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Yesterday, the show "Shtylla" on KOSOVAPRESS, broadcast an interview with the CEO of SIGAL INSURANCE GROUP, Mr. Avni Ponari.
Mr. Avni Ponari focused on the history of the founding of SIGAL, starting from the idea of the name, from the first days of the establishment of the business to the gradual expansion in three countries, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
The CEO of SIGAL Insurance Group confessed that his move to an insurance company in 1992, as head of the marine department in the state-owned company, was his first connection with insurance, from where he then, in 1993-1994, completed several professional courses at the largest prestigious companies in Europe, including Lloyd's in London, the largest brokers such as Marsh, Munich Re and Swiss Re.
Mr. Avni Ponari confessed that the approval of the first law in 1996 on private insurance found him within the insurance market and that he then decided to try to obtain a license. Thus began the story of the first private operator in the insurance market in Albania, SIGAL, in 1999. Mr. Ponari also confessed another interesting detail regarding the name, which, as he explained, means a real seagull, or from the sea, seagull, the sounds of whose pronunciation, on a marine radio, had stuck in his mind when it was reported about a return to the port of Durrës.
Mr. Ponari also expresses appreciation and solidarity with the class of Albanian businessmen of the early days. “ The building of the business class that is so much anathema today was done in an extraordinary struggle, with extraordinary work by those who are here today ,” said Mr. Ponari.
"Many people think that business in Albania does not take the past into consideration. Business in Albania started without money, without private cars, without banks; everyone started from nothing. I have in mind all that constellation of businessmen who started once. To be honest, I am not satisfied with those people who today talk about someone who has been in business and has done business, they try to slander them, try to slander them, denigrate them, harass them. In 1991–1992, we in Albania were all equal. Everyone had a room and a kitchen, they had two sofas and a "Lura" television and nothing else. We all became unemployed or left our jobs. We had the opportunity to start and create a business" , shared with the KOSOVAPRESS audience the CEO of SIGAL.
He expressed pride in a large number of businessmen who, in almost impossible conditions and without banks, the insurance industry or the private economy, managed to build a strong business class within 30 years, emphasizing that they deserve more support and appreciation and not condemnation, as their success is not the fault of others and a significant portion of what they create benefits the state.
" We were helped by foreign international companies, who gave us their assistance, they helped us starting with motor insurance, TPL, which was the first responsibility, and then to other insurances. In 4–5 years, 1992–1996, a whole revolution took place in understanding the industry and understanding what insurance is. Entering the private market was of course difficult", continued Mr. Ponari's story about the beginnings of the company.
Mr. Ponari also shared with the Kosovapress audience his work philosophy: the essence of the insurance industry is keeping one's word and paying claims, as the relationship between the insurer and the client is built on mutual trust, symbolized by the clasped hands that appear in every message of this industry. " You buy the risk to the client and if you don't keep your word, the consequences multiply by thousands of clients, while when you keep it, trust spreads by itself", he emphasized, emphasizing the fact that timely payment of claims is essential, because a delayed claim loses its value and is almost the same as not being paid at all.
According to Mr. Avni Ponari, CEO of SIGAL Insurance Group, the entry of the American Fund in 2003 marked a historic turning point for the company and for the insurance market in the region. He recalls that “ on the same day, the entry of American capital and the license in Kosovo occurred ”, a moment that brought about radical changes, sustainable growth and consolidation of SIGAL as a market leader, with today’s presence in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Mr. Ponari emphasizes that insurance is the third pillar of the market economy and a key element in the transition from a state mentality to individual responsibility. “ It is no longer the state that takes over everything; the insurance contract gives the citizen dignity and security ,” he says, underlining that the lack of insurance turns the individual into prayer and insecurity, while insurance provides a direct solution.
In closing, the General Director of SIGAL debunked the myth that companies do not pay damages, emphasizing that “95% of damages are paid directly by the companies” , while only a minority ends up in court. With over 500 million euros in damages paid in three countries and 30 years of history, SIGAL is proof that trust, capital and fairness build a strong company and a healthy market.
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