In Memory of
Rainer Isringhaus
With Rainer’s passing, we have lost a great leader who shaped Gen Re’s international life and health insurance business – professionally, strategically, and personally.
In his role at Gen Re, he worked with others to develop and establish our service-driven business model, which combines technical excellence with market and client focus. In doing so, he laid the foundation for our current international life and health insurance business.
Rainer recognized talent, nurtured it in a targeted manner, and built a high-performing international life and health team. He was a nice, open-minded person with a keen business sense and boundless energy, who inspired those around him and fostered a strong team spirit.
Even beyond our company, Rainer was well-connected and a sought-after conversation partner among clients and others. Supporting the arts and culture was also a cause particularly close to his heart.
We will remember Rainer Isringhaus as a visionary, mentor, and kind colleague who set the course for the long-term development of our international life and health insurance business. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and all those who were close to him.
We will honor his memory.
Donations
Instead of flowers, his family asks that donations be made to the KunstSalon Köln (Art Salon Cologne). Rainer himself was actively involved with the KunstSalon Köln for many years,
The Kunstsalon Köln is a civic cultural initiative that brings people together around the visual arts, music, dance, theatre, film, and literature, encouraging open exchange and shared engagement with arts and culture in Cologne.
Bank details: KunstSalon e.V., IBAN: DE40 3705 0198 0023 2720 32, Reference: Rainer Isringhaus
Book Owner: Ulrich Pasdika
Book Size:Â 200 Messages
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Chua Tuan Miang
Dear Isringhaus Family, Please accept my sincere condolences on the passing of Rainer. I will always remember Rainer as a kind-hearted, wise and gentle elder. When I first went to Cologne as a young Malaysia Chinese actuary in 2005 to attend a meeting Rainer chaired, Rainer took the time and effort to speak with me for a while and made me feel welcome and comfortable despite his busy schedule. With the support of Rainer and the whoel International Life/Health team that he set up, we opened our Shanghai Branch here in 2004 which I will always be grateful for. Although I only met Rainer on a few occasions, I will also remember his love for art and culture. Visits to gallery and museum featured regularly in the activities he organised. I learnt so much about Western art from Rainer. Rainer will be remembered fondly. With deepest sympathy,Tuan …
Colin Pakshong
I was very saddened to hear of Rainer’s passing. I will always be grateful that he had the confidence to bring me into the Cologne Re Life & Health team despite my lack of reinsurance experience; it was a great pleasure to work under him. He brought a sense of quiet efficiency, and was deeply knowledgeable about our business in Asia. Even though our Asian operations were quite small at the time, he gave me and our team his full support and we were always made to feel that we were full members of the Cologne Re and later Gen Re family. I was happy to bring him to see clients, knowing that he could be counted on to enhance our reputation and standing with them through his calm manner and his understanding of our business relationship. I always looked forward to the annual Life & Health meetings, where I had the opportunity to mix with colleagues from around the world. I failed to appreciate at the time how successful Rainer was in the difficult task of building a truly international team, and how effortless he made it seem. Looking back after working for other multinational firms, I don’t…
Michael Otto
Liebe Doretta, liebe Familie Isringhaus, mit großer Betroffenheit habe ich von Rainers Tod erfahren. Rainer hat die Lebensabteilung der Kölnischen Rück nachhaltig geprägt – durch seinen Scharfsinn, seinen stets kritischen Blick sowie durch große Weitsicht im Hinblick auf wirtschaftliche Entwicklungen, Risiken und Geschäftsgelegenheiten. Immer wieder hat er dabei auch mit seinem tiefen aktuariellen Verständnis und seiner großen technischen Expertise beeindruckt und eine Vorbildfunktion eingenommen. Unter seiner Leitung des internationalen Lebensgeschäfts durfte ich früh Verantwortung übernehmen, auch in komplexen Rückversicherungstransaktionen. Gerade meine Anfangsjahre bei der KR verbinde ich daher mit einer sehr lehrreichen und anspruchsvollen Zusammenarbeit mit Rainer, die mir in dankbarer und würdiger Erinnerung bleiben wird….
