A Q&A with Companjon CEO

"There was an ‘ah-ha’ moment that stuck with me. I said to myself if we could build and offer a powerful solution that is instant, seamless and fully digital, we could make a significant impact to peoples’ everyday lives." -Matthias Naumann, CEO at Companjon

Q. Where were you before Companjon?

I spent more than twenty-three years at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) primarily in Zurich, Switzerland, but also in Australia and South East Asia where I built my wealth of experience in banking, financial services, insurance and digital transformation. My prominent role as CEO for eight years allowed me to build and extend the entire footprint of BCG Switzerland, triple company turnover and establish a dynamic and growth-oriented culture.

Other roles I held included Member of the Executive Board, Head of Client Team CEMA and most recently, Chairman and Senior Partner, where I was a core member of the global insurance practice for the Swiss market. I have always been passionate about sharing ideas and concepts and spent many years writing several papers on the future of insurance and corporate banking. It was gratifying to know that these papers were featured in leading media channels like The Financial Times, Economist and Bloomberg.

Q. What inspired you to establish Companjon?

The idea came about four years ago when some of my colleagues and I were discussing the idea behind solutions adapting to peoples’ digital lifestyles, and how this is already successful in Asia. I preached the idea of leveraging technology to transform the way people do business and change the way traditional business providers offer solutions. And just like that, there was an ‘ah-ha’ moment that stuck with me. I said to myself, if we could build and offer a powerful solution that is seamless and fully digital, we could make a significant impact to peoples’ everyday lives, and enhance every experience they encounter.

Despite what is going on globally with COVID-19, the timing is just right for us. It’s apparent that people expect relevant solutions that relate to what they’re doing at anytime, anywhere, from their preferred device, and as quickly as possible but now more than ever, people need a safety net for booking products and services, they want to feel safe and trust that if things go wrong, they will be protected.

Q. Who is Companjon?

Companjon is Europe’s latest insurtech venture. We offer our solution to various industry providers, providing fast, flexible and fully automated protection that is tailored to their customers’ needs, ensuring that they have peace of mind upon booking. Simply put, we turn bad experiences into positive ones for when plans change.

Our end-to-end digital centric model is what differentiates us from the crowd. Consumers expect a consistent digital experience. If you think about the traditional and well-established insurers, though they may be are aware of customer expectations, a seamless and tech driven platform is missing. Most processes are still paper-based and staff are forced to make contractual changes in writing. The process of claim settlements and payouts tend to be long, tedious and manual.

When we talk about offerings, we too provide the classic solutions to cover the most pressing needs, but take it a step further by offering lifestyle solutions, giving customers an entirely unique experience, allowing them to have control and flexibility with their bookings based off lifestyle events.

Q. As a fresh new company, how has setting up Companjon been so far?

Though it's been an exciting ride, we did face some challenges. We established the company during a time of a global pandemic. We weren’t sure what to expect as news on this crisis was changing almost daily and it became more serious around the globe as time went by. To have a handle on this, we immediately implemented processes into our business that allowed us to manage company functions efficiently while being remote. This helped us successfully recruit and build a team in and outside of Ireland, operate with global contracts as our IT security systems allowed us to, and incorporate well-structured communication with our employees and overseas partners.

With team members based all over the globe, we’re making it work.

Q. What opportunities do you see for industries such as online travel agencies and mobility providers?

When it comes to transforming the entire customer engagement model, the opportunity is truly incredible. A customer centric technology platform that acts as a safety net for consumers’ bookings and purchases can significantly increase customer satisfaction rates, strengthen brand loyalty, improve customer retention and give them a unique competitive edge. Customers who experience a fast and hassle-free journey will most likely purchase from that website or app again.

Q: Lastly, what does Companjon mean to you?

Companjon (pronounced companion) means someone who knows you, communicates with you, protects you and inspires you to live pleasantly. Having someone to ‘lean on’ is one of the most important parts of life’s journey.

We’ve applied that concept to our vision - to satisfy and make people happy, even when things go wrong. Like our team values, Companjon is caring and collaborative and we do everything to exceed expectations. We're intriguing and different, and we make sure our personality shines through to the outside world.

Want to learn more about Companjon? Get in touch with our team now.