APRIL International strengthens its presence in Europe with the acquisition of Expat & Co in Belgium
APRIL Group, Europe's leading wholesale insurance broker, has announced the acquisition of Expat & Co, a specialist in international health insurance in Belgium.
Expat & Co is the leading independent underwriter of insurance for expatriates in Belgium and offers a platform of solutions to support its customers made up of universities, individuals and companies, including multinationals based in several European countries.
Through this acquisition, APRIL International is strengthening its presence on the European continent in a high-potential expatriation and international mobility market, and enhancing its portfolio of healthcare solutions and products.
Already present in Brussels since 2018 with APRIL Belgium, which works closely with a network of several hundred brokers and leading insurance partners to design, distribute and manage provident solutions, APRIL Group is strengthening its position in the Benelux region.
Expat & Co's management will continue and accelerate the development of the company based in the Brussels region with the ambition of offering ever more innovative solutions to its distributors and policyholders. Expat & Co will benefit from the recognised expertise of APRIL International's teams in Europe and around the world and from the partnerships forged with market leaders - particularly in telemedicine and healthcare networks. Expat & Co will also draw on APRIL's technological and service base to simplify its customers' international healthcare experience.
Eric Maumy, Chairman of APRIL Group: "IPMI (International Private Medical Insurance) is one of APRIL Group's historic markets, where we have recognised expertise in supporting several million policyholders on the move across all continents. We are delighted with this new acquisition in Belgium, which represents a further step forward and confirms our ambitions to become an international champion in insurance distribution".
Isabelle Moins, CEO APRIL International for Europe: "Following our recent establishments in Dubai and Germany and targeted acquisitions over the last two years in Asia, we are continuing with Expat & Co our expansion in our core business of IPMI. Belgium is a dynamic market with strong potential for expatriation, thanks in particular to the presence of a rich ecosystem of European and global organisations and companies. Expat & Co is a recognised player among expatriates and exchange students, and I look forward to working with Filip Declercq and his team to continue to develop our presence in this market”.
Filip Declercq, Founder of Expat & Co: "Joining the APRIL group, which has unrivalled expertise in IPMI on five continents, opens up new prospects for us. APRIL is the ideal partner for us to continue to grow in our market for the greater benefit of our distributors and policyholders around the world. Indeed, it gives us the strength we need to meet the challenges facing the insurance sector, such as new developments in digitalisation and new legislation. With April, we are joining a family of 2,400 people, each with their own speciality. Expat & Co is thus moving from the start-up phase to the scale-up phase in a single step".
Sandra Merckx, co-owner of Expat & Co and head of claims: "We are very pleased with this step. It will also be an improvement for the customer, thanks to the deep digitisation of the claims management process already in place at April".
About APRIL Group
APRIL is the leading wholesale broker in France with a network of 15,000 partner brokers. APRIL's 2,400 employees aim to offer their customers and partners - individuals, professionals and businesses - a remarkable experience combining the best of human relations and technology in health and personal protection for individuals, professionals and very small businesses, creditor insurance, international health, niche property and casualty insurance and asset management. APRIL's ambition is to become a digital, omnichannel and agile player, a champion of the customer experience and a leader in its markets, while at the same time committing to the issues of Corporate Social Responsibility structured within its Oxygen approach. The APRIL Group operates in 18 countries and in 2022 recorded a turnover of 590 million euros.
www.april.com
About Expat & Co
Expat & Co is known in Belgium, and by extension in Europe, as the innovative leader in the IPMI market. Thanks to special concepts, they offer unrivalled flexibility to people whose international lives are highly varied. Thanks to the Chameleon concept (a policy that constantly adapts to the customer's situation, always reducing double costs), international customers can now benefit from lifelong security, whatever their social status.
Expat & Co is also an innovator in the international student market, making it one of the top three insurers in Europe for Erasmus university projects.
Expat & Co has specific policies for expatriates, European civil servants, exchange students, au pairs, business travellers and long-term travellers (round-the-world travellers, digital nomads, etc.).
Expat & Co is constantly committed to providing a good experience for customers and brokers through rapid response and correct claims settlement. Despite the reputation of the insurance industry, Expat & Co is keen to make it clear that it is there to pay, not to refuse.