Insurer
"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.
Law Society defended in face of petition demanding new leadership
Claimant solicitor bodies acknowledge society is in ‘very difficult position’
Axa buys 50% of Chinese insurer
Axa has agreed to buy 50% of general insurer Tian Ping for €485m ($631m) in China.
Travelers Q1 figures show upturn for US P&C business
Positive results at property casualty insurer Travellers reflect an upturn in the US market according to a Westhouse insurance analyst.
Quindell expands ranks with Crusader acquistion
Quindell Portfolio has acquired motor claims management specialist Crusader Assistance Group Holdings in a £9m deal, subject to regulatory approval.
Long-serving staff hardest hit by Aviva’s latest round of job cuts
Aviva staff face renewed uncertainty following the insurer’s decision to axe 2000 jobs globally, eight months after 800 jobs were put at risk.
Editor's comment: Industry image problem enduring
Insurers face an uphill battle in trying to improve their public image at the best of times, and the latest round of job cuts and news of redundancy term changes at insurance giant Aviva will do nothing to help their cause.
Simon Machell on six months gardening leave
Simon Machell, formerly CEO of higher growth markets at Aviva, is on six months gardening leave after leaving the insurer.
Axa targets 15% growth in Thailand
Axa is targeting to continue its run of good premium growth in Thailand, but 15% will be half of 2012's growth figure.
Asia View from the Top: Nurturing and attracting talent
Michael Duncan, specialty CEO of Asia and Middle East, RSA explains the extreme importance of managing the talent gap in Asia.
China Taiping's restructure moves forward
The Ministry of Finance and the Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission have given China Taiping Insurance Holdings' parent TPG Group approval to begin a restructure of its insurance businesses.
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.
Post Claims Club: Online experts blast insurers for poor social media performances
Insurers are “petrified” of engaging with their customers through social media, according to Jonathan Callcut, chief sales officer at cloud-based social commerce firm Reevo.
Post Claims Club: Claims forms need a rethink to obtain honest answers
Insurers’ claims forms encourage dishonest answers from policyholders, according to Consumer Intelligence chief executive Ian Hughes.
Post Claims Club: London market should follow other sectors’ lead in implementing standards
The London market could benefit from the introduction of a road traffic accident portal-like electronic system with fixed timelines and costs consequences for delays in decision making, according to Martin Thomas, chief claims officer at Aon Risk…
Equity names Xchanging’s Yorke as its first COO
Equity Insurance Group has continued to restructure its leadership following yesterday’s confirmation that the Aquiline purchase had completed.
Acord hires chief standards VP from Zurich
The Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development has hired Monique Hesseling for the role of vice president and chief standards officer.
2013 British Insurance Awards shortlist announcement at noon today
Today at noon Incisive Media insurance division editor-in-chief Jonathan Swift will unveil the nominees for the 2013 British Insurance Awards.
View From the Top: MGAs still have some growing up to do
Like many of my colleagues in the industry, my perception of managing general agents used to be narrow. However, in 2012, after a 25-year career with major global insurers including Zurich and AIG, I joined one.
View from the Top: Eco plans must pass litmus test
Environmentally friendly buildings can cut down on CO2 emissions but at what cost?
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.