Europe
Harnessing digital media in the claims process
Luigi van Geest discusses how insurance companies can harness the power of digital media to provide better customer service at the critical moment a claim is made.
Euler Hermes boosts shareholding in Israeli credit insurer
Euler Hermes is increasing its participation in Israeli credit insurer ICIC from the original 33% acquired in 2007 to 50%.
Prudential appoints female director
British insurance giant Prudential has appointed its first female director, luring finance director Jackie Hunt from rival Standard Life.
Plumeri's replacement at Willis announced
Broking giant Willis has announced that Jim McCann will succeed Joe Plumeri as non-executive chairman following Plumeri’s retirement in July this year.
XL moves Spanish office
XL Group is moving its insurance team in Catalonia to a larger office on Barcelona’s Paseo de Gracia avenue to accommodate its growing operation in the region.
Ince & Co promotes German lawyer to partner
Sami Chowdhury has been made a partner at insurance specialists Ince & Co in Hamburg.
Primark to review building integrity following Bangladesh accident
Clothing retailer Primark has confirmed that one of its suppliers occupied space in the building which collapsed in Bangladesh on 24 April.
Admiral profitability 'under pressure'
Admiral’s “unprofitable foreign growth” does not compensate for the “fast-declining” UK profitability, according to a scathing analysts report.
Broughton appointed to Ageas group board
Ageas has appointed Steve Broughton as a non-executive member of its group board of directors for a period of three years, subject to approval by the National Bank of Belgium.
Climate change: Insuring the future
Climate change is a global issue of huge importance to the safety and security of future generations and the environment. How can insurers play their part? Sam Barrett explains.
Admiral reports 9% fall in UK turnover
Admiral chief executive Henry Engelhardt has said that now "is not the right time to grow" its market share in the UK after turnover fell 9% to £470m (Q1 2012: £518m) in the first quarter of this year.
London P&I club warns of negative findings
The London P&I Club has warned that reports generated during the club's ship inspection programme show an increase in negative findings in relation to enclosed space entry on board ships.
Balva policyholders warned to seek alternative cover before renewals
JLT Specialty has warned law firms insured by Balva to take swift action or risk being left in the lurch at renewals.
JLT: Balva-insured solicitors must act now
JLT Specialty has urged solicitors that are insured by Latvian insurer Balva to take action now, warning firms that wait until October to switch insurer are likely to face higher insurance premiums.
Guernsey reaps rewards for SII non-equivalence
Guernsey’s decision not to be a part of EU’s Solvency II has strengthened the country’s captive insurance sector – making it the largest in Europe today, according to a report by Timetric.
Romania brings financial services under single regulator
Romania is to bring the supervision of insurance, pensions and the stock exchange under the remit of a new financial watchdog.
"Stagnating" Austrian market challenging for insurers
Austrian insurers face a challenging domestic market but should benefit from their strength in Central Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Fitch said.
Europe's credit risk remains high as US and Asia fall
Credit risk is still high in Europe but the outlook is favourable in emerging Asia and in North America, according to Coface.
Swiss Re aims to show impact of quake risk on Latam communities
The Swiss Re Foundation and the GEM Foundation have unveiled a three-year collaborative project to create the first picture of seismic risk in Latin America to incorporate social and economic factors.
New model can highlight political violence exposure, says Towers Watson
Professional services firm Towers Watson has unveiled its new Sunstone model, designed to give firms a better understanding of their terrorism exposure.
Guernsey and Hong Kong sign double taxation agreement
Guernsey has signed a double taxation arrangement with Hong Kong, taking the number of jurisdictions it has full DTAs in place with to seven.
Generali opens Global Corporate and Commercial unit
Operations have begun at Generali’s Global Corporate & Commercial business unit, a platform established to integrate insurance services for medium and large multinationals.
Top 5 European news stories
The top five European news stories from www.insuranceinsight.com over the past seven days.
Survey shows execs unclear on D&O risks
Regulatory investigations and enquiries, criminal penalties, and anti-corruption legislation, are among the top concerns for directors and officers, according to a new survey by broker Willis.