Willis Re Securities completes €100 million ‘Azzurro Re II DAC’ catastrophe bond for UnipolSai

Willis Re Securities in collaboration with Willis Re has announced that it has structured and placed €100 million of insurance-linked securities (ILS) for UnipolSai Assicurazioni S.p.A (“UnipolSai”)...

...the insurance arm of Unipol Group.

 Azzurro Re II DAC (“Azzurro Re II”) Series 2020-1, which settled July 10, provides UnipolSai with a single €100 million tranche of fully collateralized protection against earthquake risk in Italy and neighbouring countries for a three-and-a-half-year period. The structure features an indemnity trigger on a per occurrence basis with terms following the traditional reinsurance placement, to ensure effective integration within the overall property catastrophe reinsurance program.

Azzurro Re II is the first multiple-arrangement special purpose vehicle authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland for cat bond transactions. This will provide UnipolSai with increased flexibility to come back to market for future cat bond issuance through a “fast track” approval process.

Quentin Perrot, head of ILS International at Willis Re Securities, said: “We are honoured to have supported UnipolSai in their third 144A catastrophe bond transaction. For the first time, a cedant has put in place a Solvency II cat bond program, allowing for a fast and efficient process for future cat bond transactions, in compliance with the Solvency II regulation. This demonstrates the long-lasting commitment of UnipolSai to engage with the ILS community. As usual, the level of dedication of the UnipolSai team was key to obtaining this very good result.

With this new issuance, Willis Re Securities maintains its unrivalled leadership position in the structuring and placement of European ILS transactions.”

Alkis Tsimaratos, Head of EMEA W/S at Willis Re, said: “We are delighted to have assisted UnipolSai in their latest ILS transaction with Azzuro Re II. This is providing a three-and-a-half-year diversifying capacity at a fixed price, accessing ILS capital for their key natural peril, Italian earthquake, and integrating this with their main catastrophe reinsurance programme. UnipolSai has reconfirmed their strategy of developing a long-term partnership with ILS alongside their key reinsurers, whilst providing an element of stability to their future reinsurance budgetary planning ahead of unprecedented uncertainty in future market conditions. The unique setup of Willis Re Securities fully embedded in Willis Re allowed UnipolSai to get seamless advice on all aspects of this risk transfer solution which was successfully executed as planned.”