Objective of risk management

Risk management in the PZU Group aims to build value for all stakeholders. It involves active and deliberate management of the quantum of risk accepted. The essence of this process also involves preventing the acceptance of risk at a level that could pose a threat to the financial stability of the PZU Group or the PZU Financial Conglomerate.

Risk management in the PZU Group consists in analyzing risk in all processes and units and therefore is an integral part of the management process.

The main elements of the PZU Group’s risk management system have been implemented to ensure sectoral consistency and the execution of the various entities’ strategic plans and the overall PZU Group’s business objectives. These elements include, among others:

• systems of limits and limitations on the acceptable level of risk, including the level of risk appetite;
• processes involving the identification, measurement and assessment, monitoring and controlling, reporting and management measures pertaining to various risks; 
• allocation of powers in the risk management process, in which the Management Boards and Supervisory Boards of the entities and appointed committees play a crucial role.

Entities from the financial market sectors are additionally obligated to apply the appropriate standards for the respective sector. Their internal regulations pertain to, among others: 

• processes, methods and procedures facilitating risk measurement and management; 
• split of duties in the risk management process; 
• scope and conditions and the frequency of risk management reporting.

PZU exercises supervision over the entire PZU Group’s risk management system on the basis of mutual cooperation agreements entered into with the subsidiaries and the information provided thereunder. PZU manages risk at the Group level on an aggregate basis, especially with respect to capital requirements.

In addition, PZU, as a leading entity, manages risk concentration on the level of the whole PZU Financial Conglomerate. It also defines the risk concentration management standards, in particular through introduction of rules for identification, measurement and assessment, monitoring and reporting of significant risk concentration and making managerial decisions.

Effectiveness of the risk management at the Group level is ensured by an additional recommendation issued by PZU (as the parent company) regarding the organization of the risk management system in the subsidiaries from the insurance and banking sector. Additionally, guidelines regulating precisely the various risk management processes in Group companies are in place.

The management boards of PZU Group entities are responsible for fulfilling their own duties in accordance with the generally applicable provisions of national and international law. In particular, they are responsible for implementation of an adequate and effective risk management system.

Supervision over the risk management systems in the financial sector entities is exercised by Supervisory Boards. PZU designates its representatives to the Supervisory Boards, including in particular the Supervisory Boards of Alior Bank and Bank Pekao.