News
Countdown to EIS: Q&A with keynote speaker Bart De Smet
Bart De Smet, group chief executive officer for Ageas is the keynote speaker at Insurance Strategy Europe taking place in Brussels on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 23 March. In the first of a series of articles counting down to the event Insurance Insight…
Mapfre: performance warrants better credit rating
Mapfre's general manager criticised ratings agencies for failing to take the company's financial figures into account when downgrading them, at the Spanish insurer's press briefing this morning.
Robertson returns to Ernst & Young to head up UK insurance
Mark Roberston has joined Ernst & Young to head up the UK insurance team.
Catlin reports reduced profits due to cat losses
Bermuda-based speciality reinsurer Catlin Group reported $71m profit before tax for 2011, down from $406m for the 2010 year.
Government announces RTA portal extension
The Road Traffic Accident portal for motor personal injury claims will be extended to include claims worth up to £25 000 and, for the first time, employers’ and public liability claims.
Esure's Wood makes way for Vann promotion
Esure has officially promoted chief operating officer Stuart Vann to chief executive after he took over increasing areas of responsibility within the firm over the past year. He will not be replaced as COO.
Higos appoints director development expert Fathers as NED
Higos Insurance Services has confirmed the appointment of experienced senior director mentor Dean Fathers as non-executive director.
Moreland allies with British Franchise Association
Scottish broker Moreland Insurance has widened its UK reach with a partnership with the British Franchise Association.
Competition heats up for general insurance arm of HSBC
The competition to buy HSBC’s $1bn general insurance business is down to two contenders – Axa and Ace, sources have told Reuters.
Legal expenses insurer DAS returns to profit and applies to SRA to buy a law firm
DAS has reported that it increased gross written premiums by 16% in 2011, returning a pre-tax profit of £9.7m compared with losses the previous year.
Claims growth outstrips premium increases in Cambodia
Although premium revenue for Cambodia's six big insurance companies rose 19% last year, total claims grew 178%, according to official data from the General Insurance Association of Cambodia.
Willis broker in viral email scandal
A Willis terrorism and political violence broker, James Hill, is reported to be at the centre of an embarrassing viral email that has been read around the world.
Scor takes bigger slice at 1 Jan renewals
SCOR Global P&C said 2011 gross written premiums were up by 8.8% to €3.982bn (up 11.6% at constant exchange rates) and 1 January saw average 2.2% price rises but saw it take a 13.9% growth in business.
Catlin in profit despite £1bn cat claims
Catlin's pre-tax profit was cut by more than 80% to $71m (2010:$406m) on the back of nearly £1bn of natural catastrophe losses last year.
Career file – Russell Crewe: LAS snaps up Merlin director
Former Merlin director Russell Crewe is to join claims management company LAS as an operations director after a period of gardening leave.
Career development: QBE announces Glasgow move
QBE is to move its Glasgow office to larger premises as it seeks to grow its Scottish workforce in 2012.
Insurers rally to hail their technologies as Avantia claims flood risk first
The competition to get the upper hand in the use of sophisticated data to underwrite flood-prone properties has already started, as it seems increasingly unlikely the Statement of Principles will be renewed beyond June 2013.
FSA's 'twin peaks' transition model welcomed, but further clarity sought
The Financial Services Authority's decision to create a 'twin peaks' operating model to mirror the upcoming regulator has been hailed as a "chance to get it right for the future".
Ecclesiastical rolls out church alarms in crackdown on metal theft
Charity and heritage insurer Ecclesiastical is to spend £300 000 fitting wireless church roof alarms in every diocese in England and Wales after a successful initial pilot.
ELIB could materialise if ELTO is not a success
Claims Club members have expressed concerns that the Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau could be introduced if the Employers' Liability Trading Office is not an overriding success.
Government deregulation puts sprinkler legislation on back burner
Insurers have been told to prepare for government apathy over mandatory sprinklers legislation and, at best, expect piecemeal change.
Career development: LMA names apprenticeship winners
Lloyd’s Market Association has named the winners of its second Lloyd’s Market Academy apprenticeship programme.
Market moves: All change in the boardroom
Underwriters were the most active recruiters this week, with Ace leading the way with two major appointments. Meanwhile, Brit, Lloyd’s Channel Syndicate and Whittington Capital Management also added to their ranks. While the broking space was relatively…
RSA's Brown re-jigs top team to make business less 'complicated' to deal with
RSA’s UK and western European CEO Adrian Brown today outlined plans to simplify its business in order to get closer to its customers, whether brokers or consumers, having admitted that its structure may have previously been “too complicated”.