General compensation

Payouts of deferred compensation plans

Value Alignment Incentive (VAI)

The VAI performance is measured for each underlying business area. Participants receive the performance factor relating to the business area that they were in at the time of award. In March 2012, the Group VAI 2008 (awarded in 2009) vested with an average performance factor of 135.7%.

The VAI plan year 2008 performance factor resulted from favourable claims development and lower than expected natural catastrophe losses on business that was still at risk in 2009, together with favourable mortality experience in the Americas and Europe.

Status of Value Alignment Incentive (VAI) awards

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VAI plan year

Performance measurement period as of 31 December 2012

Performance factor

2006

3 years (closed)

124.2%

2007

3 years (closed)

123.4%

2008

3 years (closed)

135.7%

2009

3 years

to be determined

2010

2 years

to be determined

2011

1 year

to be determined

Long Term Incentive (LTI)

The performance hurdles for the LTI award defined in 2010, expiring in March 2013, were centred on a return on equity (RoE) target of 10.5% and average earnings per share (EPS) growth rate target of USD 7.50. The RoE target was set in April 2010. Considerations which led to the respective targets were the market outlook, the level of uncertainty and the clear priority set by the Board to de-risk the balance sheet.

The LTI plan has been discontinued and the last award of LTI was granted in March 2011. The last grant of LTI was disclosed in the 2010 Compensation Report. The table below reflects the units awarded and subsequently vested across all LTI plan years.

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in CHF millions

LTI plans vested in 2009–2012

LTI plan due to vest in 2013

LTI plans due to
vest in 2014

Total

1

Number of units

2

"Value awarded" includes the awards to all employees.

Grant

Units awarded1

3 941 300

1 085 550

1 010 570

6 037 420

 

Value awarded2

175

52

59

286

 

Weighted average value per unit at grant

44.62

47.86

58.49

47.17

Vesting

Units vested1

3 685 450

961 350

to vest

4 646 800

 

Value vested of which:

84

65

to vest

149

 

Vesting related to performance factor

26

42

to vest

68

 

Vesting related to share price growth

58

23

to vest

81

 

Weighted average value per unit at vesting

22.91

67.50

to vest

32.14

Of the plans that have expired or are due to expire in 2013, the LTI represented 28% of the Total Compensation disclosed for the EC members over that period. The LTI plans that have expired to date (2006–2010) have resulted or will result in a settlement value of 70% of the award value disclosed for the EC members. Consequently, the Total Compensation disclosed for the EC members over that period was 8.4% higher than the value realised upon vesting.

Aggregate compensation of the Swiss Re Group

The aggregate compensation for the performance years 2011 and 2012 for all employees was as follows:

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Performance Year 2011

Performance Year 2012

Category

Type of plan

Number of participants

Values (in CHF millions)

Number of participants

Values (in CHF millions)

1

Severance payments in the table above include (i) payments under standard severance packages, (ii) other payments that are over and above what is contractually or legally required, and (iii) voluntary supplementary departure payments, but exclude similar legally permitted payments or garden leave which are aligned with local market practice for comparable positions in respect of amount, nature or duration.

Fixed compensation

Base salaries

10 788

966

11 193

1 082

 

Pensions, social security and benefits

10 788

418

11 193

424

Annual Performance Incentive

Cash Annual Performance Incentive

9 414

269

10 015

379

 

Value Alignment Incentive

719

42

1 081

72

Long-term variable compensation

Long-term incentives (LPP)

217

46

243

43

Other payments

Severance payments1

356

27

393

28

 

Sign-on payments

96

7

94

4

As of 31 December 2012, Swiss Re Group employed 11 193 regular staff worldwide, compared to 10 788 employees at the end of 2011.

Aggregate compensation for Key Risk Takers

The aggregate compensation of the individuals that held a key risk taking position during the performance years 2011 and 2012 was:

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Performance Year 2011

Performance Year 2012

Category

Type of plan

Number of participants

Values (in CHF millions)

Number of participants

Values (in CHF millions)

1

Severance payments in the table above include (i) payments under standard severance packages, (ii) other payments that are over and above what is contractually or legally required, and (iii) voluntary supplementary departure payments, but exclude similar legally permitted payments or garden leave which are aligned with local market practice for comparable positions in respect of amount, nature or duration.

Fixed compensation

Base salaries

120

48

125

53

 

Pensions, social security and benefits

120

22

125

22

Annual Performance Incentive

Cash Annual Performance Incentive

120

39

125

51

 

Value Alignment Incentive

119

23

124

33

Long-term variable compensation

Long-term incentives (LPP)

100

21

114

32

Other payments

Severance payments1

1

0

4

5

 

Sign-on payments

2

0

7

2

Aggregate variable compensation expense

The Compensation Committee takes its decisions to award variable compensation on an economic value basis at the time of grant. In the financial statements the recognition of deferred compensation follows the accrual principles as defined under US GAAP. The financial statements reflect the aggregate value of variable compensation for the year under review as follows:

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US GAAP accounting year 2012

CHF millions

Economic value at grant

Accrued grant value

Fair value mark-up

Total expense

1

Accrual related to prior performance year

2

Plans were granted in prior years

Cash API 2012

379

379

 

379

VAI 2012 (granted in April 2013)

72

 

 

 

LPP 2013 (granted in April 2013)

43

 

 

 

Cash API 20111

n.a.

 

–21

–21

VAI 2008 – 2011 (granted between 2009 and 2012)2

n.a.

68

–8

60

LPP 2012 (granted in April 2012)2

n.a.

10

0

10

LTI 2009 – 2011 (granted between 2009 and 2011)2

n.a.

33

4

37

Total

494

490

–25

465