Broker
Direct Line vows to improve amid soaring industry complaints
Direct Line Group has promised to build on the momentum it created in cutting customer complaints by 16% in the second half of 2011, despite FSA figures showing a 49% rise in the number of general insurance grievances.
NFU Mutual boss 'cleared the decks' to achieve 2011 success
NFU Mutual boss Lindsay Sinclair has labelled 2011 as "the year of cleaning the ship" after scrapping unprofitable non-farming motor business where loss ratios ran as high as 120%.
Premium Credit launches online self-service offering
Bosses at Premium Credit are hoping to cut down on administration for brokers by enabling personal premium finance customers to manage their accounts online.
Barbon hires former Axa manager for CKW boss role
Barbon Insurance has appointed Tim Wilson to managing director of Cadogan Keelan Westall.
Cunningham Lindsey UK boss dismisses talk of bids from rivals
Cunningham Lindsey boss Phil McNeilage has told staff the decision by investors to cash in their majority stake is “highly unlikely” to lead to the loss adjusting giant falling into the hands of a market rival.
Kwik-Fit's Green Insurance adds MMA to panel
The Kwik-Fit-owned Green Insurance Company has added MMA Insurance to its insurer panel.
The democratisation of technology
In an online exclusive, Michael Graham, sales and marketing director at Sequel explains how the growth of technology has impacted the insurance sector.
Baxter returns to Power Place
Damian Baxter, pictured, has returned to Power Place as head of business development after departing in August 2010 for a role as head of sales at Keelan Westall.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The 10 most read stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
South Asia slow down: is this a blip or the new normal?
South Asia is probably the region of the world most acutely aware of the interconnectedness of growth prospects across countries in the developed and developing world.
Axa Assistance launches motor breakdown app
Axa Assistance has unveiled a motor breakdown app in response to a company poll which showed the vast majority of drivers consider their mobile phone as the most important item in the event of a breakdown.
ISE 2012: Ageas says multi-channel distribution is essential for European insurers
Keynote speaker at Insurance Strategy Europe Bart De Smet, group chief executive officer at Ageas, told delegates how multi-channel distribution is essential for insurance in Europe and how his firm has restructured to reflect this.
Brightside's "tough love" anti-fraud approach lifts profits
Brightside Group chief executive Arron Banks has cited the company's "tough love" anti-fraud prevention techniques as the reason for its 37% pre-tax profit boost.
Budget 2012 Video: spotlight on insurance
Incisive Media editorial director James Gosling spoke to Jonathan Evans MP about the effect of the 2012 Budget on the insurance industry.
Brightside launches clarion call against fraud
Bristol-based broker Brightside has issued a stark warning about fraud as it announced its ninth consecutive record year, with revenue up 21.5% to £80.4m (2010: £66.2m) and pre-tax profit up 34.7% to £13.6m (2010: £10.1m).
Beachcroft and Andersons eye cross-border services in joint venture
International law firm DAC Beachcroft and Andersons Solicitors have agreed a joint venture - DAC Beachcroft Scotland – which will come into effect from 3 September.
Crawford & Company hands Allcroft senior global markets role
Crawford & Company has named former Zurich Global Corporate executive board member Neil Allcroft as senior vice president of its global markets team.
RSA appoints Karen Myers as UK and western Europe HR director
RSA has confirmed the appointment of Karen Myers as HR director for the UK and western Europe, a role which will see her become a member of Adrian Brown's executive team.
CII and AMII develop health and protection insurance broker designation
The Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries and the Chartered Insurance Institute have agreed specific membership designation for health insurance and protection intermediaries - Cert CII (Health and Protection).
Allanfield expands real estate team
Property insurance broker Allanfield has named Paul Leader, left in phot, and Paul Williams, right, as managing directors of companies in the Allanfield group.
Market moves: UK General and Towergate lead the pack
Insurer UK General and broker Towergate were the main movers and shakers this week, appointing a new chief operating officer and director of group mergers and acquisitions respectively.
Bloodstock insurance: a breed apart
Recent horse sales in Newmarket and Kentucky, and last week's Cheltenham festival, have brought bloodstock insurance back into the limelight
Customer service: Brand reputation and the power of social media
Poor customer service in the social media age can be terrible for a firm's reputation, especially in the ultimate grudge purchase: motor insurance.
Application fraud: prevention is better than cure
The industry is beginning to tackle fraud at the application stage, effectively stopping fraud from taking place before a claim can be lodged