French winemaker forms captive

Winemaker Baron Philippe de Rothschild has created a captive insurer in France, adding to the list of French companies that are self-insuring. 

BPHR Re was entered on France’s official business registry on November 5, having started activities on August 2. Approval from insurance supervisor ACPR is pending.

BPHR Re is a reinsurance company with the goal of “performing operations for which it has reinsurance or retrocession agreement of all natures, in all branches and all countries", according to Captive Review. 

Baron Philippe de Rothschild, part of the Rothschild dynasty, is one of the world's most famous winemakers and also sells wines from other winemakers in France, Chile and the US.  

The captive is based in Pauillac, in the Aquitaine region in the southwest of France, with initial capital of €37,000, according to official documents filed at INPI, France’s industrial property registry. Pauillac is also the home of the company's vineyards. 

Eric Bergman, managing director of BPHR, is listed as the chairman of the captive’s board. Head of management control Gilles Ramondou is the managing director of the captive, and Jennifer Courthier, a jurist at the company, is listed as deputy managing director.

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