Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Germany
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Financial Services
Financial And Insurance Activities
Insurance, Reinsurance And Pension Funding, Except Compulsory Social Security
65 - Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security

1,550 - 1,750 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
28 June 2006
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
31 December 2009

Description

On 28 June 2006, Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG (W&W), one of Germany’s largest financial service providers, announced the cut of 1,550 to 1,750 jobs at its affiliates till the end of 2009. These figures include job losses that had already been announced in the aftermath of the aquisition of the Karlsruher Versicherungsgruppe. In October 2005 the insurance companies Württembergische Versicherung and Württembergische Lebensversicherung, both affiliates of the financial group W&W, merged with the Karlsruher Versicherungsgruppe. In March 2006, W&W announced the loss of 500 jobs within its insurance affiliates. On 28 June 2006, the figure was increased from 500 to 750. The reduction in the insurance sector is due to synergy effects that result from the acquisition of the Karlsruher Versicherungsgruppe in last October. The overall figures also include another 800 to 1,000 jobs that will be lost within the group’s building societies and saving banks. Up to now, different duties such as purchasing, logistics, human resources development and organisational management were handled by the different affiliates themselves. These duties shall be combined into a bundle leading to a redundancy in jobs. At the moment, the W&W employs 11,000 persons. W&W wants to restructure its corporate group, in order to heighten its profitability. Till the end of 2009, the equity return 4.2% in 2005 shall be doubled. In 2005, the W&W-Group posted a profit of EUR 98 million.


Sources

  • 29 June 2006: Handelsblatt
  • 29 June 2006: Financial Times Deutschland

Citation

Eurofound (2006), Württembergische Lebensversicherung, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 63172, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63172.