In the anniversary edition of our magazine, we gave companies in the maritime and logistics sector a chance to put themselves in the spotlight. In this contribution, nv Jean Verheyen sheds light on transport insurance, among other things.
Jean Verheyen nv has been an authorised underwriter for five generations, which means it has the mandate of several insurance companies to provide insurance. “We represent several insurers, notably one Belgian and four foreign companies,” says Jan Haentjens of Jean Verheyen. “This allows us to offer a very distinct profile but still have the capacity of several insurers.”
Since 1919, Jean Verheyen has offered various transport insurances, but they are also active in insuring art and patrimony. “It may sound like a strange combination, but Jean Verheyen is always looking to cover niche markets,” he says. The Verheyen family also has a great love for art. So we also insure art galleries and museums. These niche markets, which require a lot of technicality and often involve labour-intensive management, have provided nice growth over the past decades.”
Multimodal
“In terms of logistics liability, we have evolved with our business from insuring pure CMR liability to insuring the entire logistics activity. Thus, Jean Verheyen also has a ready-made formula for the multimodal story. This concerns the carrier’s liability in respect of the goods where we offer a solution that insures the entire route, ranging from road transport, transport by (inland) ship and transport by rail.”
“With us, everyone is welcome: from the carrier with one van to the large international logistics service provider,” says Caroline Ghekiere. “It goes without saying that the big players require more attention and the risks involved are also greater. Hence it is also important for us to maintain a good balance.”
Jean Verheyen also offers cargo insurance, which is a kind of omnium where the goods are insured in all risks during their transportation and in transit. These cargo insurance policies are underwritten by industrial companies, traders but even an SME can turn to Jean Verheyen for one-off insurance.
Claims handling
“We are also happy to assist our brokers with their clients’ risk analyses. We give advice on terms and conditions of sale and incoterms, for example, and ensure that the insurance perfectly suits the needs. We also take a proactive role towards prevention.”
“This also applies to claims handling, which involves a lot,” says Kim van Kuyk. “Claims handling requires a lot of technical knowledge. Our claims department, staffed by 10 experienced administrators, assists our partners on a daily basis.”
“Since we want to share our expertise and experience with our partners, we set up the Verheyen Academy several years ago. Our brokers and clients can follow our training courses on transport, art and patrimony risks online.”
“What is nice for our clients is that there is a lot of stability at Verheyen and little turnover, which means clients always have the same points of contact. That gives a lot of confidence. That way we develop a strong bond with our customers,” concludes Serge Vanholme.
