Articles by Harry Curtis
Broker calls narratives around cyber insurance availability ‘rubbish’
Narratives about public bodies such as local authorities being outside of cyber insurers’ appetites are outdated, according to Ed Ventham, director at specialist broker Assured.
Pool Re scheme spurs Axa to include terrorism cover in SME policies
Axa is planning to add terrorism cover to its SME products by the second half of next year, as a result of a Pool Re scheme that will offer insurers “significant” discounts to reinsure SME terrorism risk.
Lloyd’s flags softening market concerns
Lloyd’s chief of market performance Rachel Turk has flagged several areas of concern for the market as rates soften “quicker than anticipated”.
Cyber demand grows following high-profile attacks
CFC’s Andy Holmes has told Post the provider has seen increased demand for cyber cover in the wake of high profile cyber attacks this year, while warning the industry “needs to look at itself” over low levels of uptake for the product among businesses.
Marsh hit with £85m negligence claim by pub giant
The UK’s largest pub company, Stonegate, is suing Marsh over cover the broker arranged for the group that allegedly left many of its establishments without business interruption insurance at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Proposals for simplified FCA commercial and bespoke rules imminent
Post understands the Financial Conduct Authority is aiming to publish proposals for simplified rules for commercial and bespoke insurance products before the end of the year.
Big Interview: Paul Greensmith and Jodie Kaufman Davis, HW Kaufman
After plenty of acquisitions over the years, HW Kaufman international CEO Paul Greensmith and group co-president Jodie Kaufman Davis sit down with Harry Curtis to discuss plans to turn the group’s international businesses into a broking and underwriting…
UK cyber insurance claims hit £197m in 2024
Insurers paid out £197m to the UK businesses hit by cyber incidents in 2024, according to data from the Association of British Insurers.
IUA elects chair amid ‘challenging market conditions’
The International Underwriting Association has elected Theo Butt, UK CEO of Convex Insurance, as its next chair.
Big Interview: Mike van der Straaten, Antares
Mike van der Straaten, CEO of Antares, sits down with Harry Curtis to discuss QIC Global’s rebirth as Antares, why it swapped its Maltese entity for a UK one, and its retail strategy.
Guidewire eyes retail broking and reinsurance for ‘next chapter’
Guidewire is experimenting with building solutions to connect its customer base of primary insurers with reinsurers and retail brokers, the company’s group vice president Charles Clarke has told Post.
Technology arms race to fuel London market M&A
Companies in the London market will increasingly pursue peer-to-peer technology integration driving greater facilitation and more mergers and acquisitions, Guidewire’s London market lead Jamie McDonnell has predicted.
HW Kaufman plans to establish Lloyd’s vehicle within two years
HW Kaufman plans to set up a Lloyd’s syndicate within the next two years as part of its international expansion efforts, executives have told Post.
Guidewire CEO maps insurance sector’s AI transformation
Guidewire CEO Mike Rosenbaum has outlined how he thinks generative artificial intelligence and large language models will change the insurance industry.
Space congestion pushes insurers towards a new frontier
With low-Earth orbit becoming more crowded, Harry Curtis examines how the rise of in-orbit servicing and tighter de-orbit rules could reshape the market for satellite cover.
Louvre robbery sends ripples through fine art insurance market
Last weekend’s Louvre robbery has sent ripples through the fine art insurance market, prompting a renewed focus on security from insurers of both institutional and private collections.
CyberCube expects AWS outage to have ‘moderate’ insurance impact
CyberCube has estimated this week’s Amazon Web Services outage will result in an insurance loss in the range of $38m (£28.5m) to $581m (£436.3m).
Talc lawsuit raises coverage questions for insurers
A major High Court lawsuit filed against the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson alleging links between talcum powder and cancer has been described as a “significant development for the insurance market” by law firm HCR Law.
Clyde and Co sees rapid rise in work-related stress claims
Work-related stress claims, which are covered under employers’ liability policies, have risen sharply in recent years, Clyde and Co partner Barbara Goddard has told Post.
Aviva acts to close business interruption protection gap
Aviva is applying an automatic uplift to a 24-month business interruption indemnity period for policies issued through its Fast Trade platform in order to tackle underinsurance.
Ports and terminals face down ‘geopolitical storm’
Volatile geopolitics is keeping ports and their insurers busy as they work to keep increased risks adequately covered, Markel’s Dean Johnson has told Post.
Zurich looks to leverage capabilities of engineering arm
Zurich Engineering is increasingly working with the insurer’s other business units to cross-sell services, its head of inspection services Adrian Reeve has told Post.
Axa Commercial CUO David Ovenden to retire
Axa Commercial chief underwriting officer David Ovenden is set to retire and leave the insurer in the new year, Post can reveal.
Ferma appoints Nihoul as CEO
The Federation of European Risk Management Associations has appointed Laurent Nihoul as its next CEO, effective 1 December.