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Insurance partner:

 MDS PORTUGAL, largest insurance broker in Portugal

  185 employees
  USD 27M Annual Revenue
  Offices in Oporto, Lisbon and Coimbra
  Expertise in managing captives
  Owner of FullCover, a business magazine dedicated to the insurance & risk management profession.

 

Vision and mission

At MDS, we strive to move beyond the intermediary role of a broker to help our clients achieve optimal success in risk management. MDS is more than a broker; we are a partner to those we serve, and this perspective influences our work every day.

Three principal components are at the core of our mission to deliver solutions for our clients’ success. Our extensive knowledge of insurance and risk management is driven by our highly skilled and motivated professionals along with our specialists available to us through our Brokerslink global alliance. We’re also strengthened by a close relationship with the reinsurance professionals at Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford. Our knowledge resources are given greater power thanks toour highly effective access to the insurance market. The partnerships we’ve fostered with all major insurance firms mean we can find ideal cost-effective answers with speed and ease. We leverage our access to solve complex claims and to deliver insightful and current consulting to our clients. The MDS advantage gains further momentum with the addition of our sharp focus on relevant technology. Risk management decisions and advisories benefit from cutting-edge tools that heighten accuracy and save time and expense. Together, these three elements create a powerful framework to help our clients manage their risks wisely.

Within the next five years, we envision MDS as a major player in the brokerage of insurance. As we continue to build new relationships and attract new clients, we look forward to watching MDS grow and evolve. We are confident that our work and reputation will mature into a fine example of the insurance field’s capacity for innovation and efficiency. The MDS core values of integrity, impartiality, and rigor help fuel our pride as part of a great company committed to helping clients succeed. Through personal development, training, knowledge sharing, and support, we not only uphold our values, but ensure they’re able to contribute to true solutions both today and in the future.

José Manuel Dias da Fonseca - Group Chief Executive

Created in 1984 in response to a major Portuguese retailer’s need for efficient insurance solutions, MDS has diversified and expanded to become one of the world’s most attractive modern brokerage groups. Today MDS, headquartered in Porto, Portugal, is jointly owned by Sonae, the conglomerate for which the group was created, and by the Suzano Group, a Brazilian firm with activities spanning the industries of paper and renewable energy. Despite our complex history and involvement in several regional markets, MDS is at heart devoted to serving clients with insurance products and services that excel in efficacy, convenience, and value.
Our dominant presence in Portugal and Brazil speaks to our lengthy tradition of improving the field of insurance in the Latin world. MDS Portugal is the largest broker in the nation, while our Brazilian branch ranks in the top 3 brokers in the country and employs four hundred professionals across twelve offices. But MDS isn’t limited to these regions. In fact, we helped found the highly successful international brokerage network Brokerslink, which today is ranked among the largest independent insurance brokers networks in the world. The leadership MDS demonstrates as a part of Brokerslink helps to forge important new partnerships, while our access to some of the world’s most highly specialized insurance services means we’re better able to serve our clients.
MDS also benefits from close relationships with some of the world’s leading figures in global wholesale & reinsurance brokerage and related fields, including Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford. While we believe strongly in the importance of maintaining our independence and doing what’s best for our clients and our company, we actively forge new partnerships to broaden our abilities and perspective, and to make greater contributions to the realm of insurance.
Through the considerable challenges of competing with major global brokerage firms and developing products and services that make sense for today’s companies and individuals, MDS has remained vigilant in the belief that embracing diversity while also encouraging specialization and talent yields excellence. Our team is comprised of professionals with backgrounds in many areas of insurance and risk management, and benefits from the leadership of an exceptional executive board.

Cargo Marine

Much of business today involves the trading of commodities, an activity that naturally relies on delivery to prosper. Though logistics may seem like an afterthought to many traders, it can in fact have a serious impact on the success of a sale or purchase, and leaving all of the details up to the shipper can have disastrous consequences. Navigating the new waters of the cargo marine industry can be intimidating for many. From a labyrinth of specialized terms to a wide array of insurance policy types, different rules and regulations applying to different geographical regions and the need to define territorial and duration-based limits to coverage, there’s a lot to learn. Thankfully, MDS has been providing its clients with superior cargo marine insurance services for quite some time, and can help make mastering this important part of modern business much easier with its Risk management services.

There’s an unfortunately widespread notion that carriers will be held accountable for any losses encountered during transport. As scores of traders have found out, this is only true if the carrier is reasonably at fault –and even when that’s the case, the limit on liability may fall below the cost of the damages sustained. Too often, traders trust the integrity of their goods to shippers without any personal involvement in the goods’ security, which can make any accidents that occur financially painful. Taking the time to consider a cargo marine policy for goods can mean the difference between an averted disaster and one that’s very real, threatening the success of a business at large. We are the kind of Risk management company which encourages all clients involved in global trade to think seriously about the benefits of a cargo marine policy.

