Articles by Harry Curtis
Probitas CEO to retire a year on from Aviva acquisition
Probitas CEO Ash Bathia will retire at the end of July, with Aviva’s global corporate and specialty managing director Matthew Washington set to take the reins at the Lloyd’s insurer.
Axa UK reports £148m turnaround in underwriting fortunes
Axa’s UK general insurance operation returned to an underwriting profit in 2024, as its loss ratio plummeted nearly 16 percentage points.
Gallagher on the hook for up to £5m damages
The High Court has ruled Gallagher could owe damages of up to £5m to a housing trust due to its negligence resulting in its client missing out on data breach cover.
More Cowbell coming to UK insurance market
Managing general agent Cowbell has made its first move beyond the standalone cyber insurance market in the UK with the launch of a hybrid professional indemnity and cyber solution for technology firms.
Q&A: Jared Ball, Aon
Jared Ball, recently appointed global practice leader of Aon’s space division, sits down with Post to explore how the broker is navigating changing client needs.
Arch GWP falls due to Gap pause and softening rates
Arch’s UK insurance company saw gross written premiums tumble by more than 10% last year as a result of the Financial Conduct Authority’s pause on Gap insurance sales and softening London market rates.
Ferma CEO and secretary general Typhaine Beaupérin to step down
Typhaine Beaupérin, the CEO and secretary general of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations, will step down from the organisation in June.
Insurers hold their breath ahead of talc group action
A nascent UK group action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson linking talcum powder with cancer is being closely watched by insurers.
Wave of cyber resilience legislation a boon to insurers
Forthcoming and recent legislation prescribing minimum cyber security standards for certain businesses and organisations will be welcomed by cyber insurers, experts have said.
Insurers eye increase in terrorism cover sales
Insurers are tentatively anticipating an uptick in the number of businesses buying terrorism cover, following changes to the Pool Re reinsurance scheme last week.
Big Interview: Tom Downey, Pen Underwriting
As Pen turns 10, CEO Tom Downey sits down with Harry Curtis to outline his plans to turn the MGA into the equal of the UK’s largest insurers.
Martyn's Law receives Royal Assent
Businesses have been given two years to implement the requirements of Martyn’s Law, landmark piece of counter-terrorism legislation.
‘Boomier and bustier’ cyber market needs to grow more sustainably
Gallagher Re CEO Tom Wakefield has challenged the cyber insurance market to act now to avoid future volatility, after saying that recent cycle management had cost the class of business in terms of growth.
Pen Underwriting sets sights on £1.75bn GWP target
Pen Underwriting has set a target of increasing gross written premiums to £1.75bn by 2030, CEO Tom Downey has told Post.
ABI appoints Baroness Swinburne as chair
The Association of British Insurers has appointed Baroness Kay Swinburne as its new independent chair.
Carnegie-Brown to become Rothesay chair after Lloyd’s exit
Outgoing Lloyd’s chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown is set to become chair of pensions insurance specialist Rothesay when he leaves Lime Street at the end of the month.
Gallagher targeted senior staff with mock deepfake fraud impersonating CEO
Gallagher recently carried out an internal simulated test whereby its IT department targeted staff with an $10m (£7.7m) attempted deepfake fraud, the CEO of its reinsurance brokerage has revealed.
Allianz Trade appoints Matt Williams as UK&I CEO
Allianz Trade has named Matt Williams as its next UK and Ireland CEO, succeeding Sarah Murrow, who is set to leave to head up the insurer’s Americas business in July.
Lloyd’s convenes conflicts committee to navigate Neal’s exit
Insurance Post understands Lloyd’s has convened a conflicts committee, chaired by Lloyd’s chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown, to manage potential conflicts of interest around Aon-bound CEO John Neal.
Government urged to do more to boost cyber resilience
The government should be doing more to boost the UK’s cyber resilience, figures at broker Marsh and insurer Zurich said at a recent panel discussion on closing the cyber protection gap.
Professional indemnity insurers unable to price for genAI exposure
While claims seem inevitable, professional indemnity insurers are currently bearing an unpriced exposure to the use of generative artificial intelligence, RSA’s UK head of PI has told Insurance Post.
Allianz appoints commercial lines leaders ahead of new MD’s arrival
Allianz’s UK commercial lines arm has made two appointments to its management team ahead of the arrival of new managing director Phuong Ly next month.
21 businesses vie for a place in latest cohort for Lloyd’s Lab
The Lloyd’s Lab held a pitch day for its 14th cohort earlier this week, with 21 businesses vying for a spot in the 10-week accelerator programme.
Blueprint Two’s first phase pushed back to 2026
Lloyd’s and Velonetic have confirmed the phase one cutover for the London market’s Blueprint Two modernisation programme will not take place this year.