Articles by Harry Curtis
FCA cracks down on misleading CMC ads
Claims management companies must raise their advertising standards to ensure they do not mislead customers, the Financial Conduct Authority has said.
Deal struck to exempt Irish drivers in the UK from green cards after no-deal Brexit
Irish vehicles will not require green cards to drive in the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit, following a deal struck between the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland the British Department for Transport.
Darag appoints James Insley as CFO
Legacy book acquirer Darag has appointed James Insley as chief financial officer, effective 2 September.
GRP acquires online enterprise risk management firm
Essex-based risk management specialist Health and Safety Click has been bought by consolidator GRP.
Ex-JLT pair Palmer-Brown and Crossland join SSL Endeavour
Jonathan Palmer-Brown and Hugh Crossland, both formerly of JLT, have joined SSL Endeavour as group non-executive chairman and group chief financial officer respectively.
Brightside appoints Derek Henry as broking MD
Brightside has appointed Derek Henry as managing director of broking, following the departure of Russell Bence.
Low first-half cat losses give reinsurers temporary respite as Typhoon Jebi losses continue to mount
Below-average catastrophe losses boosted the profits of reinsurers in the first half of 2019, according to Fitch Ratings.
ECB data breach demonstrates how using third-party providers can lead to cyber risks
The European Central Bank has said that it potentially lost data in a cyber-attack, in which hackers breached one of its sites using malware.
Hong Kong protests highlight civil unrest exposures as risk appetites wane
Brokers have warned policies may include exclusions for strikes, riots and civil commotion, as insurer risk appetites in the region wane amid continued protests in Hong Kong.
QBE International posts loss following £51m Ogden hit
QBE has reported a one-off hit of $62m (£51m) as a result of the change in the Ogden rate in its first half results, without which it would have broken even.
Rising Star: Thomas Hardinge, Axa Real Estate Specialty
After jobs at a bank, an auction house and a caterer, Thomas Hardinge had his eyes opened to the insurance industry during a work experience placement at the London Market Group in 2016.
Gruelling season and big wages result in record hit to Premier League clubs: Marsh
Injuries cost the Premier League clubs £221m in the 2018-2019 season, 3% more than in the previous season.
Allianz creates digital claims role
Allianz Insurance has appointed Shelley Hughes to the newly created role of digital claims propositions manager.
More than half of London market risks placed electronically in Q2
Lloyd’s syndicates placed 60.2% of in-scope risks electronically during the second quarter of 2019, surpassing the 50% target set in December.
Aviva UK profit dips as result of restructuring but excludes £45m Ogden hit
Aviva’s UK general insurance business delivered an operating profit of £172m for the first half of 2019, though the result excludes the £45m expense of strengthening reserves following last month’s discount rate decision.
Ageas UK CEO slams government over discount rate review
Ageas UK CEO Andy Watson has criticised the government’s handling of the recent discount rate review, saying decisions made by some insurers to release reserves in anticipation of a higher rate were “a reasonable thing to do.”
Guidewire appoints Mike Rosenbaum as CEO
Guidewire has appointed Mike Rosenbaum as CEO, replacing Marcus Ryu who will become chairman of the company’s board of directors.
Analysis: Discount rate decision casts a shadow over personal injury settlements
The personal injury discount rate will be set at minus 0.25% from 5 August providing certainty for insurers and claimants alike, but uncertainty created by the Ministry of Justice review behind the new rate could have left claimants – as well as insurers…
Roundtable: Innovation in pricing: the need to adapt
As insurers innovate, those at the core of insurers’ pricing and underwriting strategies face a growing need to adapt. Post held a roundtable, in association with Sas, to examine what is driving innovation in pricing and what challenges those changes…
This week: Rolling in it
Thursday seemed an appropriate day for insurtech Hippo to announce the outcome of its latest funding round – with temperatures reaching 38°C in places, the urge to emulate the mud-wallowing tendencies of its namesake animal became more and more tempting.
Go Compare profits continue to fall
Go Compare parent, Goco Group, saw its pre-tax profits fall 52% year-on-year to £7.6m, as revenues from its core price comparison site also slumped.
Hiscox floats seized ship cover as Iran Gulf tensions threaten premiums
Hiscox has developed a product designed to protect shipping targeted by nation states amid warnings that escalating tensions between Iran and the UK and its allies could lead to higher insurance premiums.
Investment returns drive Beazley half-year profit as it strengthens cat reserves
Beazley saw double-digital premium growth in the first six months of the year, posting a pre-tax profit of $166.4m (£133.9m) largely driven by “exceptional” investment returns.
Axa XL names incoming Europe CUO
Axa XL has appointed Paul-Henri Rastoul as chief underwriting officer of its EU-registered vehicle, XL Insurance Company SE.