American International Group
2013 Annual Report
In 1919, American entrepreneur Cornelius Vander Starr established a general insurance agency, American Asiatic Underwriters, in a two-room office in Shanghai, China. Ninety-five years later, AIG – which traces its roots to that small Shanghai operation – is a global insurer, with approximately 64,000 employees serving customers worldwide. Today, AIG continues to focus on what it has been known for throughout the years: the ability to provide products and services to meet the diverse needs of its customers.
The Bund, which housed the headquarters of AIG’s predecessor American Asiatic Underwriters in Shanghai beginning in 1927.
When we look back on 2013, we can truly say that it was an opportunity for us to demonstrate that what we’ve done at AIG over the past few years is sustainable.
Last year, we capitalized on strong forward momentum, driven by the winning spirit of our people and solid performance in our core insurance operating businesses.
The actions we took last year positioned us for an even stronger 2014, as we concentrate on four core priorities:
AIG is an insurance and retirement solutions leader, and we
have opportunities to grow – in smart ways that leverage shared technology and other resources.
Our 2013 results illustrate how we are effectively leveraging all of our resources across every business to add value to our overall organization:
This year, we celebrate the 95th anniversary of our roots in Shanghai, a city of entrepreneurs. When I first came to AIG in 2009, I visited The Bund – headquarters for AIG’s predecessor in China – and got a real sense of the company’s simple beginnings, as well as the interest in people and passion for enterprise.
Today, we are looking for much the same thing, only on a larger, more global scale: a simplified organization that brings our talented people closer to our customers, so that we can better grow our business and deliver strong results to all of our stakeholders.
Bring on tomorrow.
2012 was the year we fully repaid America’s financial support of AIG. 2013 was a year in which AIG demonstrated that it has a solid foundation for sustainable profitability. Now, in 2014, it is time to look forward to future opportunities.
We must be ready to capitalize on opportunity. The company is working on better understanding and providing for customer needs, and is working to intensify its customer focus and elevate innovation. The Board will continue to consider the right opportunities to help expand our global reach in all businesses, while at the same time supporting the company’s initiative to become more scientific and selective in the business it does.
While we have made remarkable progress over the last few years, there is still work to be done. For example, the current stock price still lags well behind book value. Consistent with the Board’s role of representing the best interests of both the company and its shareholders, one of our goals is to make AIG an investment worth keeping, and to grow value for all of our stakeholders.
Another area of focus is the current and developing regulatory structure, which is undergoing significant change. Under Dodd-Frank, AIG was officially named a non-bank systemically important finan- cial institution in 2013. We were also named a global systemically important insurer by the Financial Stability Board in consultation with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.
As I have said many times, the Board welcomes regulation by the Federal Reserve, and we are committed to working with them with trust and transparency. They share our objective of making AIG a better, stronger company, able to withstand whatever may happen in the future.
There is a lot of work being done both in the U.S. and internationally to build the appropriate regulatory structure for the insurance indus- try, and the next few years are going to be crucial as regulations are finalized. An important part of our work as a Board is to understand and help shape this new regulatory environment. We have two main objectives: ensuring global consistency of rules and requirements; and creating a framework that is appropriate for the insurance indus- try and that will help foster growth.
Cultivating great talent is one of the most important ways that AIG distinguishes itself. We have put a lot of time and thought into making sure the company has the right people in the right roles, and toward developing a deep bench of incredibly capable leaders waiting to step up to whatever challenge is given to them. For those who were with AIG through the financial crisis, the company’s turnaround further strengthened their leadership abilities, and our success is attracting top talent to AIG. We are winners, and the best players want to be on our team. The ability of the company to hire the best people in the industry allows us to gain new ideas and perspectives from their experience.
I and the other Directors have had the pleasure of observing firsthand the people of AIG working together to bring the company to this moment. We are moving in the right direction, with the right priorities, the right perspectives, and, most importantly, the right internal and external checks and balances. I look forward to where we take AIG next.
AIG’s customers around the globe count on us to be there – wherever that may be. Throughout our history, we’ve been among the first insurers to enter new markets, growing along with them. We have been in Latin America for over 75 years; Europe for over 65 years; the Middle East for over 60 years; and Asia, where we trace our roots, since the beginning.
Even today, with customers in over 130 countries and jurisdictions, we see opportunities to expand our reach. Our global view gives us an advantage, as we are able to look across our network to find solutions from one region to another.
For instance, when AIG entered into a joint venture agreement with PICC Life in 2013, we already had a product being marketed to Chinese Americans throughout the U.S. in both Cantonese and Mandarin. It was as if the product had originally been designed for exactly the consumers that PICC was looking to reach in China. AIG’s Quality of Life...Insurance® does just that – ensure a standard of living – with benefits that customers can use during their lifetime.
AIG is in the business of helping customers plan for the future. One of the ways
we do that is by selling insurance products that customers hope they will never use. Yet, when they need us, we are ready to make good on our promises. AIG Property Casualty paid an average of more than $100 million in claims each business day in 2013.
For instance, when Storm Sandy hit the northeastern U.S. in late 2012, it created a worst-case scenario for many businesses, homeowners, and communities. One New York City-based customer had a retail location that was particularly hard-hit. In the early days of recovery, AIG advanced the business a $10 million claims payment, and with AIG’s business interruption coverage, the store was able to retain all of its employees during the months it took to rebuild and reopen in March 2013. In total, AIG expects to pay out approximately $2.0 billion in claims related to Sandy, helping our customers get back on their feet.
Through our insurance and retirement solutions, customers can also imagine a future that they might not have before. In 2014, for example, AIG VALIC celebrates the 50th anniversary of an American first: the enrollment of the first public K-12 school in a 403(b) retirement program. Two of that initial plan’s longest-served teachers (pictured above) are now retired happily – and, with the returns on their accounts, both have withdrawn more during retirement than they ever contributed.
Since our beginnings, we’ve insured some exciting events, and groundbreaking travels and projects – like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. We’re as proud and passionate about insuring risks anyone may encounter: the woman
in Argentina (pictured above, second from right) rebuilding her home after devastating floods ... the soldier recovering from an eye injury suffered during
a training mission ... the hospital administrator focused on being able to make the most of retirement ... the person just starting to think about retirement ... the employee of a company in China who falls ill while based in Angola and must be flown to a South African hospital for treatment.
Giving back is an important part of AIG’s identity. In 2013, nearly 5,000 employees participated in global Volunteer Weeks around the world. The almost 400 projects ranged from visiting and supporting underprivileged children at a school in Guayaquil, Ecuador; to assisting at an animal shelter in Melbourne, Australia; to beautifying a dilapidated playground in Budapest, Hungary.
We’ve built our business on identifying the risks that individuals and companies face, creating the right solutions for them, and responding when they need help most. We segment claims into three categories – major, complex, and express – to better respond to customer needs. We also help our customers reduce their risk, first by understanding it and then by taking preventive measures.
In all of these ways, we enable our customers and communities to bring on tomorrow.
2013
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