Today, Topdanmark is one of the country's largest insurance companies with a history dating back to 1899. Dive into 125 years of insurance history with key years discounted.
Topdanmark is launching a new social program that links social responsibility even more closely with business activities, and enters into a new collaboration with FitforKids, a nationwide voluntary association that works with the well-being and health of vulnerable children and young people. The cooperation and support for the efforts is largely aimed at prevention.
Topdanmark completes the purchase of Oona Health A/S and all subsidiaries, including Dansk Sundhedssikring, which has a leading market share of 16 percent in the area of health insurance and around 530,000 private customers and 15,000 business customers.
The purchase means that Topdanmark achieves a leading position on the market for healthcare solutions for Danish companies and Danes.
The largest Nordic bank, Nordea, acquires and takes over Topdanmark’s life insurance and pension company which was founded 1972. Since January 2020, Nordea has been a strong strategic partner to Topdanmark.
Topdanmark is one of the first Danish players and the first Danish registered insurance company to join the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It is an official international alliance supported by the UN, and it helps companies ensure that their climate goals live up to the Paris Agreement.
The Finnish insurance group, Sampo, acquires additional 16,000 Topdanmark shares which brings their share of ownership to 48.3% of shares and 49.4% of voting capital.
Norlys is Denmark’s largest electricity and internet group, and Norlys and Topdanmark have joined forces in a strategic partnership to ensure shared attractive customer solutions that support both the green transformation and the increased digitalisation in society.
To strengthen its market position and be even more competitive towards customers, investors and employees, Topdanmark expands their group executive management from four to nine persons.
Topdanmark launches a new modern version of its logo with the well-known blue flower which has been part of Topdanmark’s logo since 1974. The new logo signals that Topdanmark both sticks to its values while also taking part in the rapid digital development.
500,000 customers get access to free online medical advice from early morning to late at night seven days a week. That is because Topdanmark now offers the customers the new service called “Sundhedsjælp” (Digital Healthcare) as a flexible supplement to the general practitioner.
Topdanmark was one of the first pension companies to launch a pension solution focusing on sustainable and responsible investments, that is Formålspension (Purpose pension). This product gives the customers the opportunity to chose between four different investment purposes, among others, “Green Transformation”.
The agreement with Sydbank is terminated.
Topdanmark sets a goal of becoming CO2 neutral in 2030 and is thus one of the first companies in the industry to set a significant goal on CO2 reduction as an integrated part of the business.
As the first insurance company in Denmark, Topdanmark launches a crop insurance that covers the farmers’ yield loss caused by bad weather such as frost, cloudburst, storm, or drought.
Ricard Wennerklint takes over as Chairman of the Board of Director.
A new distribution agreement with Nordea means that the bank customers and employees will be offered insurances in Topdanmark by the turn of the year.
The agreement with Danske Bank is terminated, and insurances under the name Danske Forsikring are no longer offered. At the same time, the collaboration with Home is terminated.
Topdanmark enters into collaboration with Coop regarding sales of insurances via Coop’s member app. In that way, the 1.7 million Coop members can insure their contents and personal liability, or get assistance when travelling via Topdanmark.
Peter Hermann is appointed new CEO in February 2018. Peter Hermann has been employed with Topdanmark since 2016 and previously held the position as CEO for Topdanmark Livsforsikring.
Torbjörn Magnusson takes over as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Sampo announces a 33.34% holding, eliciting a mandatory offer. Sampo now holds a 41.11% stake.
Topdanmark begins to experiment with chatbots. Later we introduced the chatbot, Globus who can answer 80% of the customer’s questions on travel insurance.
A distribution agreement with Sydbank on sales of non-life insurances means that the bank customers can take out insurance with Topdanmark at a favourable price.
Michael Pram Rasmussen resigns from Topdanmark’s Board of Directors, and Søren Thorup Sørensen takes over as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Finnish Sampo/If announces a 20 % holding in Topdanmark. Two years later, in 2013, the holding is increased to 25 %.
Christian Sagild is appointed CEO in June 2009. Christian Sagild has been employed with Topdanmark since 1996.
Michael Pram Rasmussen takes over as chairman of the board of directors following 10 years as CEO for Topdanmark. Poul Almlund takes over the position as CEO.
Topdanmark and Home enter into a collaboration agreement, thus Topdanmark i.a. becomes the supplier of structural survey reports for the homes sold via Home’s estate agents.
Topdanmark acquires Industriens Arbejdsskadeforsikring (workers’ compensation insurance) for a goodwill payment of DKK 68m.
We enter into collaboration agreements with DLG and Handelsbanken.
