Risk Management
Briefing: The great home/office flip flop
This week will have seen many of us who had been ready to get back to the office reconsider, as guidelines across England shifted.
Virgin Atlantic dropped insurance broker due to alleged lack of hard market know-how
Virgin Atlantic switched its insurance broker three weeks before the renewal date of its directors and officers policy out of frustration with poor communication and a lack of faith in brokers’ ability to deal in a hard market, its head of risk said at a…
Climate-related litigation could produce 'grey or black swan event'
Business may not be devoting enough attention to the financial risks associated with climate change-related litigation and business transformation, Axa XL spokespeople told risk managers on Wednesday.
Analysis: One in five D&O buyers witnessing 400% premium increases
One in five UK directors and officers insurance buyers faced rate rises of 400% or more during this year’s renewals, according to Airmic.
Airmic unveils cross-body Resilience Alliance
Airmic has joined with three other professional membership organisations to create the Resilience Alliance in an effort to join up thinking between different disciplines involved in business resilience.
Blog: Forewarned is forearmed - From Tianjin to Beirut and where next?
On 4 August, a massive explosion devastated the city of Beirut. DAC Beachcroft partner and London Forum of Insurance Lawyers member Toby Vallance and DAC Beachcroft solicitor Michael McMillen consider the marine impact of the blast and whether lessons…
Blog: Covid-19 is no Black Swan
Rather than focusing on hindsight and a fatalistic approach to risk, pursuing a more forward-looking, proactive strategy will improve resilience when, not if, the next crisis strikes, writes Hélène Galy, director of the Willis Research Network.
Blog: Why sprinklers should be mandatory in schools
Schools have a fire risk almost twice as high as other non-residential buildings, yet are poorly equipped to prevent a fire becoming a major disaster, according to new research by Zurich. Tilden Watson, Zurich Municipal head of education, explains why…
Return to city offices will not be ‘short and sharp’ select committee hears
Office spaces in central London and other densely populated cities are not built to accommodate a rapid return for workers while Covid-19 remains a health concern, a Bank of England official has told MPs.
Insurers must make voices heard on uninsurable events, urges Denmark's former Prime Minister
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the former prime minister of Denmark, has urged the insurance industry to share fears and cost analyses on uninsurable events to make governments accountable for action on climate change and pandemics.
Future Focus 2030: The climate change podcast
It is the year 2030. The focus on climate change continued to gather momentum throughout the 2020s. But despite pressure to bring the date forward the UK government is still committed to helping reduce gas emission to net zero by 2050.
Leisure and hospitality sector faces 'plethora' of employers' liability claims
Businesses in the leisure and hospitality sector have been warned they face “inevitable” employers’ liability claims from employees who contract the coronavirus on the job or are otherwise injured as a result of changes made by businesses post-lockdown.
Blog: The new noise-induced hearing loss?
Nearly two million workers in the UK are at risk of developing hand-arm-vibration syndrome, a debilitating, permanent condition caused by working with hand-held power tools. While it might not attract the same attention as other occupational diseases,…
Blog: Covid-19 and the impact of emerging risks on the art market
The art market has a Covid-sized hole in its sales. Going online may be the key to its future – but it’s risky. Robert Read, head of fine art at Hiscox, explains why insurers can help.
Aon/Willis combination not ‘good for clients or good for the market’: MMC CEO Dan Glaser
In a half year results call, Marsh and McLennan CEO Dan Glaser aired a “personal” view that the Aon and Willis Towers Watson merger will be negative for clients and the market .
US Covid-19 liability shields: What do they mean for UK insurers?
As US states introduce a new wave of legislation intended to encourage businesses to reopen without the fear of an onslaught of Covid-related lawsuits, Andrea Best and Kristi Garrett of law firm Mc Dermott, Will & Emery ask whether these liability…
Davies’ captive management arm grows US presence and eyes European expansion
Davies Group is scoping out expanding its captive management presence to Guernsey or Malta, after expanding its US capabilities with the acquisition of Citadel Risk’s captive management business last week.
Blog: Preparing for the next asbestos - silicosis and insurance
With the All Party Parliamentary Group for Respiratory Health’s call to arms for the reform of workplace exposure limits to silica dust, Jim Byard, insurance partner at Weightmans, explores the likely impact on the insurance industry, and how it can…
Blog: Dealing with a hardening market - risk management and loss control during and post Covid-19
With the current insurance market hardening at a rate not seen in over a decade, Risk Solved non-executive Richard Thomas argues those firms that drive improved risk profiling and begin to fully appreciate the quality of the risks within their portfolio…
Flood Re paid out more last year than its first three years combined
The Flood Re scheme incurred gross claims of £160m in 2019/20, more than the total paid in its first three years of existence.
Aviva's Patrick Tiernan on getting Britain back to business
The tragic toll of Covid-19 is incalculable. In less than five months, this pandemic has taken away so many loved ones – devastating families, friends and colleagues on a scale that could not have been imagined. Patrick Tiernan, managing director UK…
Blog: Electric vehicles - the risks associated with lithium batteries
With their ultra-low emissions, electric vehicles are a key part of the UK’s greener future. However, after reports of cars spontaneously catching fire, Andy Miller, technical risk control manager, Allianz UK, explains safety concerns could put the…
Blog: Credit investments - what challenges and opportunities do insurers face?
Despite increased sentiment and some rallies in markets, Lionel Pernias, head of buy and maintain at Axa Investment Managers believes that there are still plenty of challenges ahead for insurers' investments, particularly in their credit portfolios.