MUNICH — In a strategic series of leadership realignments designed to fortify its digital insurance footprint and accelerate global expansion, the Allianz Group has announced sweeping executive appointments at two of its flagship divisions, Allianz Partners and Allianz Direct. The succession planning comes on the heels of the high-profile appointment of Tomas Kunzmann to the Allianz SE Board of Management, setting off a cascading series of promotions that elevates some of the insurance giant’s most successful digital and operational architects into broader strategic roles.
Effective November 1, 2026, Philipp Kroetz—who has spent the last four years spearheading the dramatic operational turnaround and digital transformation of Allianz Direct—will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Partners. Concurrently, Laurent Floquet, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Allianz Partners, will step up to succeed Kroetz as the Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Direct.
According to official communications from Allianz SE, all appointments are currently subject to standard regulatory approvals. The transition timeline has been meticulously sequenced to ensure seamless operational handovers, client continuity, and sustained momentum across the group’s rapidly evolving property and casualty (P/C) and assistance ecosystems.
Main Facts
The leadership reshuffle is part of a broader organizational evolution at Munich-headquartered Allianz SE, aimed at positioning the global insurer at the cutting edge of digital disruption, platform-based business models, and customer-centric mobility solutions.
- The Catalyst: The executive moves are triggered by the transition of Tomas Kunzmann to the Allianz SE Board of Management, which created a leadership vacancy at the helm of Allianz Partners.
- Philipp Kroetz’s New Role: Kroetz will take over as CEO of Allianz Partners, effective November 1, 2026. He leaves behind Allianz Direct, a digital P/C platform he successfully guided through a period of explosive growth and profitability.
- Laurent Floquet’s New Role: Floquet, currently COO of Allianz Partners and a veteran of both Allianz Group and Accenture, will take over as CEO of Allianz Direct on November 1, 2026.
- Succession Pipeline: Allianz has announced that a successor for Floquet’s current COO role at Allianz Partners will be revealed in due course, pending internal evaluations and market announcements.
- Regulatory Oversight: All appointments remain contingent upon regulatory clearances across relevant European jurisdictions.
The transition underscores Allianz’s ongoing commitment to cultivating internal talent, rewarding executive performance, and placing digital natives at the forefront of its multi-billion-euro global operations.
Chronology of Leadership and Strategic Evolution
To understand the weight of these appointments, one must examine the operational trajectory of both executives within the Allianz Group over the past decade. Their career milestones reflect a deliberate corporate strategy to merge technological innovation with traditional insurance rigor.
The Rise of Philipp Kroetz (Allianz Direct Transformation)
Philipp Kroetz assumed the role of CEO of Allianz Direct in 2022. At the time, the digital insurer was navigating the complex task of harmonizing various European direct-to-consumer platforms into a unified, scalable ecosystem. Under Kroetz’s stewardship, Allianz Direct underwent a radical platform renewal.
He focused heavily on collapsing legacy structural silos, integrating advanced data analytics, and driving customer acquisition across five major European markets. By standardizing the technical architecture and prioritizing a frictionless user experience, Kroetz nearly doubled the division’s active customer base to over 3.2 million policyholders. His tenure proved that traditional insurers could successfully outmaneuver pure-play insurtech startups by combining deep balance-sheet strength with agile software deployment.
The Operational Mastery of Laurent Floquet
Laurent Floquet’s journey within Allianz highlights a diverse, multi-disciplinary ascent through the corporate ranks. Floquet initially joined the Allianz Group in 2014 as the Head of Business Development for Allianz Technology, where he gained critical insight into the underlying IT infrastructures that power modern insurance networks.
In 2016, he transitioned to the Assistance Business of Allianz Partners as Chief Sales Officer. In this capacity, he expanded the commercial footprint of the organization and spearheaded the development of Global Accounts for Assistance. Recognizing his ability to manage complex, multi-regional operations, Allianz appointed him Regional CEO for the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Eastern European markets from 2019 to 2021.
By 2022, Floquet was named Chief Officer for Mobility & Assistance, eventually rising to Chief Operating Officer of Allianz Partners. Before his tenure at Allianz, Floquet spent over a decade at management consultancy Accenture as a partner, specializing exclusively in the insurance vertical, a background that endowed him with a panoramic view of industry-wide pain points and technological shifts. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from E.M. Lyon.
