Articles by Francesca Nyman
Lloyd's Register exits Iran amid sanctions furore
Lloyd's Register has closed its operations in Iran, fearing a blacklisting in the US if it failed to terminate the business.
Indian insurer will provide liability cover for tankers carrying Iranian crude
State-owned Indian insurer General Insurance Corp of India will step forward to provide third-party liability cover of up to $50m for ships bringing Iranian crude oil from Iran, according to reports.
IRDA asked to relax branch opening rules in rural areas
India's government has asked the country's insurance regulator to be more lenient when applying branch opening norms in rural areas in the hope that the presence of more insurance firms will increase insurance penetration.
China considering sovereign guarantees to keep oil flowing
China will review the possibility of sovereign guarantees to enable the nation's ships to import Iranian crude oil after EU sanctions come into effect in July, the head of the China Shipowners' Association has said.
Generali board confirms Galateri as chairman
The board of Assicurazioni Generali confirmed Gabriele Galateri di Genola as chairman at its shareholders meeting on Saturday.
Airline insurance sector soars to first profit in five years
Profitability returned to the aviation and airline manufacturing insurance markets in 2011 following one of the lowest years for losses and passenger fatalities on record, according to Willis’ Aerospace.
Reinsurers weakened financially by 2011 catastrophes
Reinsurers are exposed to further major catastrophe losses during 2012, according to Fitch.
Non-life premiums to stay suppressed until 2015
Non-life premiums will not rebound to 2003 levels until after 2015, according to Ernst & Young's economic forecast.
Slim-line Talanx looking to shed 730 jobs by 2015
German insurance group Talanx plans to save €245m annually by cutting 730 jobs in a reorganisation of retail operations in its home market.
Ace appoints Asia Pacific energy casualty underwriter
Ace has named Shaun Oliver as Asia Pacific Energy Casualty Underwriter.
Nearly 80% of Vietnamese SMEs lack disaster preparation
Despite their exposure, small to medium sized businesses in Vietnam are seriously under-prepared for the possibility of a natural disaster, a study by the Asia Foundation has found.
Payment defaults increasing across European firms
The level of payment defaults is improving in Japan and the US, but eurozone risk is on the rise, according to credit insurer Coface.
Credit card-linked insurance and assistance market worth €4bn in Europe
The market for packaging and cross-selling insurance and assistance policies linked to payment cards and bank accounts is lively and competitive in most European countries, according to research by consultancy firm Finacord.
Internal model key to insurers' infrastructure investments, says Fitch
The future ability of insurance firms to invest in infrastructure projects is likely to depend on whether they use internal models to determine their Solvency II capital requirements, and can persuade regulators that infrastructure investment merits…
Ace on a 'hunt' to buy Japanese firms
Ace Group has revealed its interest in Japanese acquisition targets in a conference call with analysts
JLT expects to make financial progress in 2012
Broker JLT told shareholders today that the company remains well placed to make financial progress in 2012, despite the uncertain economic outlook.
IT systems make Asian acquisitions an attractive option for insurers
Flexible and efficient IT systems are essential for insurers aiming to bolster Asian operations through acquisitions, according to IT consultancy Northdoor.
Willis appoints new MD for Asia Global Solutions
Global broker Willis Group has appointed a new managing director and divisional director for its Asia Global Solutions (International) team.
Zurich to cut 342 jobs in personal lines restructuring
General insurer Zurich plans to cut 342 jobs at five of its UK offices by the end of 2014.
Mediobanca execs resign from Generali board
Two board members of Italian insurer Assicurazioni Generali have resigned from their posts, ahead of a new law which limits cross-board membership of rival financial services institutions.
Mapfre insures Iberia and LAN's aviation programmes
Mapfre Global Risks has agreed a three-year deal to insure the aviation risks in the insurance programmes of Iberia, Vueling, Air Nostruma and the newly created Iberia Express.
Nearly 80% of Islamic firms created a risk department in the past five years
The number of Islamic financial institutions employing dedicated risk managers has increased greatly since 2007, according to Deloitte Middle East's first Islamic Finance Risk Intelligence report.
Atradius appoints D'Souza as Dubai country manager
Credit insurer Atradius has appointed Schuyler D'Souza as country manager for Dubai to support the company's growing business in the Middle East through regional partner Arab Orient.
India's sovereign rating placed on negative watch
India's sovereign credit rating has been revised from 'stable' to 'outlook negative' by Standard & Poor's, indicating an increased possibility of the rating being downgraded.