Articles by Emma Ann Hughes
Big Interview: Insurtech UK CEO Melissa Collett
Melissa Collett, CEO of Insurtech UK, wants to encourage more Lemonades and is going to engage with the government and regulators on what it will take to ensure insurtechs thrive.
Insurers’ profitability to remain lower than cost of capital
Data analysis: General insurers are adjusting rapidly to the new higher interest rate era ushered in by the most intense monetary policy tightening since the 1980s but profitability is unlikely to soar back to pre-pandemic levels imminently.
Dive In 2023 reflections tinged with sadness and hope
Editor’s View: As Dive In draws to a close, Emma Ann Hughes reflects on the importance of role models such as Elianne Andam, who was killed on her way to the Croydon school she attended.
Podcast: How inclusivity drives innovation – Part 2
In the second of two specially recorded podcasts to mark the ninth Dive In festival, Aviva’s Jonny Briggs and the ABI’s Liisa Antola share what insurers can do to achieve inclusive innovation.
Steps insurers should take to become inclusive innovators
Analysis: Emma Ann Hughes explores what it will take to create an inclusive insurance industry culture that is capable of producing products and services suitable for a wider cross section of society.
Big Interview: Dame Inga Beale
As the ninth Dive In festival kicks off, Dame Inga Beale tells Emma Ann Hughes she doesn’t see the greater diversity, inclusion and modernisation she pushed for as Lloyd’s first female CEO as her legacy — but as her continuing mission.
60 Seconds With... Markel's James Hunt
James Hunt, UK marine underwriter at Markel, reveals insurance is a family affair and how he climbed a 150ft mast.
Podcast: How inclusivity drives innovation – Part 1
Specialist Risk Group’s Clare Lebecq and Davies Academy’s Carolyn Blunt talk about what their businesses are doing to create a culture of inclusive innovation.
Steps industry needs to take to retain Generation Z
Data analysis: Insurers need to ditch the marketing spiel and demonstrate what they are doing about artificial intelligence, climate change, and inclusion, if they want to appeal to Generation Z.
A-Plan to be replaced by Howden on high streets
The A-Plan brand is to disappear from 100 branches across the UK, replaced by the Howden brand.
Ripe CEO plans to snap up rivals
Insurtech Ripe has completed its first M&A transaction by acquiring specialist boat insurer Craftinsure, with bosses revealing plans to snap up other rivals.
CII reveals who scored top marks in insurance exams
Marsh, Axa, Gallagher, Zurich, Allianz, QBE, RSA, NFU Mutual and Hiscox employees were among those who scored the top marks in Chartered Insurance Institute exam and coursework submissions in 2022.
Booze blamed for third of insurance employees facing prejudice
More than a third (37%) of insurance workers have seen sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist and ageist behaviour or heard discriminatory language in the workplace, according to a University of Nottingham study.
Zurich waives return of insurance settlement for bird sculpture
Zurich has waived the insurance settlement for a rare £30,000 Wally Bird sculpture, which was stolen nearly two decades ago and has been now been recovered and returned to the London borough where it was crafted in 1894.
Young adults want Alexa to sort out their insurance
Data analysis: Young adults are markedly more likely to want their Alexa to share information so they can have personalised home (70%), pet (68%) and car insurance (67%) than older adults (50%, 43% and 48% respectively), a survey has shown.
Is remote working right for the insurance industry?
Editor’s View: Following the firing of an insurance employee whose keystrokes showed she wasn’t working enough from home, Emma Ann Hughes considers whether remote working is suitable for fresh entrants to the industry.
Heather Smith’s exit sees further changes at top of Allianz
Allianz has named Henry Topham as the new managing director of its UK retail business, following the news Heather Smith will be leaving to head up Axa Health.
#28 AIG Europe
Luxembourg-domiciled AIG Europe appears on this year’s Insurance Post Top 30 European Insurers List for the first time after reporting 12.5% average premium growth for the year.
#29 ASR
Netherlands-domiciled ASR is in 29th place in this year’s Insurance Post Top 30 European Insurers 2023 List after reporting 3.7% average premium growth for the year.
#30 Provinzial
Germany-domiciled Provinzial slips from 28th place in last year’s list to 30th in this year’s Insurance Post Top 30 European Insurers 2023 List after reporting 4.6% average premium growth for the year.
Top 30 European Insurers revealed
Allianz and Axa have held on to the top two spots on Insurance Post's Top 30 European Insurers 2023 list and accounted for slightly under a quarter of total GWP in the dataset, which was produced by AM Best.
#11 Aviva
Just missing out on making it into the Top 10 of Insurance Post’s Top 30 European Insurers 2023 List was UK-domiciled Aviva, which reported 5.1% average premium growth for the year.
#14 Vienna Insurance Group
Austria-domiciled Vienna Insurance Group is 14th on this year’s Insurance Post Top 30 European Insurers List after achieving 17% average premium growth for the year.
#17 Sampo
Finland-domiciled Sampo fell from 15th place last year to 17th place on this year’s Insurance Post Top 30 European Insurers List after reporting only 6.4% average premium growth for the year.