A couple of friends injured in an accident abroad gave him the idea: in those days, travellers' cover stopped at the border. He founded Europ Assistance in 1963 with twelve staff and correspondents in seventeen countries, for one hundred and sixty rescues in the first year.
The story
A couple of friends had an accident abroad and found themselves with no recourse: Pierre Desnos, an insurer, drew a simple conclusion from it — protection for travellers, in those days, stopped at the border.
Born at Le Mans on 12 July 1917, he founded in Paris in 1963, with the backing of André Rosa and the insurance company La Concorde, a business of a new kind: a multilingual switchboard, a medical team, twelve permanent staff, correspondents in seventeen countries. It was called Europ Assistance, and in its first year it came to the rescue a hundred and sixty times.
The trade existed in no country; the model would be copied everywhere. He died on 30 November 2007. His epitaph, in Division 28, does something few gravestones do — it names a company: “Fondateur d'Europ Assistance”, founder of Europ Assistance.
The grave
A two-line inscription whose second line names a company — a rare thing on a gravestone: “Pierre DESNOS, 1917-2007. Fondateur d'Europ Assistance.” — founder of Europ Assistance. He had launched the company in 1963 with twelve staff, a multilingual switchboard and correspondents in seventeen countries, after seeing a couple of friends left helpless by an accident abroad. The assistance business did not yet exist in any country.
On site, do not miss
A two-line epitaph whose second line names a company, a rare thing on a stone: “Pierre DESNOS, 1917-2007. Fondateur d'Europ Assistance.” — founder of Europ Assistance.
Visitors' questions
Where is Pierre Desnos's grave?
In Division 28, chemin Camille-Jordan, fourth row, among the great names of French history. His epitaph is one of the few in the cemetery to name a company: “fondateur d'Europ Assistance”.
BeaumarchaisWhat did he invent?
Modern assistance — medical cover, repatriation — a trade that existed in no country at the time. The idea came to him after friends of his were caught in an accident abroad and left without recourse: he saw how little protection travellers had.
Armand PeugeotHow did Europ Assistance begin?
Small, in 1963: twelve permanent staff, a multilingual switchboard, a medical team and correspondents in seventeen countries. In its first year the company handled a hundred and sixty cases — the beginning of a new trade.
Richard WallaceWho helped him start?
André Rosa, of the insurance company La Concorde, whose backing made the founding of 1963 possible. The model — telephone platform, medical team, network of correspondents — was copied the world over.
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