Germany
DLG drafts in management trio as part of international shake-up
Direct Line Group has further bolstered its international standing following the "high calibre" addition of three new members to its expanding management team.
Talanx in shock IPO turnaround
German insurance giant Talanx has made the unprecedented move of committing to an initial public offering barely seven days after saying it had cancelled the planned listing due to market sentiment.
Talanx resumes £3bn IPO days after abandoning float
Talanx AG is to restart plans to launch an initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, scheduled for October.
Solvency II could face more delays
Disagreement between European Union member states over the final shape of Solvency II could further delay the implementation of the regulations, Reuters reported yesterday.
Top five European news stories
The top five European stories from www.insuranceinsight.com over the past seven days.
Politics is a major risk for renewables sector, says Willis
Resource nationalism is threatening projects in the renewables sector, according to Willis' head of political and export risk Andrew Van den Born.
Axa Germany parts company with two board members
The German arm of global insurer Axa has confirmed that board members Ulrich Niessen and Markus Hoffman will leave the company at the end of the month.
Pinsent Masons opens Paris office
International law firm Pinsent Masons has opened an office in Paris as it targets insurance work in mainland Europe.
Allianz board members to swap jobs
Oliver Bäte and Dieter Wemmer will exchange roles from 1 January 2013, it was announced at a supervisory board meeting yesterday.
Transsexual policy holders entitled to breast enlargement, German court rules
Male-to-female transsexuals can claim for breast enlargement surgery under their insurance policy if hormone therapy fails to give them a feminine shape, a German court has ruled.
Talanx scraps IPO
Talanx AG is cancelling its initial public offering after investor's valuations of the company "deviated significantly" from the valuation given by banks managing the IPO.
Talanx pulls out of IPO
German insurer Talanx AG is to cancel its initial public offering after investor feedback on the company's valuation "deviated significantly" from analyst estimates.
ACGS offers new reputation harm product
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty has launched a new product designed to protect smaller companies from reputation harm.
"Waiting is no longer an option," McGavick tells risk managers
Insurers must "change their mindset" if they are to remain relevant in a changing world, XL chief executive Mike McGavick, pictured, told risk managers in Germany yesterday.
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.
Talanx primed for autumn IPO if market remains stable
German insurance group Talanx is planning an initial public offering this autumn after putting its long-held ambitions on the back burner earlier this year.
Kiln bolsters European operation with Frankfurt hire
Specialist insurance and reinsurance underwriting group Kiln has appointed a new property underwriter in Frankfurt.
Allianz poised for sub-Saharan growth with new CEO appointment
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty is to establish a significant local presence in sub-Saharan Africa with the appointment of Delphine Maidou as chief executive of its regional subsidiary.
Ergo at centre of further scandal over staff "rewards"
Munich Re owned primary insurer Ergo is once again courting controversy after reports that the firm paid for employees to visit a swingers' party in Jamaica and a brothel in Spain.
German police recruit sniffer dogs to tackle arson claims
German police have recruited specially trained sniffer dogs that can track down chemicals used to deliberately start fires after a massive rise in insurance claims.
Uniqa posts earnings up 43.2%
The Uniqa Group has posted first-half earnings before tax up 43.2% to €106.5m (2011: €74.4m).
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.
13% growth in CEE helps VIG Group profit grow 7%
The Vienna Insurance Group has posted a 7% increase in profit for the first half of 2012 compared to 2011, helped by a 13% growth in profit from Central and Eastern Europe.
Canopius completes Omega acquisition
Canopius Group has completed its acquisition of Omega Insurance Holdings.