As an internationally operating company, Hannover Re bears responsibility in various senses. This is true of its compliance with relevant laws and regulations, but also applies to its relationship with staff, shareholders, the public at large and the cultures within which the company operates. In this respect, the Group Strategy, our Corporate Governance principles and the defined Code of Conduct form the basis of our enterprise management. As a European company (SE) based in Germany, the formal framework that shapes our corporate governance is determined by national (German) law. Consequently, the company’s management structure is composed of three bodies: the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and the General Meeting. Their interaction is regulated by law and by the company’s articles of association.

In addition to our continuous engagement with the changing legal framework conditions, since 2003 we have provided an annual Declaration of Conformity with the German Corporate Governance Code (DCKG); this is published on our corporate website and can also be found in the present Annual Report. The Corporate Governance principles of Hannover Rück SE are also subject to regular review and fulfil the recommendations of the currently valid version of the German Corporate Governance Code. Furthermore, given that the trust of our stakeholder groups and an immaculate reputation are vital to the success of our company, we make every effort to cultivate an active dialogue with representatives of the capital market and society as a whole as well as with our clients and staff.

In 2014 Hannover Re’s sustainability performance was again evaluated by the rating agency Oekom Research; our company was awarded “Prime” status in recognition of its above-average fulfilment of industry-specific requirements. In addition, Hannover Re was added to the worldwide FTSE4Good Index Series in the financial year just ended by the FTSE4Good Advisory Committee. The company’s inclusion was based on its sustainability rating according to ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria for 2014. We have thus achieved another major objective of our Sustainability Strategy.

In the year just ended we again reported on our achievements as a responsible enterprise in the form of a stand-alone Sustainability Report. In this regard we follow the currently applicable and internationally recognised guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); we fulfil Application Level B – the intermediate level of transparency – as defined by the GRI.

Our detailed Sustainability Report can be accessed at www.hannover-re.com/sustainability/index.html