Articles by Harry Curtis
Ship fires fuelled by mis-declared cargo on the rise
The number of fires at sea caused by mis-declared or undeclared cargo is on the rise, according to Halliwell Forensics, a specialist forensic investigation firm tasked by loss adjusters and insurers with ascertaining the cause of blazes on ships.
Q&A: Jonathan Gray, Pool Re
Jonathan Gray, chief underwriting officer at Pool Re, discusses the impact of recent changes at the state-backed terrorism reinsurer and how its helping businesses manage risk.
Bspoke promotes Gill to CEO
Bspoke Group has appointed Ryan Gill as CEO, succeeding Tim Smyth, who becomes deputy chair.
Oxford University colleges sue Aviva for Covid losses
29 colleges and halls of the University of Oxford are suing Aviva for losses suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ex-MIB CEO Clayden joins Compre
Dominic Clayden, who stepped down as CEO of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau last year, has been appointed as interim global claims director at Compre.
Former Gable CEO found liable for £5m misappropriations
The former CEO and chief financial officer of insurer Gable, which collapsed in 2016, have been found liable for millions of pounds in legal proceedings brought by the company’s liquidators.
Lloyd’s urges ‘laser focus’ on COR as Tiernan teases strategy refresh
Lloyd’s executives have urged market participants to ensure combined ratios do not creep up, so that it can continue to absorb the impact of major loss events such as this year’s California wildfires.
Blueprint Two re-platforming won’t complete before 2028
The core re-platforming element of the London market’s Blueprint Two modernisation programme is not expected to be completed until at least 2028, Lloyd’s CEO Patrick Tiernan has said.
Gallagher Re CEO insists buyers have ‘huge amount of choice’
Gallagher Re CEO Tom Wakefield has said the turning market means that numerous facets of reinsurance programmes will be up for discussion ahead of the Rendez-Vous de Septembre in Monte Carlo.
Reinsurance outlook ranges from ‘stable’ to ‘deteriorating’
Rating agencies have shared their outlook for the global reinsurance sector, with both Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Ratings revising down their outlooks for 2026, while S&P Global Ratings has maintained its ‘stable’ outlook.
Big Interview: Andrew McMellin, Markel
Andrew McMellin, president of Markel International, sits down with Harry Curtis to talk about the insurer’s plans to hit $5bn premium by 2030, rebalance its portfolio, and how it’s using AI to turn the distribution chain on its head.
Sompo strikes £2.6bn deal to acquire Aspen
Sompo has agreed to acquire Aspen in a deal worth approximately $3.5bn (£2.6bn), with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
Architects take first step towards mutual insurer
Architects have taken the first step towards setting up an insurance mutual with a new scheme to provide professional indemnity cover to small-to-medium-sized practices.
RSA calls on industry to act to avoid liability ‘landmine’
RSA has called on the wider insurance industry to help thousands of businesses ensure they don’t fall foul of new legislation and open themselves up to criminal liability.
Admiral launches branded body shop to master new vehicle tech
Admiral has put its name on a new repair centre in Manchester, which it says will be a testbed for trialling new technologies and processes.
Gallagher completes AssuredPartners acquisition
Gallagher has completed its acquisition of AssuredPartners, adding 1000 staff and more than 900,000 new clients to the business in the UK and Ireland.
Bspoke independence ‘set in stone’ after acquisition
NFP has committed to allowing Bspoke to run “completely independently”, having brought a long search for an MGA acquisition target to an end with the deal struck last week.
Admiral hits record £521m profit and boosts staff awards
Admiral’s profits have continued to soar, with pre-tax profits for its UK insurance business up 61% to £584m compared to midway point of last year.
Beazley share price falls 12% after revised growth forecast
Beazley saw its share price fall by 12% today (13 August) after publishing half-year results that showed lower profits and included revised premium growth guidance.
RSA-to-Intact rebrand to kickstart with e-trade products
RSA is set to mark its imminent rebrand to Intact by rolling out five new e-trade products designed to bring together the best of the existing RSA and NIG product sets, according to commercial lines managing director Tovah Grosscurth.
Insurers and brokers agree to aid development of Ukrainian market
The Ukrainian government has revealed that it signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives of several leading insurance companies during a conference in Rome last month, with the aim of developing the country’s insurance market.
Wedding venue’s Covid fight with RSA drags on
A Devon wedding venue’s dispute with its insurer RSA is still rumbling on more than five years after the first government Covid restrictions were put in place, and more than eight months after the complaint it lodged with the Financial Ombudsman Service…
Lancashire announces two CEO appointments
Lancashire has announced succession plans for the leadership of its Lloyd’s business and its Bermuda-domiciled insurance company.
Allianz close to partnering with two more household names
Allianz is closing in on partnerships with two major UK household names as it targets growth, following a half-year in which its top-line performance remained broadly flat year-on-year.