ a b "Il Sole 24 Ore - Profile: Philippe Donnet". Il Sole 24 Ore. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  9. ^ a b Paolo Possamai (21 March 2016). "Generali, Donnet rugbista zen un francese a cavallo del Leone". la Repubblica.
  10. ^ "Generali, al via riassetto governance". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. ^ "HLD | Jean-Bernard Lafonta | Our story". Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  12. ^ Anna Messia (1 August 2013). "Donnet guiderà Generali Italia". Milano Finanza.
  13. ^ "Greco chiama Donnet per Generali Italia - MilanoFinanza.it". Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Intelligent Insurer - Generali appoints CEO and general". Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  15. ^ "Nuova organizzazione per Generali Italia. Donnet accelera sull'operatività. Ecco la sua squadra". Affaritaliani.it. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Il Presidente MIB Philippe Donnet è il nuovo AD e Group CEO di Assicurazioni Generali". MIB Trieste School of Management. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  17. ^ "Generali committee picks Donnet as CEO, Minali as MD-source". Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  18. ^ "Donnet: "Inizia un nuovo percorso Generali vincerà la sfida dei mercati Fondamentale è fare squadra"". Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Generali, risultato operativo record nel 2021. Donnet: manteniamo promesse fatte al mercato". Teleborsa. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  20. ^ "GENERALI GROUP CONSOLIDATED RESULTS AT 31 DECEMBER 2016 - Press release (1)". generali. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Generali Group Consolidated Results as of 31 December 2021(1)". generali. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Generali Assicurazioni partner del restauro dei Giardini Reali di Venezia | Venice Gardens Foundation". www.venicegardensfoundation.org. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  23. ^ Arianna Testino (8 April 2022). "Riaprono le Procuratie Vecchie a Venezia". Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Procuratie Vecchie Venezia, inaugurate dopo il restauro. Zaia: "Opera faraonica" - Cronaca". il Resto del Carlino. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  25. ^ "Venezia vuole diventare "capitale mondiale della sostenibilità" puntando sull'idrogeno". HydroNews. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Generali, prime mosse di Donnet: Sesana direttore di Generali Italia". Nord Est Economia. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  27. ^ Stefano Bernabei (15 March 2022). "Generali investor proposes naming insurer's Austria chief as CEO". Reuters. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  28. ^ "The 2022 Annual General Meeting approves the 2021 financial statements and appoints the new Board of Directors". generali. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Generali: lista del cda con Donnet vince in assemblea - Economia". Agenzia ANSA. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  30. ^ "Organi Direttivi - Ania". Archived from the original on 15 January 2017.
  31. ^ "Ania, tre nuovi vicepresidenti: Donnet, Bradshaw e Di Benedetto". Firstonline. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  32. ^ "La Fondazione". The Human Safety Net. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Philippe Donnet". Insurance Development Forum. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Décret du 13 juillet 2023 portant nomination du président du conseil d'administration du Domaine national de Chambord - M. DONNET (Philippe)". Legifrance.gouv.fr. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  35. ^ "Generali, tassi zero e mercati volatili: la doppia sfida del "rugbista" Donnet". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  36. ^ Dell'Olio, Luigi (29 March 2016). "Donnet, la "forza tranquilla" del Leone". Il Piccolo (in Italian).
  37. ^ "Philippe Donnet, la force tranquille de Generali". Les Echos. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  38. ^ "Generali, Donnet rugbista zen un francese a cavallo del Leone". la Repubblica. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  39. ^ Décret du 15 mai 2006 portant promotion et nomination, retrieved 5 May 2017
  40. ^ Décret du 13 juillet 2016 portant promotion et nomination, retrieved 5 May 2017
  41. ^ Légion d’honneur: la promotion du 14 juillet 2016
  42. ^ Comunicato stampa - NOMINATI I 25 NUOVI CAVALIERI DEL LAVORO
  43. ^ "Generali la più premiata nella Institutional Investor Survey. Donnet miglior CEO del settore assicurativo". Teleborsa. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  44. ^ Generali, Donnet awarded "best CEO" in the insurance sector by Institutional Investor
  45. ^ "Foreign Policy Association". www.fpa.org. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  46. ^ "Premio Galileo 2000: "Lo dedico alle famiglie che soffrono e al loro sorriso - Luce".
  47. ^ "Musica, arte, scienza e impresa, a Firenze il XIX Premio Galileo 2000".