Insurance United Against Dementia: Swiss Re UK CEO O'Neill on why tackling Alzheimer's is important

But that is exactly what Swiss Re UK and Ireland CEO Frank O’Neill did earlier this year with a group of colleagues in the Alps.

The bicycle exploits of O’Neill built on the work of his predecessor Russell Higginbotham who was in the box seat when Swiss Re agreed a multi-year charity relationship with Alzheimer’s Society in 2015.

Now in its final three months [having begun in January 2016], he comments: “We have had a really good result in the UK in terms of raising awareness with the staff here. And I would like to add that although this has been a UK partnership, over the last six months we have very much bought in the wider Swiss Re family and have had donations from the US, Australia, Asia and Zurich.”

To commemorate World Dementia Day last month Alzheimer’s Society came into Swiss Re’s office, the latest in a series of meetings to promote Dementia Friends, the charities’ initiative to encourage individuals to transform the dementia landscape.

“We have been very successful in signing up staff,” O’Neill continues. “Indeed we used our stand at the recent LUCID conference [in Bristol] to promote Dementia Friends in an effort to get referrals and raise awareness [outside the company]. In total throughout Swiss Re we now have over 100 registered Dementia Friends which is a fantastic response.”

So why did O’Neill decide to – literally – get on his bike to raise in excess of £40 000?

“I am a keen cyclist and as you know the UK has gone bike mad in recent years. The original plan was to cycle from London to the Swiss Re headquarters in Zurich but logistically that proved to be very difficult. So instead we looked at a less ambitious plan and that was to spend three days in the Swiss Alps climbing 6500 metres.

“So Altitude for Alzheimer’s was born, which I am going to claim as my idea, because I am not usually very creative but it rhymed and has resonated with a lot of people.”

For example, he notes the father of a British national working in Zurich passed away from dementia during the ride; and in lieu of having flowers at the funeral they instead included a link to the fundraising page for Frank and his fellow cyclists.

“The impact has in no way been limited to Swiss Re in the UK, indeed the Linkedin posts we have put up to record the progress of the ride have been among the most liked in the companies’ history,” he continues.  “And people have engaged with it from all over the world, not just giving donations, but offering their own heart felt comments about how people they have known – including friends, family and spouses – have been affected. It has resonated so strongly throughout the business.”

As to the ride itself, O’Neill, comments: “The people [on the ride] were physically capable to do the ride, but this type of mountain cycling is a bit different to what some of them had been used to in terms of the Surrey Hills.”

Swiss Re’s direct involvement with Alzheimer’s Society as a charity partner might soon be ending in line with Swiss Re’s Charity of the Year selection policies, but O’Neill continues to be involved through the industry group Insurance United Against Dementia, giving up his own time to further the cause.

He also notes that as a business the relationship stretches further than raising money.

“As a big property and casualty and life and health reinsurer [dementia] is an area of great interest to us because of the risks that the ageing population brings and the fact that despite the growing numbers, it is a demographic that is under served by the insurance market.

“So we are working with Alzheimer’s Society to develop product that cater for the needs of those of an age where dementia becomes more an issue. So this is a subject that continues to be very much close to Swiss Re as a business.”