Articles by Mairi MacDonald
Axa uses £250k investment to boost community broker offering
Axa Commercial Lines and Personal Intermediary has increased the number of account managed brokers at its Bolton national trading centre from 100 to 1000 following £250 000 investment.
Truell among bidders linked to Co-op sale
Mark Summerfield, managing director of The Co-operative Insurance, has said the planned sale of the general insurance business is “entirely in line with the group’s strategy” to build a “compelling competitor in high street banking that customers will…
Insurance sector responds to Budget
Members of the insurance industry have responded to today's Budget.
Budget offers tax relief to SMEs as growth forecast halved
The Chancellor has announced that employers will have the first £2000 cut from their national insurance bill.
Lower claims frequency hits Charles Taylor adjusting profit
Growth in Charles Taylor's management services and Isle of Man-based run-off insurance business in 2012 have offset reduced earnings in its adjusting services business, which was hit by a lower number of complex claims than the previous year.
FSCS broker levy 'war not over'
The British Insurance Brokers' Association has vowed to continue fighting the Financial Services Compensation Scheme's plans to impose an interim levy on insurance brokers.
Keycare signs deal with Chaucer Direct
Keycare has been appointed by Chaucer Direct to provide key replacement service for customers that are renewing or taking out a motor insurance policy.
RSA names Lightbown as Donaldson successor ahead of retirement
Neil Lightbown has been appointed as RSA's global specialty lines director from 1 May when he will take over the responsibilities of Paul Donaldson who is set to retire in early 2014.
Foil expands ranks with first non-law firms
The Forum of Insurance Lawyers has boosted its presence in the claims sector by signing up its first wave of non-law firms as trade & industry partners.
David Neave joins Parabis board
The Co-operative's outgoing general insurance managing director David Neave has become Parabis' first non-executive board member since it gained an alternative business structure licence last August.
Axa secures £150m capacity win
Axa Commercial Lines and Personal Intermediary will provide £150m capacity to Prestige Underwriting Services as part of a five-year deal.
Aviva: We are not anti-network
Aviva is confident it will not lose out on any relationships with individual brokers after it breaks ties with Willis Networks, according to the insurer's director of broker distribution, Phil Bayles.
Lloyds job cuts at odds with growth plans, warn unions
Lloyds Banking Group's strategic objective of building long-term stability and growth is being jeopardised by its willingness to sacrifice staff's job security in favour of casual employment contracts, according to trade union Unite.
Insurance jobs go at Lloyds Banking Group amid 550 redundancies
Lloyds Banking Group is cutting 550 jobs from its risk, insurance, commercial banking, retail and wealth, asset finance and international divisions.
Editor's comment: Messages from the market
Standing at the back of the annual results queue must be gratifying for a firm on its uppers. But not so much when, like Aviva, you have a £3.05bn post-tax loss to reveal and no one coming next to soften the blow.
Reames reunites with ex-Swiftcover colleagues at consultancy start-up
Axa’s former chief claims officer and Swiftcover executive Robin Reames has ruled out building a “Swiftcover mark II” after reuniting with three former colleagues at their new Kent-based consultancy firm Trinity M.
Aviva denies corporate restructure will lead to separation of its UK GI business
Aviva has dismissed suggestions that separating its UK general insurance business from its international operations clears the way for the business to be spun off in the future.
Lockton expands Manchester wholesale team
Lockton has boosted its Manchester-based Lloyd's London market wholesale unit with the appointment of Greg Sands an experienced as business development executive.
Cross-border acquisitions drive demand for transactional risk insurance
Global demand for transactional risk insurance grew by 41% last year as firms turned to insurance to protect large deals and cross-border acquisitions and sales, according to Marsh.
Insurance Insight launches Claims Club Asia
Post's sister title Insurance Insight has launched the Claims Club Asia to support claims professionals across Asia.
APPG meeting postponed after Benyon cancels as speaker
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Insurance and Financial Services' meeting scheduled for tomorrow (12 March) has been cancelled after environment undersecretary Richard Benyon withdrew as its speaker.
Canopius to sell off Bermuda operation
Canopius has entered into definitive agreements to sell all of its shares in Canopius Bermuda to institutional investors.
Groupama avoids false five-figure insurance claim
A man has been fined £10 000 at Ipswich Crown Court after making a false five-figure insurance claim for a restored Bentley he claimed was stolen.
Cega steps up CII training programme
Third-party claims management and assistance provider Cega is increasing its financial and practical support for candidates taking the Chartered Insurance Institute certificate in insurance.