Driton Azizi runs one of the largest companies in Macedonia and that’s why we have decided that in collaboration with ECNWM to interview him. To learn about the past, present and future.

UNIQA has been ranked as one of the most powerful brands in Macedonia for several years. Describe your success in 3 sentences?

We all know that success is not the final destination, but an ongoing, systematic and continuous process. And neither success nor failure are simply events that happen overnight. It is a process and consistency in the way we perform, having a clear goal and vision to be the best we can be.

Despite the challenging economic and social opportunities in our region and beyond, over the years we have managed to build a strong brand and be a valuable partner for our customers. And in this sense our greatest success is the satisfaction of our customers and of course our employees.

Tell us one thing about your company that you are proud of and why?

UNIQA over the past years has had continuous growth and development with excellent financial results. In Macedonia, UNIQA is the successor  of SIGAL, present in the Macedonian market since 2004, offering non-life insurance and since 2011 offering life products through the company UNIQA Life. We offer quality products and high standards in communication with customers. Our goal in these uncertain times is to help people understand the need and protect themselves from the dangers of modern life. And in this way to contribute to reducing at least some of their worries and mitigating their financial loss.

From the indicators for the success of the work of insurance companies, I am proud to mention that in this period UNIQA is the only company in the Macedonian insurance market that has increased premiums in both non-life insurance policies and life insurance contracts. The dedicated work of the company’s management meant not only the successful management of the Covid crisis, but also the realization of the company’s ambitions to become a leading

company in the Macedonian insurance market. Confirmation of this is the company’s achievements in the class that brings the most contracts and premiums, class 10 – providing third party liability.

What are the lessons you have learned from all these years of experience?

I strongly believe that working with true and high values is always the right path. It’s a simple formula, Blueprint for success does not exist, it is created by each individual for himself, there is nothing that is universal and timeless.

And that is the care of true values. What I have learned over the years is that a clear vision, building a strong corporate identity, valuing and developing human capital, high service and customer orientation, as well as a strong work ethic and defined work standards in line with the vision, can make us all able to survive and move forward in these (as we all know) challenging social, political and economic conditions.

What is your experience with the young people who work with you. Are you satisfied with their work?

The term youth is often associated with liveliness, joy, enthusiasm and passion. Youth and the future will always be linked because they cannot exist in each other’s absence. Youth is an important symbol of strength and perseverance.

When new employees start working in our company, we introduce them with the company focusing on three areas: getting to know and collaborating with other employees, learning about ‘’UNIQA University’’, and getting to know different high-profile members of the company and  professional community of UNIQA. To attract the attention of the most talented people at UNIQA as potential employees at an early stage, we focus particularly on contact with high potentials through our multi-year internship program at UNIQA.

The people working at UNIQA come from a diverse range of professions – from sales practitioners to mathematicians, engineers and doctors. Despite different educational experiences and backgrounds, they all share something essential: a shared passion for UNIQA, a desire and commitment to play an active role in shaping the future.

As part of UNIQA’s strategic Human Resources policy, we identify employees with high potential, investing in their professional development. WE are recruiting and retaining the best people because in order to provide the best services to our customers, we need the best talents.

What are your plans for the future and what is your message to young entrepreneurs?

Accelerating the pace of change in our industry, our success so far, meeting the wide range of challenges we have faced and the ways we have stood by our clients, give us confidence and further prosperity in this dynamic environment of change.  Consequently, we have set ambitious new financial targets for 2021, and our Board is working closely with management to turn these commitments into tangible impacts.

Together, with our people, we will turn 2021 into a proud chapter of our history. After we have achieved so much, our journey continues. Our performance of about 2 decades has put us in an excellent position, to meet the objectives of the strategy with clients at the center, to work with energy and ambition for what awaits us.

My message to young entrepreneurs is to learn the local market mentality and analyze in detail the needs of the economy. Never give up on the idea of an entrepreneur, no start is easy, it is important that every failure to be an additional motive for a fresh start. Every success story has its ups and downs, the most important thing is to get up and try again. There are no failed entrepreneurs, there are people who give up easily.