Reto Schneider
A trained natural scientist specialised in immunology, transplant rejections and allergies, Reto joined Swiss Re in 1994. He currently heads up the casualty risk engineering team which is part of Risk Engineering Services in the Chief Underwriting Office Division in Zurich.
Reto decided to leave his research into antigen presentation and antiviral response when he realised that he was overlapping into the medical field in which he was not qualified to practise as a natural scientist. However, when he found out that Swiss Re was looking for natural scientists, he discovered that many of his skills could be applied to a new field:
“I was very touched by the idea that scientific knowledge is what counts for Swiss Re…Swiss Re was one of the few [non-pharmaceutical/bio-medical] companies willing to invest in …scientific knowledge.”
He is in charge of a team whose task is to carry out product liability assessments in a wide range of industry sectors covering car part suppliers, telecommunications, power and utilities, pharmaceutical companies, the medical device industry, implant manufacturers, and many more. The Baycol® and Lipobay® cases involving cholesterol-lowering statins have been a hot topic for Reto and his team recently.
“The biggest challenge is to translate science or technology into insurance terms… we don’t just focus on the downside of losses but sometimes we also encourage underwriters to take a risk if we sense real opportunity…after all, our primary goal is to generate profitable business for Swiss Re…I would like to attract hands-on scientists who are able to come up with a pragmatic approach.”
