Our history

Founded in 1963, Europ Assistance, the inventor of assistance, supports customers in over 200 countries and territories thanks to our global network of providers and assistance centres.

Our mission is to bring people or corporates from distress to relief – anytime, anywhere. We provide roadside assistance, travel assistance and insurance, as well as personal assistance services such as the protection of the elderly, the protection of digital identity, telemedicine and concierge services. The vision of our 12,000 employees is to be the most reliable care company in the world. Today Europ Assistance is part of the Generali Group, one of the world’s leading insurers.

Discover the inspiring journey of Europ Assistance—how it started and how it grew. 60 years of daring, caring, and passion.

Birth of assistance as a profession

In 1963, with backing from Generali, which was the first shareholder, Pierre Desnos founds Europ Assistance, a pioneer service offering protection to people travelling abroad.
Following an accident that occurred to some friends in Spain, Pierre Desnos measured the lack of protection that existed at the time for French travelling abroad. The first days were difficult, but Europ Assistance soon proved its effectiveness: three lives were saved that year. A young woman who had fallen 10 metres while visiting the Acropolis, a little girl who had suffered serious burns in Spain and a baby who was saved by the very rapid delivery of medicines. As Pierre Desnos himself said, “In 1963, we invented a profession, a real profession, hard and demanding, with unlimited responsibilities…”.
These first achievements, followed in subsequent years by an ever-increasing number of others, enabled Europ Assistance to expand and progress to become and remain, 60 years later, a true benchmark in the assistance sector.
In 1964, the Belgian subsidiary is created in Brussels, the first subsidiary outside France. In 1965, the company signs an agreement with the French aircraft manufacturer Marcel Dassault for the permanent availability of a special Falcon 20 equipped for medical purposes. In 1967, it offers a USA-Canada subscription. After Belgium, Europ Assistance opens a second subsidiary in Italy in 1968.
In 1970, the rapid growth of the Assistance Service.

Europ assistance extends beyond Europe

In 1980, opening of a subsidiary in Germany. One year later, creation of a service offering advice, information and assistance to resolve the problems of everyday life and opening of a subsidiary in the United States. After Europe and America, Europ Assistance develops on a third continent, Africa, through the creation of a new subsidiary in South Africa in 1984. Europ Assistance enters the Asian market and opens a representative office in China in 1989.

Europ Assistance pushes ahead with its international development

In 1991, Europ Assistance expands into Greece by opening a branch. The company launches teleassistance and creates Europ Assistance Portugal in 1993. Three years later, Europ Assistance moves into Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Hungary, Poland, Singapore and Switzerland. In 1998, 115 million people are covered by the company in the world and 3.75 million cases are handled annually by 2,300 employees.

Europ assistance invents care services

Europ Assistance launches the first pan-European holiday barometer in 2000.
In 2001, the Generali Group acquires 100% of the capital of the Europ Assistance. Two years later, Europ Assistance creates an Irish branch covering the company’s international risk. Meanwhile, in the same year, Martin Vial succeeds to Yves Galland to become CEO of the group. When a Tsunami hit Southeast Asia, the Europ Assistance Group mobilized 150 employees around the clock to manage more than 1,000 customers.
In 2005, the company launches a new visual identity for the Europ Assistance group, reflecting its new ambitions. In addition, the first “Plug & Sell” online insurance solution is launched. This global e-commerce platform is especially designed for travel agents, tour operators and airlines. One year after, the group continued its geographic expansion with the acquisition of two companies in the USA: GMMI in the field of health in Florida and CSA Travel Protection in the field of travel in San Diego. In 2009, Europ Assistance associates Bradesco Seguros Group to create a joint venture in Brazil.

Europ Assistance commits

In 2010, Europ Assistance creates a new global tagline “You live we care”. It makes support for social entrepreneurship its global commitment in terms of corporate social responsibility and links up with Ashoka. The same year Europ Assistance becomes the reference shareholder of Océalis, the French company specialised in direct distribution of teleassistance and opened of a subsidiary in Cameroon and Turkey. One year after, the company opens a subsidiary in Congo and in 2012 a subsidiary in Nigeria.

In 2013, Europ Assistance celebrates 50 years of expertise at the service of its 300 million customers worldwide and in 2014, Antoine Parisi is appointed CEO of the Europ Assistance Group.