Articles by Scott McGee
Invoice insurtech Nimbla enters voluntary liquidation
Invoice insurtech startup Nimbla has appointed two voluntary liquidators from Leonard Curtis.
Aviva’s Storah has ‘big ambitions’ for HNW
Jason Storah, Aviva’s UK & Ireland general insurance CEO, has revealed his “big ambitions” for the high-net-worth business, and teased a potential entry into pet insurance, as the insurer is “always looking” at expansion opportunities in personal lines.
Helen Bryant departs Allianz after 23 years
Allianz Commercial’s managing director of digital and legal protection, Helen Bryant, is to leave the insurer after 23 years to “pursue new opportunities”.
Which urges FCA to take action on premium finance following investigation
Which? has urged the FCA to devise an action plan on premium finance after an investigation found home and motor insurance customers have been subject to up to 40% APRs.
Aviva CEO warns home insurance premiums need to go up
After Aviva said the motor insurance market has shown early signs of softening, UK & Ireland general insurance CEO Jason Storah has warned home insurance premiums “still need to go up”.
Covéa shrinks staff numbers by almost a third amid further losses
Covéa Insurance has reduced its staff numbers by more than 29% in 2023, after last year confirming it was undertaking a “company restructure”.
Aviva plans to ‘double’ Lloyd's business in the next few years
Aviva’s CEO of UK&I general insurance Jason Storah has said the insurer hopes to double its GCS business along with Probitas over the next few years.
Zurich says there is nothing to lose from embracing flexible working
Steve Collinson, chief people officer at Zurich UK, said he “understands the reticence and the caution” of embracing more flexible working, but he insists the reality is “very different”.
FOS expects uptick in complaints in 2024/25
The Financial Ombudsman Service has today announced it expects to see 47,400 insurance complaints, of which 18,700 will be about motor insurance, for the period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
LexisNexis and Thatcham address concerns over motor data partnership
After complaints about price increases and the abrupt “cancelling of contracts”, bosses at Thatcham and LexisNexis have said their recently announced partnership is updating the “archaic” way in which the data is distributed.
CMA gives Markerstudy/Atlanta merger the green light
The Competition and Markets Authority has cleared the proposed merger of Markerstudy Insurance and Ardonagh’s Atlanta Group following its investigation into the deal.
Ageas rules out any more bids for DLG
Ageas has confirmed that, following two failed attempts, the Belgian insurer “will not” make any more offers for Direct Line Group.
Could the CMA fire the starting gun to unlock M&A in 2024?
News Editor's view: With increased M&A activity predicted for 2024, news editor Scott McGee asks: Is the industry waiting with bated breath to find out the outcome of the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the Markerstudy/Atlanta deal?
RSA ‘not finished’ building commercial book
Briefing: Sources have told Insurance Post that RSA is ‘not finished’ with its commercial build, with one claiming the insurer is looking at the potential purchase of Covéa’s commercial lines business.
Sabre doubles dividend as it posts record premium income
Sabre has posted record premium income of £225.1m for 2023, while total dividend has doubled to 9p per share.
Insurtech mindset and legal landscape has changed
The legal sector is “ready for something different” and insurtech founders have shifted their mindset to disposal, according to Beyond Legal founder Nick Pester.
Insurers must bridge the knowledge gap of ‘especially dangerous’ malware
Andrew Martin, CEO of DynaRisk, has called on insurance firms to be better informed around a type of malware that was used as part of the attack on the MGM Grand casino last year.
Q&A: Aviva’s Ryan Birbeck and Michael Yabantu
Aviva’s Michael Yabantu, managing director of mid-market, and Ryan Birbeck, broker and client development director, sit down with Insurance Post to talk about the internal changes Aviva has made to make access easier for brokers, what product lines it…
Could premium finance face Gap-like FCA action?
After the Financial Conduct Authority’s Matt Brewis labelled premium finance a “poor product”, Scott McGee examines if the industry has done enough to defend this method of paying for insurance or whether the regulator will soon feel forced to clamp down…
Allianz sells Premierline to Academy
Academy Insurance Services has reached an agreement to acquire Premierline from Allianz Holdings, as it looks to grow the business’s Ebitda six-fold in five years.
Aviva to continue pricing ‘ahead of inflation’
Jane Poole, Aviva’s chief financial officer for UK & Ireland General Insurance, has said the insurer will still price ahead of inflation moving forward, after seeing "early signs" of the motor market softening.
First Central ‘back in the market for a buyer’
Sources have claimed First Central Group is looking for a buyer, after a previous attempt to sell the business fell through.
Aviva’s Lloyd’s entry opens up ‘billions of pounds of business’
Aviva’s UK and Ireland general insurance CEO Jason Storah tells Insurance Post “there are billions of pounds of business that doesn’t get presented to Aviva” because it goes through Lloyd’s.
Aviva cites ‘favourable’ PL rating as UK&I GI profits surge
Aviva has reported its UK and Ireland general insurance business grew gross written premiums by 16% while the provider’s operating profit surged 63% in 2023, and GI CEO Jason Storah said he is “confident” the business “will build on success” in 2024.