The inclusion of the Zurich Financial Services brand in the top 100 global brands for the first time is proof that the company’s “basic values” are impacting on the recognition of the business, Zurich Australia CEO David Smith said today.

The list is compiled annually by brand consultancy Interbrand, and places Zurich at 94. The top four brands are Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft and Google. The other two insurers on the list are Allianz (67) and Axa (56).

Mr Smith told insuranceNEWS.com.au the growing recognition of the Zurich brand shows the company is “a major global player with massive leverage, financial stability and expertise”.

“It’s something I’ve been instilling in our staff here – that we’re not just a local company,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“We’ve been running the company hard to meet the basic values of Zurich, and while our focus may be local we should never forget our global strength and customer-centric values.”