Articles by Harry Curtis
PWC’s Bichard replaces Cliff as Lloyd’s CFO
Lloyd’s chief financial officer Alexandra Cliff is set to leave her position and be replaced by Jim Bichard, who is currently head of PWC’s global insurance practice.
PRA cuts frequency of meetings with insurers
The Prudential Regulation Authority has said it will cut the frequency of regular supervisory meetings with insurers in a Dear CEO letter published on Thursday.
Axa hires Dunn from Zurich as Commercial CUO
Axa UK Commercial has appointed Zurich’s Caroline Dunn to succeed David Ovenden as chief underwriting officer.
Axa XL's McGovern named LMA chair
Sean McGovern, Axa XL’s UK and Lloyd’s CEO, has succeeded Andrew Brooks as chair of the Lloyd’s Market Association.
AIG boss Zaffino to be succeeded by Aon’s Andersen
AIG chairman and CEO Peter Zaffino is set to retire as CEO later this year, handing the reins of the insurer to former Aon president Eric Andersen.
M&A brings down reinsurance costs for UK insurers
The 1 January reinsurance renewals saw widespread price reductions as supply exceeded demand, including in the UK where recent M&A activity meant less reinsurance was purchased.
Regulator urged to act to avert Covid BI lawsuit wave
Law firm Stewarts has written to the Financial Conduct Authority to ask it to issue urgent ‘stop the clock’ guidance on Covid business interruption claims, in order to avoid a wave of lawsuits in the new year.
AIG appoints Everest’s Clifford as international commercial CEO
AIG has appointed Adam Clifford as CEO for international commercial insurance, effective 5 January, in its latest move to rejig its general insurance leadership team.
Dual moves to insure developers’ biodiversity liabilities
The UK could act as a proving ground for insuring ‘natural capital’, Dual’s Simon White has said following the MGA’s launch of a product designed to help developers meet biodiversity net gain obligations.
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Narratives about public bodies such as local authorities being outside of cyber insurers’ appetites are outdated, according to Ed Ventham, director at specialist broker Assured.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.