With the help of MDS, you can be sure that your transported goods will receive proper coverage to protect you and your business from whatever might occur. Going above and beyond the basic –and not always applicable– policies typically held by shippers, such a policy can take a great deal of the risk of modern globalised business out of your operations. We employ insurance specialists deeply familiar with the world of cargo marine and other types of shipping and logistics. Whether you’re interested in a contract for a single shipment or an ongoing arrangement for regular shipping operations, you’re sure to find the right solution with MDS.

We know that approaching cargo marine coverage can be a challenging task, which is why we’ve bolstered our offerings with services that help clients adapt to and understand the particular requirements of cargo marine. We can help you create and implement a policy through discussing your individual needs and expectations, and can assist with the application of crucial paperwork, such as bills of lading, packaging descriptions, and details of transport used. At every step of the set up process and should you ever need to file a claim, MDS will be there to help you and your business excel. Get in touch with an MDS representative to explore your own possibilities with cargo marine and get a cargo marine insurance to secure your cargo at bay.

Credit Risks & Surety

In this modern environment of economic uncertainty, professionals and companies are constantly exposed to considerable risks. Credit insurance and related products are increasingly important for modern businesses, being the most effective tools available to minimize seller exposure to commercial and political risks.

With credit insurance, companies protect themselves against difficulties stemming from debt costs, high debt provisions, poor balance sheets, and more. Cash flow requirements are optimized, allowing business leaders to focus their talent and energy on the company’s progress. At MDS, we present our clients with credit risk solutions that enable them to make the right decisions based on their customers’ financial capacity. In addition to traditional customers, MDS provides clients with continuously-updated lists of prospective customers who may prove highly valuable. The in-extensive information we deliver regarding customers in terms of their financial prospects means our clients have all the data necessary to make strong and smart choices about their business relationships.

MDS is committed to assisting credit risk clients manage accounts receivable through a specialized program to monitor and report the commercial and financial behavior of customers globally. We also provide effective policy management, including the facilitation of periodic meetings and updates on any pending issues that may affect our clients’ business or their insurance covers. Our strong ties with a variety of international credit insurers along with our status as a major broker for credit and similar risks means we can secure attractive terms and conditions for our clients.

MDS’ special offers in surety further extend our range of products and services. Many countries require that companies acquire specific bonds in order to perform their intended activities. These bonds can be thought of as debt securities, issued either by companies or government entities who guarantee the payment of the original investment in addition to interest, all by a specified date. In Brazil, for instance, bonds center on bid, performance, completion, advanced payment, retention payment, and maintenance. Bonds are also used in tax disputes where guaranties equivalent to the amount of taxes at hand are required. In such cases, bonds can be the ideal alternative to bank guaranties, which must follow the Basel 2 agreement. Additionally, bonds typically have lower rates than banks, as well.

Our expertise in financial risks supports companies whether they’re issuing bonds or presenting guaranties for business or compliance objectives. MDS’ knowledge of bonds means we’re able to secure adequate bond limits from insurers and reinsurers alike. We also make our team of risk specialists available for meetings and company seminars. Regardless of the challenges faced by your firm, MDS can deliver credit risks and surety products and services to help minimize your exposure and optimize your potential gains. Contact us today for more information about these services or to discuss your questions or ideas.

If you need quotation, contact us 

Inspection, certification and testing partners:

Bureau Veritas

Created in 1828, Bureau Veritas is a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), delivering high quality services to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. As a trusted partner, Bureau Veritas offers innovative solutions that go beyond simple compliance with regulations and standards, reducing risk, improving performance and promoting sustainable development. Bureau Veritas core values include integrity and ethics, impartial counsel and validation, customer focus and safety at work. Bureau Veritas is recognized and accredited by major national and international organizations

KEY FACT & FIGURES

  • 2015 revenue: €4.6 billion
  • 66,000 employees
  • 1,400 offices and laboratories, in 140 countries
  • 400,000 clients
  • 8 global businesses with leadership positions
  • Bureau Veritas is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange
    (Stock symbol: BVI).

OUR CLIENTS BENEFITS

  • Obtain or maintain a license to operate
  • Ensure compliance with regulations and standards
  • Reduce risk throughout production or construction and life cycle of products, equipment or assets
  • Minimize maintenance costs  Assess and manage impact of activities
  • Contribute to sustainable development
  • Fulfil technical requirements
  • Ensure optimal performance and reliability of installations, equipment and processes
  • Bring products to worldwide markets more quickly
  • Monitor performance and quality of products and processes
  • Protect brands
  • Secure a competitive advantage through certification
  • Identify and disseminate best practices
  • Develop technical skills of staff

OUR MARKETS: Aeronautics – Agriculture – Automotive – Construction & Real Estate – Consumer Products – Food – Governments & Public Organizations – Industrial Equipment – International Trade – IT, Telecoms & Electronics – Maritime Industry – Metals & Minerals – Oil & Gas – Power & Utilities – Process Industries – Rail – Retail – Services – Transport & Infrastructures.

If you need quotation, contact us