The insurance sector's bird of passage
After completing his doctoral degree in German studies in 1952, Dr. Siegfried Walter started taking care of foreign graduates in Germany on behalf of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Due to the drawbacks for foreign visitors within the German insurance system, Dr. Walter developed the so-called ‘world policy’ together with Volkswohl Versicherung, which later became Continentale, thereby creating the first insurance coverage for foreign visitors in Germany.
In the late 1950s, Dr. Walter started to work as an independent insurance broker and to attend the area of au pair placement. Together with the Association for International Youth Work (VIJ) he designed the first insurance rate for au pairs in Germany in 1962. Following this, Dr. Walter was one of the key specialists who shaped the market for unconventional travel insurance solutions and became one of the leading suppliers of mobility insurance services.
In 1996, Dr. Walter ushered in a new generation of leadership by appointing Reinhard Bellinghausen as managing director and by having his three daughters participate in the company. He gradually withdrew from day-to-day business and supported Reinhard Bellinghausen with the knowledge gained through his long years of experience. He gave his last speech at the company’s 50th anniversary in June 2009. Dr. Siegfried Walter, founder and eponym of the Dr. Walter GmbH died on 19 December 2009 at the age of 87.
60 years of travel insurance
On 1 June 1959, Dr. Siegfried Walter registered his business as insurance broker and thereby provided the basis for today’s DR-WALTER GmbH. Since then, a lot has happened on the way from being a specialist for foreign visitors in Germany to becoming the expert in insuring global mobility.
Today, we are an integral part of both the German and the international insurance market.
There will be additional insurance products, each with its own website in the DR-WALTER design. The product page of the insurance combination PROTRIP-WORLD will be available in four different languages since it aims at international educational travelers, foreign tour operators and multinational agents looking for an online product for several countries.
At the end of 2011, DR-WALTER hosted its first Security Forum. The forum’s target group is aid organizations that send volunteers, experts and aid workers to remote regions in countries all around the world. The Security Forum takes place every two years.
In 2011, DR-WALTER was awarded the TÜV certificate for Quality of Service. In order to fulfill the expectations that go along with this certificate, we have significantly expanded our staff. Since 2009, the team of DR-WALTER increased from 50 to 90. As a result, we decided to construct a second building, thereby creating 45 new jobs. Construction started in late 2015. In August 2017, the departments Claims, Contracts and Payments moved into the new building.
Both buildings also reflect the reorganization of our company structure: From now on, there will be a parent company, the DR-WALTER GmbH (Underwriter), as well as a subsidiary, the DR-WALTER Versicherungsmakler GmbH. The underwriter will be responsible for all products developed by DR-WALTER and is allowed to purchase insurance, collect premiums and settle claims on behalf of insurance companies. DR-WALTER Insurance broker will include the three divisions Information and Comparison Portals for International Health Insurance, International Health Insurance for Companies, Organizations and Institutions as well as International Health Insurance for German Citizens and Employees Abroad.
Additional Managing Directors
Due to the strong growth of the company, DR-WALTER gets an additional managing director with Angelika V. Kolmer and a Head of Finance with Dirk Imbach-Ratz as of April 1, 2020.
After nearly three decades with the company, Angelika Kolmer retires on March 31, 2023.
On July 15, 2023, Timo Dreger joins DR-WALTER as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO). His main focus will be on developing innovative digital solutions and suitable strategies to optimize internal processes and provide the best service to customers.