Sabine Denné
Obwohl ich nicht sehr eng mit Rainer Isringhaus zusammengearbeitet habe, habe ich ihn über viele Jahre hinweg als eine der prägenden Persönlichkeiten in unserem Unternehmen erlebt. Einige Eindrücke sind mir dabei in lebendiger Erinnerung geblieben: sein gewinnendes Lachen, seine unprätentiöse, nicht-hierarchische Art im Umgang mit Menschen sowie seine große fachliche Kompetenz. Besonders beeindruckt hat mich sein feines Gespür für unternehmerisch denkende Manager – und sein Vertrauen, ihnen den nötigen Freiraum zu geben, das Leben-/Krankengeschäft in den verschiedenen Teilen der Welt erfolgreich aufzubauen. Seine Liebe zu Kunst und Kultur, ebenso wie sein gesunder Widerspruchsgeist, vervollständigen das Bild einer Persönlichkeit, die viele inspiriert hat. Rainer hat Spuren hinterlassen – in den Strukturen der heutigen Gen Re, vor allem aber bei den Menschen, die mit ihm arbeiten durften. Mein aufrichtiges Mitgefühl gilt seiner Familie und allen die ihm nahestanden. …
John Ferguson
I did not know Rainer very well as I joined Colgne Re shortly before his retirement, but I have one very happy memory of him. On my first visit to the Cologne office, someone had mentioned to him that I was a keen Go player. Rainer, very politely, asked me if I would perhaps be interested in a game … but only if I had time? Well, if one is lucky enough to find a fellow Go enthusiast, there is always time. So, I found myself spending a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon playing a game of Go with him in his office. I rather luckily managed to win, so of course another invitation was extended, and he got his revenge the next afternoon! When actuaries discuss something, there are often more different opinions than people present. However, when it comes to Rainer, I have only heard admiration and respect for him, both professionally and, more importantly, personally. My condolences to his family….
Yih-Fen Tseng
Dear Isringhaus Family, I was deeply saddened to hear of Rainer’s passing. I am profoundly grateful that Rainer interviewed me 30 years ago and gave me opportunity to join Gen Re which has shaped my professional path in lasting ways. He opened Taiwan Branch in 2007, marking the beginning of a new era for Gen Re in Taiwan. Rainer will always remain in my heart and in my memory…….
Mazen G. Abouchakra
I was deeply saddeneed and continue to be hearing the news of Rainer’s departure. First of all, i would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Rainer’s family and friends and may he RIP. I share your grief and sorrow on this big loss to us all. On the other hand, i would like in his memory elucidate few incidents and anecdotes with my journey with Rainer Isringhaus who has been a role model for many leaders at Gen Re as well as a source of inspiration. Rainer is simply a leader with all its connotations. He knows and he sets the ground for the journey he has envisioned through building trust and confidence in people. I was lucky enough to have joined Cologne Re at the time in 1998 where he was the representative Vorstand for Leben & Kranken. I met Herr Isringhaus during my first interview day in Cologne. Prior meeting him, i was screened by several colleagues and managers at the time. I was not allowed to meet him unless i am worthy enough i was told. I was asked repeatedly to properly pronounce his name Herr Isringhaus several time prior meeting him. There should be…
Peter Temple
I was shocked and saddened to hear of Rainer’s death. I last saw him a few years ago in Cologne and we had a good catch up on what he had done post-retirement and what I was now doing at Gen Re. I have no doubt that my career at Gen Re has been significantly influenced by Rainer’s trust in me. He took a chance to give me the head of the South Africa Life business was I was just 29 years old. Most seasoned executives would never take a chance like that but Rainer did. He once told me “I knew that when I asked you to run the South Africa business that I wasn’t taking a chance on you and you never let me down.” It was once of the nicest and affirming comments I have ever had from my manager. I don’t think Rainer or I ever argued about anything. I remember him listening to me about one matter or another and he would just conclude “Sounds like you know what you need to do”. He challenged me to be patient. He challenged me to think thoughtfully about the business. He trusted me implicitly and he…
Jules Constantinou
I was very sad to hear the news of Rainer’s passing. He was already Head of the Life & Health Division when I joined Cologne Re in Cape Town and had by then set out the blueprint for the company’s global expansion, with offices established in most key insurance centres. Our focus on biometric risk and its management was central to this profitable growth, but another critical element of our success was the global relationships that Rainer fostered amongst Cologne Re / Gen Re colleagues. In those early days, I was encouraged to visit Cologne regularly to meet colleagues in the pricing and actuarial teams. There were annual actuarial conferences for Life & Health actuaries, alongside regular divisional conferences, which helped strengthen these connections. Those relationships have endured and deepened over the years, enabling us to function as a truly global team for a long time. Rainer’s ambition was for Cologne Re / Gen Re to take its rightful place as a leader in the insurance and reinsurance markets, never being satisfied with being “number three” in our chosen markets. He was always smiling and courteous in his dealings with colleagues and clients, and he was consistently supportive of…
Alejandro Jess
Sehr geehrte Familie Isringhaus, zum Tod von Herrn Isringhaus spreche ich Ihnen mein aufrichtiges Beileid aus. Viel Kraft und Trost in dieser schweren Zeit. …
Franziska Grafe
Liebe Familie Isringhaus, mit großer Betroffenheit habe ich von Rainer Isringhaus‘ Tod erfahren. Er hat mein frühes Berufsleben maßgeblich geprägt, und ich habe sehr viel vom ihm gelernt. Das gilt nicht nur für den fachlichen Bereich, sondern vor allem auch, was den Umgang mit seinen Mitmenschen angeht – ob Mitarbeiter oder Kunde: ihm lag vor allem auch am persönlichen Wohlergehen der Menschen, mit denen er zu tun hatte. Mir ist gut in Erinnerung geblieben, wie er sich stets nach meinem Wohlbefinden und dem meiner Familie erkundigt hat. Ihn selber habe ich voller Stolz von seiner Familie erzählen hören. Die Lücke, die er nun hinterlässt, ist sehr schmerzlich – ich wünsche Ihnen von Herzen den nötigen Rückhalt von Familie und Freunden, um über seinen Verlust hinwegzukommen. Ich werde ihm immer ein eherendes Andenken bewahren….