Supporting Data and Performance Metrics
The executive shuffle is underpinned by exceptionally strong financial and operational metrics, particularly within the Allianz Direct division under Kroetz’s leadership. The incoming leadership team is inheriting a business unit firing on all cylinders.
Allianz Direct: Scale, Profitability, and Innovation
During Kroetz’s tenure, Allianz Direct transformed from a developing digital initiative into a high-growth, highly profitable engine for the group:
- Customer Base Expansion: The customer base nearly doubled, surpassing 3.2 million active policyholders across five core European markets.
- Customer Satisfaction: Service quality kept pace with quantitative growth; customer satisfaction ratings climbed impressively from 4.4 to 4.6 stars, reflecting superior digital onboarding and claims handling.
- Financial Performance: In fiscal year 2025, the total business volume for Allianz Direct exceeded 1.5 billion euros. Crucially, this expansion was achieved while maintaining strict underwriting discipline, resulting in an exceptional 95% combined ratio. Year-over-year business volume grew by a robust 23%.
- Technological Milestones: Allianz Direct established itself as an industry pioneer in generative artificial intelligence and automation. Achievements under Kroetz include the rollout of AI-powered claims settlement capable of processing and paying claims within 60 seconds, as well as the implementation of indicative pricing via ChatGPT integrations, setting a new benchmark for conversational commerce in insurance.
Official Responses and Executive Commentary
The strategic rationale behind the appointments was emphasized by top leadership within the Allianz Group, highlighting a unified vision for digital-first insurance solutions.
Sirma Boshnakova, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE—with direct oversight of Insurance Western & Southern Europe, Allianz Direct, and Allianz Partners—praised the incoming CEOs for their track records of transformative execution:
"Philipp and Laurent have both demonstrated how the right digital insurance models can create meaningful, differentiated value for our customers as well as for our shareholders," Boshnakova stated. "I am pleased that they will bring their experience and ethic of close collaboration to their expanded responsibilities as we continue to build the capabilities and momentum needed for our next phase of growth."
Industry analysts have noted that Boshnakova’s endorsement signals strong institutional confidence in continuity of strategy. Rather than looking externally for leadership to navigate the next wave of insurtech evolution, Allianz has chosen seasoned internal executives who have already proven their ability to scale digital platforms in highly competitive environments.
Implications for the Allianz Group and the Broader Insurance Industry
The appointment of Kroetz to Allianz Partners and Floquet to Allianz Direct carries profound implications, not only for the internal dynamics of the Allianz Group but also for the broader European property, casualty, and assistance insurance markets.
1. Acceleration of Omnichannel Integration
With Philipp Kroetz taking over Allianz Partners—a global powerhouse in B2B2C travel insurance, international health, and automotive assistance—the division is expected to lean heavily into digital transformation. While Allianz Direct conquered the direct-to-consumer P/C space, Allianz Partners operates in a complex ecosystem involving corporate clients, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and global travel networks. Kroetz’s expertise in platform unification will likely be deployed to modernize the digital touchpoints of Allianz Partners’ sprawling international network.
2. The Next Wave of Mobility Solutions
Laurent Floquet’s deep background in mobility and assistance makes him uniquely suited to lead Allianz Direct into its next growth phase. As connected cars, autonomous vehicle trials, and usage-based insurance (UBI) reshape the automotive landscape, insurance can no longer be viewed as a static annual contract. Floquet’s experience as Chief Officer for Mobility & Assistance positions Allianz Direct to integrate deeper into automotive ecosystems, leveraging real-time telematics and embedded insurance models directly through vehicle manufacturers and digital marketplaces.
3. Setting the Competitive Benchmark
The success of Allianz Direct—highlighted by its 1.5 billion euro business volume and 95% combined ratio—serves as a cautionary tale for traditional legacy insurers slow to embrace digital natives. By placing executives who champion AI-driven claims settlement and conversational pricing at the controls of its largest service and direct divisions, Allianz is signaling to the market that efficiency, automation, and customer-centric design are no longer experimental side-projects, but the core foundation of future profitability.
As the industry moves toward the November 2026 effective date, all eyes will be on the final handover processes, the announcement of Floquet’s COO successor, and how these newly empowered leaders execute the next chapter of Allianz’s digital-first strategy.
