Penny Black
Penny Black's insurance week
Last week, Penny found herself at the Association of British Insurers' biennial conference, where star guests included business secretary Vince Cable, Allianz chairman Clement Booth and BBC political editor Nick Robinson.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny had to check the date when she received word of a new insurance policy for players of the magical game of Quidditch — championed by Harry Potter and his Hogwarts classmates.
Penny black's insurance week
One could be forgiven for losing track of what's going on behind the revolving door at Aviva Towers of late, where the UK insurance giant has been hit by a spate of senior management changes.
Penny Black's insurance week
Last week, Penny caught up with the man of the moment, outgoing Towergate CEO Andy Homer. Modest as always, Mr Homer insisted that for luring Mark Hodges from Aviva he and his colleagues deserved a "pat on the back".
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny cannot help but feel rather jealous of Josh Mitchell, the graduate who has landed a £40 000-a-year job as an 'ambassador' at sporting and musical events for the creatures from the compare the meerkat adverts.
Penny Black's insurance week
Still fresh in the mind, this month's Biba conference was awash with the usual rumours that started on stands and, by the second night, were sworn gospel.
Penny Black's insurance week
Another year, another Biba conference; brokers nurse their hangovers, hacks try to recall the juicy story slurred in their ear at 2am, and insurers vow to return to the exhibition hall next year with a bigger stand than Aviva, nicer cup cakes than Zurich…
Penny Black's insurance week
Given his aspirations as a pop impresario, Penny was interested to see former IAG UK boss and Hastings investor Neil Utley enter the annual Rich List chart above the likes of George Michael, Robbie Williams and Phil Collins.
Penny Black's insurance week
It is always nice when a familiar face reappears on the heady insurance circuit, so it was with some pleasure that Penny heard Zurich's former European CEO Annette Court is currently scouring the UK insurance market for her next big move.
Penny Black's insurance week
After devoting 44 years of his life to Allianz and its previous incarnations, it would seem that technical claims manager Roy Hebburn deserves a decent send off, having announced his retirement.
Penny Black's insurance week
Watch out Simon Cowell and congratulations to Hastings boss and music mogul in the making Neil Utley, whose new record label has netted singer Charlie Simpson as its first signing.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny understands the launch of widely anticipated new insurance trade body the Managing General Agents' Association has been held up by a lack of technological foresight.
Penny Black's insurance week
It is always heartening to see people battling adversity, and those in New Zealand have had it bad over the past six months.
Penny Black's Insurance Week - 31 March 2010
You can say what you like about them, mused Penny, but insurance people know a good corporate jolly when they see one.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny jetted off to Dublin last weekend with the aim of celebrating a glorious triumph of England's rugby boys over the Irish.
Penny Black's insurance week
Allianz almost shot itself in the foot last week when it encouraged management trainee Stephanie Ogden to take part in a TV debate in which she passionately defended the university degree system.
Penny Black’s insurance week
Penny was fortunate to be sunning herself in southern Spain earlier this week. With only a mild case of sunburn to attend to, she was shocked to hear one of her insurer pals had experienced a rather more unfortunate injury on his holiday.
Penny Black’s insurance week
The only thing Penny loves as much as the insurance industry is the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, so she was particularly pleased when the world of underwriting collided with the Oscars last week.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was uncertain as to how her colleagues would fare when they turned their hands to cocktail-making at an Ace Europe masterclass in the City.
Penny Black's insurance week
It seems that the cost of civil litigation is not the only matter Lord Justice Jackson has had on his mind for the past year.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was delighted to be entertained by the lovely ladies at Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance, when she was whisked off to the O2 to see R&B megastar Usher perform a selection of his greatest hits.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny's friends in the sporting world have had a busy time this January transfer deadline. Struggling West Ham appear to be the latest team to have gotten themselves into a little insurance-related pickle.
Penny Black’s Insurance week
Stars don’t come much bigger than David ‘Goldenballs’ Beckham. And Penny was delighted to hear Becks was back in his homeland, enjoying the hospitality of his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur.
Penny Black's insurance week
Maggie Craig is clearly considered a safe pair of hands by her colleagues at the Association of British Insurers, as she is currently seven months into her second tenure as acting director general.