France
Casualty insurers warned about recent legal deveopments
A ruling on pesticide manufacturers' liability, reforms to Spanish law on directors' and officers' cover and more stringent rules for Polish motor insurers, are among recent legislative changes with implications for European casualty insurers.
Axa France direct boss to head up UK arm
Axa UK has appointed Yves Masson as CEO of personal direct and partnerships.
Axa UK names personal direct and partnerships CEO
Yves Masson will take the role, joining from Axa Direct Assurance in France.
Ace poaches Zurich's surety head
Ace has recruited Zurich head of credit and surety Luc Reuter to drive the expansion of its surety division into continental Europe.
Kiln bolsters European operation with Frankfurt hire
Specialist insurance and reinsurance underwriting group Kiln has appointed a new property underwriter in Frankfurt.
Bourgeois appointed Coface MD for UK and Ireland
Frédéric Bourgeois has been appointed managing director of Coface in the UK and Ireland as Xavier Denecker retires.
Admiral's international arms report £8.9m loss in 1H 2012
Admiral's international insurance business has reported significant growth in turnover and total premiums written in the first half of 2012 to £79.7m and £74.4m respectively (H1: 2012 £53.9m and £49.5m).
Admiral to slow UK growth despite 9% rise in profit
Admiral's pre-tax profit rose to £171.8m in the first half of 2012 (H1 2011: £160.6m) having increased the number of vehicles insured by 11%, or 350 000, to 3.5 million.
New Swiss Re office targets large corporates in the Benelux region
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions has bolstered its presence in the Benelux countries with the opening of an office in Amstelveen in the Netherlands.
Allianz considers renewable funds
German insurer Allianz believed to be planning the launch of closed-end investment funds focusing on renewable energy in the future.
Ambiental joins forces with Aon-Benfield on flood mapping
Aon-Benfield has collaboration with Ambiental to enhance its flood model development capabilities.
Willis: Unprecedented stability for aviation market
The lack of large losses in aviation has created stability, a report has found.
Groupama achieves record 20% rise in profits for H1
Groupama has recorded a 20% rise in profits before tax for the first six months of 2012 to £22.2m.
Aviva posts COR of 106% for H1 in Ireland
Aviva's general insurance and health business posted operating profit of £461m for the first six months of 2012, up from £455m in the first half of 2011, driven by strong UK performance.
Axa posts fall in net income in H1
French insurance group Axa saw net income fall to €2.6bn from €4.0bn in the first half of 2012 owing to a non-repeat of the exceptional gains on disposals in 2011.
Generali sees profits boost from premiums outside Italy
Generali Group has posted net profits up 4.5% to €842m (2011 H1: €806m) for the first half of 2012, with the operating result stable at €2.34bn despite significant catastrophe events.
French court ruling could expose insurers to €16bn claims
French insurers and banks that own large insurance subsidiaries could be exposed to claims of up to €16bn from policyholders following a decision by the French Council of State.
Scor hails renewals success with 24% premium increase
French insurer Scor Global P&C delivered a strong 24% premium increase at constant exchange rates to €462m during the June-July renewals.
Half of CEOs responsible for risk management as terrorism tops concerns
The chief executive or chief operating officer has formal responsibility for risk management at 50% of European companies, according to a new survey which found that companies feel underprepared for terrorism and political violence risks.
EC approves acquisition of Groupama's Gan by Allianz France
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation Allianz's proposed acquisition of a non-life insurance portfolio of Groupama-owned Gan Eurocourtage.
Coface's Charbonnel promoted to chief operating officer
Cyrille Charbonnel has been appointed group chief operating officer for Coface, a newly created position at the credit insurer.
Helvetia swoops on Groupama's Gan in €38.5m deal
The Helvetia Group has confirmed it is to take over the French transport insurance portfolio of Gan Eurocourtage, a subsidiary of Groupama SA.
Hannover Re installs Agencyport 'what if' risk management suite
Hannover Re has installed Agencyport risk management software in six of its Worldwide offices and will roll out to further offices in due course.
Mandatory commission – an necessary evil?
Rumors of mandatory commission disclosure have plagued the market since the start of the year but as the European Commission confirms brokers fears Francesca Nyman assesses the impact on European brokers.