Commercial
Liberty Mutual targets Midlands push following key hire
Liberty Mutual Insurance has moved to bolster its Midlands presence by establishing new underwriting capacity.
HSBC sells Irish legacy businesses
HSBC Holdings has agreed to sell two Irish legacy businesses to Bermuda-based run-off specialist Catalina Holdings.
Metal theft costs councils £5m, research reveals
Nine in 10 councils have been affected by soaring scrap metal thefts in the past three years, costing them £4.6m in 2010/2011.
Direct Line to activate emergency flood plan this weekend
Direct Line has lined up teams of property insurance advisers who will be deployed to flooding hotspots around the UK ahead of another weekend of predicted heavy rainfall.
220 jobs up for grabs at Aviva Ireland 'centre of excellence'
Aviva is undergoing an Irish recruitment drive following the news that the insurer is looking to fill 220 vacancies within its Galway office.
Analysts claim Aviva business exit could spark shares re-rate
Analysts believe Aviva’s decision to scrap 16 of its most under-performing business units is likely to prove “challenging” given market conditions, however success could result in a shares re-rate.
Further commercial SME losses reported in wake of flooding
The Preston-based Independent Group has become the latest regional adjuster to mobilise its teams across flood-hit regions, after it recorded a significant increase in claim volumes this week.
"More of the same" from GI man Spencer
Aviva’s UK chairman Trevor Matthews said the general insurance business is “firmly embedded in the group” and welcomed “GI man” Robin Spencer on board as the new chief executive of the UK & Ireland general insurance operations.
Brokers will use downgraded insurers, but only if clients make the request
Brokers have admitted they will continue to work with downgraded insurers at clients’ requests, despite rating agency Fitch conceding there is no end in sight to potential downgrades linked to the Eurozone crisis.
Aviva to exit 16 worst performing businesses
Aviva is to dump 16 of its worst performing business segments including its Italian partnerships businesses, UK large-scale businesses; and its South Korea business as part as an overhaul of the whole business.
British Insurance Awards Winners announced
The great and good in the UK insurance industry came together last night at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the industry's achievements over the past year, which saw LV crowned General Insurer of the Year.
Aviva appoints new general insurance CEO amid senior shake-up
Aviva’s UK & Ireland general insurance chief executive David McMillan has been given the new role of director group transformation and a remit to manage the implementation of the new strategic plan across the group.
Market moves: Insurance takes the initiative
Last week saw the recruitment initiative wrestled back from the broking sector, with the majority of hires coming from within the insurer space. Headline appointments in that sphere came thick and fast in the form of a changing of the guard at Catlin…
Roundtable: Future Technology - How can insurers keep pace with technology?
The onward march of social media and mobile technology pose imminent challenges for insurers over utilising publicly available data, not to mention much more radical prospective shifts in risk transfer on the horizon
Broking Focus: Bespoke tailoring
Biba’s wants the strategic review of its operations by Deloitte to produce a trade body fit to compete alongside the strongest organisations in the 21st century
Interview: Rob Terry: tackling the problems
Approaching insurance from a technological background, Quindell’s Rob Terry is looking to tackle the dysfunctional motor market and shake up the status quo
News Review
A review of news stories that broke this week
Former HSBC Insurance duo poised for £50m drive with motor start-up
A new motor start-up, fronted by a duo of former HSBC Insurance UK executives, has been tipped to make a major play for the broker market in the second half of the year, underwriting up to £50m of business by the beginning of 2013.
Summers third-party claims judgment leaves door open for industry victory
Zurich has been credited with helping the insurance industry win the war against grossly exaggerated third-party claims, despite losing its battle in the Supreme Court.
Hardy boss looks to the future after restructure and sale are finalised
Hardy chief executive Barbara Merry has said the business can now “look to the future”, following a restructure of its property treaty book and conclusion of its sale to US insurer CNA.
Online this week - top ten stories
The top 10 stories from www.postonline.co.uk
Your say: Changing deafness climate
Tom Jones’s recent article (‘Selective insurer hearing’) suggests the insurance industry is turning on deafness claims in a ‘let’s bash the victim’ onslaught, with the prime aim of protecting funds at the expense of the injured.
Capita hires National Australia Bank boss Holm as commercial director
Capita Insurance Services has appointed former National Australia Bank head of insurance John Holm as commercial director.
Watch now: Optimising pricing and underwriting data webinar
In an increasingly competitive insurance market, underwriters’ work is only as good as the data at their disposal.