Topdanmark enters into distribution agreement with Danske Bank and takes over Danica Forsikring and Danske Forsikring Skade (non-life).
In December 1996, Topdanmark goes online –giving the customers direct electronic access to us, thus they can avoid time-consuming written claimforms.
We enter into a distribution agreement with BG Bank and takes over BG Pension.
Michael Pram Rasmussen is appointed CEO in Topdanmark.
The activities within banking, travel and real estate are abandoned permanently, and a number of sub-groups are divested. Focus on the core business: To deliver great insurances to the Danes.
Topdanmark is on the ball when it comes to creating new insurances that match customer needs. In 1992, we launch, as the first, a home insurance which covers both the house and contents.
Topdanmark acquires Aktivbanken, which at the time is the seventh largest bank in Denmark. At the same time, a strategic alliance is made with the Swedish insurance company, WASA.
Topdanmark gets international ambitions. International issue of shares and listing on European stock exchanges. Furthermore, both Topdanmark Rejsebureau (Topdanmark Travel Agency) and Topdanmark Bolig (Topdanmark Real Estate Agents) come into existence.
At the largest bottle relocation in history, one of the country’s national treasures –the green Tuborg bottle –is transported from Hellerup to Rådhuspladsen (the City Hall Square). The bottle from 1888 is 26 metres tall, weighs 27 tonnes and can contain 1.5 million bottles of lager.
Topdanmark insures the bottle while it is sailed, driven and lifted over 6-7 metres high electrical wires before being placed at Rådhuspladsen –all under great attention.
Topsikring gs is demutualised into a limited company, Topdanmark A/S. Almost half of the customers become shareholders, and thus the new company gets 359,000 shareholders.
Topsikring Livsforsikring gs is similarly demutualised into a limited company under the name Topdanmark Livsforsikring.
The first so-called word processors are introduced. Using special codes, the typists can order standard letters, so they only need to fill in a few lines manually. During the night, the machines could print, thus having the letters ready the next morning.
AU/MLU changes its name to Topsikring gs, and AU/MLU Livsforsikring becomes Topsikring Livsforsikring gs.
The new non-life insurance company is headquartered in Ballerup, and the office landscapeis the world’s largest at the time. The office landscape includes oases with plants , aquariums, greenhouses and the legendary pillow rooms in which you could lie down or grab a cup of coffee with your colleagues. The pillow rooms are no longer there, but the culture is still informal and straightforward. Thanks to e.g. the open office landscapes.
In the beginning of the 1970s, it’s the time of mergers. Also,for AU and MLU that “started the merger boom in the Danish insurance sector”as it is described in AU/MLU’s report and accounts for 1972.
AU and MLU merge, and the company AU/MLU Forsikring gsis founded. At the same time, AU/MLU livsforsikring gs is founded. Today it is called Topdanmark Livsforsikring A/S.
In the beginning of the 1960s, the first so-called 1401 electronic machine is installed. It is thecompany’s first real “computer” with enormous capacity measured by the scale for that time. The machine is the brains behind a larger facility with a capacity of 4 k. Approximately 16,000,000 times smaller than a typical mobile phone today.
MLU leads the product race in the insurance sector and introduces the first youth insurance in Denmark.
In 1919, it becomes compulsory to insure against third-party risks for cars. AU and MLU, which so far have only soldaccident insurances, jump on the bandwagon and offer motor insurance from the very beginning.
A revised Industrial Insurance Actmeans that workers with in agriculture, forestry and horticulture should also be insured against accidents. The farmers know the company via their milk supply to the dairy plants, and most of them are already part owners.Therefore, many people choose to join Mejeriernes Ulykkesforsikring (The Dairy Plants Accident Insurance).
The company changes its name to Mejeriernes og Landbrugets Ulykkesforsikring –MLU (The Dairy Plants and Agricultural Accident Insurance).
In these years, Mejeriernes Ulykkesforsikring (laterMLU) (The Dairy Plants Accident Insurance)and Arbejdsgivernes Ulykkesforsikring (AU) (Employers’ Accident Insurance) are formed,and they are the foundation stones of the Topdanmark we know today.
Both companies are formed in connection with the first Danish Industrial Insurance Act, The Act of 7 January 1898. The Act is intended to secure compensation to workers who are exposed to accidents when working.
A dropped candleat old Vesterportleads to a third of the town of Copenhagen going up in flames in just three days. 1,640 homes are burned to the ground and more than 15,000 people becomes homeless. Therefore, the government in office takes the initiative on a fire insurance office for Copenhagen buildings, and it this official regulation that most people mark as the beginning of Danish insurance history.