125 years of Pantaenius
Hamburg-based insurance broker Pantaenius celebrates 125 years, a foundation upon which Harald Baum and his family continue to build Europe's leading yacht insurance experts.
12 April 2024
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The Hamburg-based insurance specialist Pantaenius celebrates its 125th anniversary. Today, Pantaenius Versicherungsmakler GmbH serves approximately 5,000 medium-sized companies from five locations: Düsseldorf, Eisenach, Kiel, Munich and Hamburg.
The Hamburg location has characterised Pantaenius from the very beginning. In 1899, Johann C. Pantaenius founded a brokerage firm for marine insurance in the Free and Hanseatic City. His successor expanded the business in the 1920s to include property and life insurance.
In 1963, Harald Baum joined the company, and today, his children Daniel, Martin and Anna are at the helm. Harald took over Pantaenius in 1970.
He developed a new type of hull insurance for yachts. His innovative approach revolutionised the yacht insurance business.
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Over the following decades, Pantaenius expanded its business to 10 locations in Europe and Australia. At the end of the 1990s, the yacht insurance business was separated from the traditional brokerage business into a separate company.
Today, in addition to the yacht insurance branch, the Pantaenius Group encompasses the surveyor’s office Marine Claims Service, the yacht management company Zucker & Partner – and Pantaenius Versicherungsmakler GmbH, which has been in operation since its founding in 1899.
Pantaenius Australia has operated locally for 12 years, providing insurance for sailing and motor yachts, and uniquely, providing policies for cruising vessels heading to the Pacific.
Michaela Claes, Operations Manager at Pantaenius Australia said, “We issued our first policy on 23 October 2012 on a new Sunseeker, and that client is still with us today.
“We offer a unique level of service and have positioned ourselves as grass roots, hands-on, always available,” she continued. “When we sponsor an event, we like to be involved and to make the organisers and participants feel good about their event.
Today, Pantaenius Australia operates from two locations: its head office at Warriewood, Sydney with 20 representatives, and a second office at The Boat Works on the Gold Coast with three staff.
At the 2024 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show Pantaenius Australia will have a stand in the new Marina Boulevard Hall (supported by Pantaenius), as well as supporting the AIMEX Garden which provides hospitality and a business lounge for members of Superyacht Australia, ACMG and AIMEX.
The Pantaenius team will also have a stand near the superyacht marina. “We are looking forward to reconnecting with our Queensland and interstate customers and meeting new people,” said Michaela.
“Pantaenius enjoys strong brand awareness in Queensland, and it’s great to be able to sit down and discuss our customers’ cruising plans – whether they own sailing yachts or motor yachts. Storm season finishes 1 May, so a lot of people are interested in changing their policies to match their voyage plans.
“We are the only Australian-based insurer who can insure Australian and NZ boats heading to the Pacific. We keep in touch with customers during their travels and inform them about interesting things, such as cruising itineraries, as well as any warnings. Our customers love us for that!”
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