MAPFRE, the leading Spanish insurer, has announced that more than 500 of its financial advisers have completed the FEF School course, obtaining the ESG Essentials certification granted by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (EFFAS).
The development comes three months after MAPFRE Group Chief Investment Officer José Luis Jiménez and the head of MAPFRE AM, Chief Executive Officer Álvaro Anguita, announced they would put themselves and their investment managers through the EFFAS course, so signalling how high industry standards could be implemented among investment professionals when it comes to ESG analysis and management.
MAPFRE and the training centre of the Foundation for Financial Studies, Escuela FEF, have a collaboration agreement in place whereby professionals at the insurance group who provide financial advice and who are already certified under MiFID II, participate in the ESG Essentials course to train in and be tested on Environmental, Social and Governance factors.
Some 518 MAPFRE professionals took the exam and 497 obtained the certification (a 96% pass rate). MAPFRE will continue to promote such certification among its representatives.
The course, which is provided in a 100% online format and includes the simulation of practice cases, trains MAPFRE participants on the issues they need to master to advise their clients on sustainable finance. This encompasses the social and environmental impacts and good governance practices when it comes to investments and financial products. As such, MAPFRE maintains its clear commitment to offering the best training to its professionals, in order to provide the best advisory service to its clients.
In accordance with European Union Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, participants and financial advisers must report on the integration of sustainability risks and the analysis of adverse effects with respect to financial products. It aims to encourage investment in activities that promote a lower carbon economy and meet the EU’s economic recovery and sustainable development goals.
Escuela FEF is the only training centre in Spain accredited by the Instituto Español de Analistas Financieros (Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts — IEAF) to offer preparatory courses for exams for the leading international ESG certifications.
EFFAS is the world’s leading organization in implementing certifications relating to ESG Essentials and Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA). These are promoted in Spain by the representative of EFFAS, which is the IEAF-Financial Studies Foundation (FEF).
Notes to editors
About MAPFRE
MAPFRE is the benchmark insurer in the Spanish market and leader in the Automobile, Homeowners and Business lines, among others, with more than 7 million clients, around 11,000 employees in Spain and roughly 3,000 branches distributed throughout the country, which offer personalized advice to its clients. In 2020, premiums in Spain exceeded EUR 6.86 billion, or EUR 445 million after taxes.
MAPFRE Group has a presence on five continents, is ranked as the leading multi-national insurer in Latin America and ranked sixth in Europe in Non-Life by premium volume. The Group has close to 34.000 employees and reported 2020 full year revenue of almost EUR 25.5 billion. It has a Solvency II ratio of 201% and financial strength rating affirmed by S&P at A+ .
The Group is in the process of applying ESG criteria to the entire balance sheet; that is, to all assets, both liquid and illiquid.
The Group is committed to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), Paris Pledge for Action, UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). UN 2030 agenda - Sustainable Development Goals & Human Rights, and Women’s Empowerment Principles (UN Women).
About MAPFRE AM
MAPFRE AM is the asset management business of the MAPFRE Group.
Within its range of investment funds, MAPFRE AM has three ESG themed funds: MAPFRE AM Good Governance, MAPFRE Capital Responsable and MAPFRE AM Inclusion Responsable. The latter two, co-managed with the French ESG focused manager La Financière Responsable, have received the European SRI Label, granted by the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance, making MAPFRE AM the sole Spanish asset manager to achieve this.
With more than 30 years of experience, MAPFRE AM has over EUR 57 billion in assets under management across asset classes.
Issued by
Jonathan Boyd
Fortuna Asset Management Communications
E: jonathan@fortunaamc.co.uk
T: +44 (0)78 6645 9442
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