Founded in France in 1963, Europ Assistance, pioneer in the “care” and travel assistance services, celebrated its sixtieth anniversary on October 12th, along with its success as a Group that has become the international leader in its field.
The theme of the 60-year celebration evening, “CARE at Heart,” echoes the brand promise embedded in Europ Assistance’s brand tagline, “You live, we care” as well as the Group’s mission: to make customers’ life easier every day providing relief during stressful and difficult situations as well as convenience and safety in their everyday lives.
Led by the passion and vision of its CEO, Antoine Parisi, who has been at the helm of the Group for nine years, and supported by Generali, Europ Assistance has made of its brand promise “You live, we care” the engine of its international growth and the core pillar of its success. It has grown from a small French start-up to become a global leader: Europ Assistance now handles approximately 11.5 million interventions annually, thanks to the commitment of over 12,000 employees in more than 35 countries, 57 assistance centers, and a network of 750,000 accredited partners.
From a French entrepreneurial business to a global leader
It was after an accident happened to some of his friends in Spain that Pierre Desnos, the founder of Europ Assistance, conceived the idea that formed his project. Recognizing the existing gaps in assisting French travellers at the time, and with the support of Generali, he created Europ Assistance in 1963, the first company to provide assistance services to people traveling abroad. The concept quickly proved its effectiveness: three human lives were saved that year. As Pierre Desnos put it: “In 1963, we invented a profession, a real profession, demanding and challenging, with endless obligations…“.
Taking advantage of an unprecedented boom in tourism, Europ Assistance initially expanded its operations in Europe. In the 1980s, it opened subsidiaries in the United States, where the Group is now a leader in its sector, as well as in other continents. In 2023, Europ Assistance serves 300 million clients worldwide and generates over € 3 billion in revenue.
“We celebrate with joy and pride the 60 years of Europ Assistance, a fantastic French entrepreneurial adventure that has become an international leader in its field. Providing assistance, in France or beyond our borders, is a mission that honours us, and one that we will pursue with the same passion, thanks to those who trust us: employees, clients, partners, and shareholders” said Nicolas Sinz, CEO of Europ Assistance France.
From travel and automobile assistance to “Care services”: assist our clients’ day-to-day needs in all emergency situations
After travel assistance, will come personal assistance services for everyday emergencies in the home, such as teleassistance. As a pioneer in the sector, and aware of societal trends and customer needs, Europ Assistance constantly reinvents its business around the concept of “CARE” placing the customer at the center of all its activities. Thus, in the 2000s, the Group introduced a new generation of personalized services to help people deal with everyday emergencies.
The Group’s services are now structured around three areas of expertise: automobile assistance, insurance and travel assistance, and personal assistance services such as support to senior people, digital identity protection, telemedicine and concierge services.
To foster innovation and better fulfil its mission, the Group heavily invests in digitalizing its services and solutions based on artificial intelligence.
“Care”, a client-centric mission, ingrained in the Group’s DNA and commitments
For the Group’s employees and clients, the four letters of the word “CARE” have a specific meaning: Caring, Available, Reliable, Easy to work with.
“We have embedded these four letters at the heart of our mission and customer experience, as well as in our brand promise and signature in 2010, with our tagline ‘You live, we care,'” explains Antoine Parisi, CEO of Europ Assistance. “But more than a slogan, this signature embodies a corporate culture entirely focused on our clients and our strong purpose, which makes our employees proud.”
Today, this promise resonates more than ever in the face of sustainable growth imperatives. “You live, we care” also reflects the Group’s commitments to environmental, social, and societal issues, another strategic priority of Europ Assistance, which, for example, among many other initiatives, launches a comprehensive and global climate-related training and offers low-carbon mobility assistance solutions.
“We are proud to celebrate the 60th anniversary and continue the incredible journey initiated by its founder Pierre Desnos. I want to pay tribute to the 12,000 men and women who have made the Group the human, international adventure it is today, with kindness, responsibility, and remarkable personal commitment. True to our mission and promise, we will continue to be pioneers in new forms of assistance, to better help and protect the millions of people we accompany every year” concludes Antoine Parisi.
About Europ Assistance
Founded in 1963, Europ Assistance, the inventor of assistance, supports customers in over 200 countries and territories thanks to our network of 750.000 approved providers and 57 assistance centers. Our mission is to bring people or corporates from distress to relief – anytime, anywhere. We provide automobile assistance, travel assistance and insurance services, as well as personal assistance services such as the protection of the elderly, the protection of digital identity, telemedicine and the Conciergerie. The company vision, shared by our 12,000 employees, is to be the most reliable care company in the world.
Europ Assistance is part of the Generali Group, one of the world’s leading insurers. It is with the support and commitment of Generali, its shareholder, that the Europ Assistance Group has become the world leader in its sector. As long-standing partners, the two entities are jointly committed to future-oriented projects.