Allianz engaging with athletes on the road to Paris 2024
In the lead-up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Worldwide Olympic Insurance Partner Allianz is helping athletes take the next steps in their careers. The company took the opportunity to engage with athletes, future generations of sports leaders and other stakeholders at the 2022 European Championships, which recently took place in Munich, Germany, where Allianz’s headquarters are based.
The second edition of the European multi-sport event was largely held in legacy venues from the Olympic Games Munich 1972, including the magnificent Olympic Park, and Allianz, which served as an Official Partner of Munich 2022, also organised several engagement activities and events in and around the competitions.
Career advice and opportunities for athletes
A total of 57 athletes from 20 countries gathered at Allianz’s headquarters in Munich for a networking event that outlined the support and services available to athletes through the company, and which included inspirational talks from experts on topics such as networking, financial literacy, and how athletes can build their personal brand.
Germany’s Olympic javelin gold medallist Thomas Röhler was one of 30 “Team Allianz” ambassadors present at the event, where he participated in an insightful panel discussion on athletes’ careers beyond sport. There were also 27 attendees from Allianz’s “Athlete Buddy Programme”, which gives employees in various markets the chance to be mentored by an athlete, and athletes the chance to prepare for life after competition, as they explore different development topics together. The programme is into its second edition in 2022 and has already reached more than 70 athletes.
“The practical, real-life advice provided at the event will be very useful both during and after my sporting career,” said Irish Paralympian Mary Fitzgerald. “Allianz is investing in the future of Olympians and Paralympians, which is very exciting and reassuring.”
“The event was very inspirational, and it opened a lot of new thoughts in my mind,” added Italian triathlete Michele Sarzilla, who finished eighth in the men’s European Championships race at Munich’s Olympia Park. “It also made me feel I belong to a big family, and I'm already looking forward to the next event.”
Allianz is in the practice of hiring athletes, with Djamal Hamache, the former captain of the Algerian wheelchair basketball team, and Amelie Stoll, the recently retired German judoka, among its staff. The company will hold a Virtual Career Conference for Athletes on 27 September, where participants can get first-hand insights into Allianz as an employer, meet athletes working at Allianz, and receive tips from recruiters.
Preparing to get the next generation moving
The insurer is also continuing its “MoveNow” programme, a commitment to get people from the next generation, across the globe, moving in the upcoming months until the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The latest initiative took place at the European Championships, with Allianz organising a “Hackathon” for more than 100 participants from the Young Leaders Forum to create initiatives to get young people back into sport. Look out for more on this in the coming months.
About Allianz
Allianz officially began its eight-year worldwide partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in 2021, building on a collaboration with the Paralympic Movement since 2006. As the Worldwide Insurance Partner, Allianz will continue to get behind the hopes, challenges and needs of the athlete community through insurance solutions and services, mentoring, career opportunities and health activities.