Europe
Winter Sports: A downhill market?
With the Winter Olympics only a year away, winter sports are seeing a boost in popularity. Anna Pitton investigates how the insurance market is responding and asks where claims are likely to occur.
Coface restructure brings European branches under control of French regulator
French credit insurer Coface said today it had simplified and streamlined its European credit insurance activities in preparation for incoming Solvency II regulations.
Zurich GI profit falls after Sandy and German 'system error'
Operating profit in Zurich's general insurance business dropped by $150m to $2.1bn year-on-year in 2012 after above average catastrophe and weather-related losses offset gains made through tighter underwriting discipline and expense management.
Zurich GI profit falls in 2012
Zurich blames weather losses for fall in profitability, but saw increase in premiums and is confident German reserving problem was a one-off.
Zurich proposes new board members
Zurich Insurance's board of directors has proposed the re-election of Susan Bies, Victor Chu and Rolf Watter at its annual general meeting on 4 April 2013.
AIG launches pan-European D&O cover
AIG has launched a European directors and officers’ policy which is says responds to important shifts in current risks to directors and officers, as well as evolving corporate governance demands.
Willis reveals $446m net loss
Global broker Willis recorded a net loss of $446m for the 2012 financial year, in stark contrast to the previous year’s $203m profits.
Steve Gordon joins Henderson as marine director
Marine specialist Steve Gordon has been appointed as associate director by Henderson Insurance Brokers.
AIG appoints EMEA commercial president
Emmanuel Brulé has been appointed president of commercial Insurance, EMEA, at American International Group.
Insurance Europe publishes Solvency II helper tab
Insurance Europe has published a helper tab to assist insurance companies that are taking part in the technical assessment currently being run by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.
Top five European news stories
The top five news stories from wwww.insuranceinsight.com over the past seven days.
Ace Switzerland appoints technical lines manager
René Germann has been appointed technical lines manager for Ace Switzerland as it aims to grow its technical lines capabilities in continental Europe.
Solvency II is biggest challenge for captives says AM Best
European captives have weathered the global economic downturn well, but the implementation of Solvency II remains among the biggest challenges for the sector, according to a report from AM Best.
French consumers least likely to go online for insurance purchases
Online comparison sites are the fastest growing distribution channel for motor and household insurance in Europe, according to Finaccord.
"On request" system better for GI says Bernardino
A shift towards mandatory commission disclosure for Europe’s general insurance intermediaries is unnecessary, according to the head of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.
Europe View From the Top: Risk engineering when growing abroad
Higher costs of living, lower real wages and reduced access to credit has had a direct impact on the profitability of UK companies. This combined with the Eurozone crisis has taken its toll on UK export growth and investment.
Time to address International PMI fraud
As European Union members get closer to introducing the Directive on patient mobility Edmund Tirbutt asks how private medical insurers are tackling fraud in health care.
Market moves: Brokers lead recruitment drive with major hires at Reich, Russell Scanlan and RFIB
The recruitment space belonged to broking this week, with Reich, Russell Scanlan and RFIB all recruiting senior staff. Reich welcomed a new head of group operations, while Russell Scanlan and RFIB added directors to their respective teams. Meanwhile,…
Mapfre reports 2012 revenues up 7.5%
Spanish insurer and reinsurer Mapfre has reported an increase of revenues for the year ended 31 December 2012, attributing the growth to its Brazilian and USA businesses.
Torbjörn Magnusson elected VP of Insurance Europe
Torbjörn Magnusson, president and chief executive of If P&C Insurance, Sweden, has been elected vice-president of Insurance Europe.
Former Lockton International CEO Julian James returns with Allied World
Former Lockton International chief executive Julian James is to return to the market as European president of Swiss insurer and reinsurer Allied World.
Munich Re profit quadruples in 2012 to €3.2bn
Munich Re’s preliminary figures show a profit of €3.2bn for 2012 (2011: €0.71bn).
London insurance market's progress with ECF understated, claims IUA
The use of electronic claims files in the London company market is much more extensive than previously stated, according to new analysis by the International Underwriting Association.
Allianz: increased number of clinical trials raises underwriting issues for insurers
The rising number of clinical trials poses significant challenge for insurers, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty.