The Covea group is accelerating its digital transformation thanks to Docusign.

Covéa Group: A European Leader in Insurance and Reinsurance

The Covéa group is one of Europe’s leading insurance and reinsurance companies. In France, Covéa stands out as a solid and dynamic financial player and the leading property and liability insurer through its three brands: MAAF, MMA, and GMF.

Covéa’s operations extend beyond France, with a strong presence in the UK through its subsidiary, Covéa Insurance plc. Established in 2012 from the merger of three longstanding UK insurance businesses—Provident Insurance, MMA Insurance, and Gateway Insurance—the company employs nearly 2,000 people across multiple offices, including its largest in Halifax. Covéa Insurance plc offers a wide range of insurance products for individuals and businesses, solidifying its position as a trusted provider in the UK market.

With over 24,000 employees and 11.5 million customers around the world, the Covéa group is a key economic player across its territories. For more than 20 years, the group has been committed to establishing common frameworks to streamline the activities of each of its brands. Given the large volume of documents and contracts required in the insurance sector, the group naturally turned to electronic signatures to simplify its agreement processes.

Electronic Signatures as a Simplification Tool

Implemented in 2017, electronic signature adoption was initially limited within the group and primarily used for “IARD” contracts (fire, accidents, and miscellaneous risks). However, at the onset of the pandemic, Covéa had to extend its use to ensure business continuity. Initially adopted by management, it was later rolled out to employees. Some were first equipped with home multifunction printers, but the need for a simplified electronic signature tool quickly emerged.

In the beginning, Covéa employees needed an easy way to create envelopes by uploading their documents directly onto the Docusign platform, which could then be easily sent to recipients. Over time, Covéa tailored electronic signature needs by entity—real estate, legal, tax management, customised risk—to address specific challenges.

For instance, Covéa’s real estate entity, which manages property leases, required complex workflows involving non-signatories in the document validation process. These individuals ensured all was in order before various stakeholders added their signatures. For users of basic electronic signatures within Covéa, Docusign’s solution has delivered unprecedented time and efficiency gains.

“The advantage of an electronic signature solution like Docusign is its speed and ease of implementation. Account creation is just as simple, and the tool’s ease of use requires very little training time,” says Rémy Clouard, Lead Designer at Covéa. “Moreover, the Docusign solution adapts to all volumes and effectively meets the diverse needs of the group’s various entities.”

Going Further with Docusign

Today, the Covéa group uses Docusign eSignature for simple signatures. However, the group has identified additional needs and plans to expand its use by incorporating advanced and qualified electronic signatures. The AI-driven identity verification solution, IDV Premier, is also on the group’s radar.

Additionally, some entities within the group are not yet covered by Docusign, while others aim to leverage Docusign solutions further. For example, this could involve integrating Docusign into daily tools, as implemented by Covéa’s purchasing department, or extending Docusign solutions to external stakeholders for certain entities.