Since September 1, 2026, the HBC Group has held all shares in travel insurance specialist LTA and plans to further expand its business in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Effective January 1, 2027, Torsten Haase will take over as CEO from Dr. Michael Dorka.
As of September 1, 2026, the HBC Group acquired the remaining 49% of the shares in Lifecard-Travel-Assistance (LTA) Gesellschaft für Reiseschutz mbH and now holds 100% of the shares. HBC had already acquired a 51% majority stake in LTA in 2025.
LTA was founded in 2005 by the family-owned company Ulrich and is now one of the leading specialized providers of travel insurance in Germany and Austria. With this full acquisition, the HBC Group aims to strategically strengthen LTA’s market position in its markets and drive additional growth, in part through access to the HBC Group’s sales network, technological infrastructure, and insurance partners.
At the turn of the year, there will also be a change in LTA’s management: Dr. Michael Dorka, who has served as CEO since 2013 and has played a key role in the company’s modernization and growth, will step down at his own request on December 31, 2026, to pursue new opportunities after 13 years at LTA. Torsten Haase will succeed him effective January 1, 2027.
Torsten Haase has been a member of the Executive Board of ERGO Reiseversicherung AG since 2009, where he is responsible for sales and marketing. Since 2020, he has also served as Chairman of the Executive Board of nexible Versicherung AG. He began his career in the travel insurance industry in 2001 at what was then Europäische Reiseversicherung AG.
Gert Schlossmacher, CEO of the HBC Group, says: “Travel insurance is a strategic specialty segment for us. With this full acquisition, we are creating clarity and making a long-term investment in LTA. With Torsten Haase, we are gaining a proven expert in the travel insurance industry who will shape the next phase of growth. We thank Dr. Michael Dorka for his influential work since 2013 and the Ulrich family for their trusting partnership.”
I am very excited to continue on this path of growth together with the LTA team and to redefine travel insurance services and products through the use of modern technologies.
Torsten Haase, Managing Director of LTA effective January 1, 2027
“Continuously improving service levels for our customers and sales partners will be crucial to our long-term success. In the HBC Group, we have a strong shareholder who will support us with a wealth of expertise. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Michael Dorka for his excellent work over the past few years and wish him all the best in his future professional and personal life,” adds Torsten Haase.
Dr. Michael Dorka reflects on his time at LTA: “When I took over as CEO in 2013, we fundamentally restructured LTA - from a brand relaunch to expansion into the Netherlands to the establishment of our own claims department. Today, the company is well-positioned to take the next step with HBC. I’d like to thank the entire LTA team for our time together and wish Torsten Haase every success.”