Ralph Price
I was immensely saddened by the news of Rainer’s passing. Rainer was a leader who always knew exactly what the Life Department at Gen Re (Cologne Re in the old days) could and should achieve and how this could be accomplished. From my first dealings with him commencing in the autumn of 1987 when I joined the company, he always commanded great respect for his technical grasp of issues, his leadership and his way of approaching our clients. When presenting him with a planned quotation for a client, you could always rely 100% on him to pick out immediately any item which had to be further investigated. I learned a huge amount from him regarding responsible risk taking and finding pragmatic solutions, and really appreciated his willingness to empower associates, and to encourage them to take responsible decisions. My sincere condolences go to his family. …
Dirk Nieder
With deep sadness I learned of the passing of Rainer Isringhaus. With Rainer, Gen Re has lost a truly exceptional leader who shaped the international Life and Health reinsurance business not only strategically and professionally, but also through his personality, values, and humanity. Rainer was the one who hired me when I joined the company some 35 years ago, and I owe him a great deal of my professional development. He was a demanding yet deeply supportive leader who believed in people and challenged them to grow. Through overseas assignments and new responsibilities – whether it was a transfer to Singapore or Tokyo – he consistently encouraged me to step beyond my comfort zone and broaden my horizons. From my very first days at Gen Re, I was impressed by the culture Rainer had created within the Life and Health department: a culture built on technical excellence, client focus, openness, and mutual respect. This culture remains to this day a key foundation of the success of much of our international Life and Health business. Rainer had a rare ability to recognise talent and nurture it in a targeted and thoughtful way. He built strong, high-performing international teams and fostered…
Katrin Bavendiek
Liebe Familie Isringhaus, mit großer Bestürzung habe ich von Rainers Tod erfahren. Ich habe ihn als „Lebenschef“ der damaligen Kölnischen Rück kennengelernt – einen Vorgesetzten, der sehr respektiert wurde. Ihm war stets wichtig, andere zu kompetentem, eigenverantwortlichem Handeln zu befähigen und zugleich Expertise sowie Verantwortungsbewusstsein einzufordern. Diese Haltung habe ich sehr geschätzt. Neben seinem Gespür für das Geschäft hat er so schöne und wertvolle Projekte wie den Kunstsalon sowie die regelmäßigen Konzerte und Lesungen in der heutigen Gen Re unterstützt und mit geprägt. Das wirkt bis heute nach – ein wunderschönes, bleibendes Erbe. Vielen Dank dafür. Ihnen als Familie wünsche ich viel Kraft, Trost und Zusammenhalt in dieser schweren Zeit. Rainer, ich werde dir ein ehrendes Andenken bewahren. In herzlicher Anteilnahme, Katrin Bavendiek …
MarÃa Elena Guillén
An Rainers Familie, wir lesen Ulis E-Mail Zeile für Zeile, einerseits mit sehr traurigen Gefühlen, andererseits stolz, Rainer kennengelernt zu haben. Wir haben ihm viel zu verdanken, insbesondere sein Talent, Menschen für die große Familie der Abteilung Leben/Kranken zu gewinnen. Durch ihn sind wir in diese außergewöhnliche und unglaubliche Unternehmenskultur gekommen. Hier haben wir uns persönlich weiterentwickelt, unendlich viel gelernt und sind gewachsen, sowohl in Erfahrung als auch in Bildung. Er bleibt für immer in unseren Herzen. In stillen Gedanken, María Elena …
