Articles by Callum Brodie
Prudential CEO Thiam departs to lead Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse has appointed Prudential CEO Tidjane Thiam to lead the business ahead of the departure of the investment bank’s longstanding CEO Brady Dougan.
Pen signs property claims outsourcing deal with RDG
Doncaster-based Ryan Direct Group will handle a proportion of Arthur J Gallagher managing general agent brand Pen Underwriting’s property claims after agreeing a collaborative claims management model.
Naming of Bluefin Underwriting shows 'transparency', claims MGA chief
Bluefin’s decision to name its managing general agent Bluefin Underwriting demonstrates the firm has “nothing to hide” in the distinction between broking and underwriting, according to the MGA’s boss.
200 jobs at risk as Ageas Retail plots closure of Belfast site
Ageas Retail is planning to close its outbound call centre in Belfast and has entered a 90 day consultation period with the office’s 200 staff.
CII group talks up role of brokers in future of care home cover
The potential rise in claims related to care home abuse has sparked a report into the availability and future market for liability cover for such institutions.
L&G 2014 GI profits hit by £12m cost of last winter's storms
Adverse weather at the start of 2014 has been cited as a major factor behind a £10m reduction in operating profit within Legal & General’s general insurance business.
Novae posts record GWP figures for 2014
Lloyd’s insurer Novae Group posted a 1% drop in profit before tax and foreign exchange in 2014, despite delivering record gross written premium of £638.5m last year (FY 2013: £590.3m).
Applied Systems boss highlights broker benefits of My Licence tie-up
Applied Systems has reached an agreement with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau that will see the software provider’s brokerage management system Applied TAM UK connect to the MIB Hub to use the My Licence service.
Purchase of Gibraltar-based Ultimate boosts Markerstudy GWP by £30m
Markerstudy has been granted approval to complete the acquisition of Gibraltar-based niche personal lines insurer Ultimate Insurance Services and its UK administrative arm Ultimate Pet Partners.
JLT heralds 2014 growth in face of 'marked decline' in rating environment
JLT has delivered a 3% increase in pre-tax profits for 2014 to £159.7m (FY 2013: £154.6m) and a 13% rise in total revenue to £1.10bn (FY 2013: £979.2m).
DLG hits all four 2014 targets despite reduced motor profits
A £50.6m year-on-year reduction in operating profit from ongoing operations within Direct Line Group’s motor business was the main driver behind a marginal dip in the insurer’s group-wide operating profit for 2014.
TSC report expected to call for greater focus on telematics
The drive to improve road safety is in danger of running off course as a result of the government’s failure to introduce a strategic plan to exploit emerging technologies, a parliamentary report will warn this week.
Hiscox UK and Europe delivers record profits in 2014
Hiscox chairman Robert Childs has heralded his firm’s “discipline” in underwriting and within its investment portfolio after posting a marginal reduction in group pre-tax profit for 2014 of £231.1m (FY 2013: £244.5m).
Amlin profits hit by reduced reserve releases and investment return
A combination of condensed reserve releases and a dip in investment return last year has been blamed for a £67m fall in profit before tax at Amlin.
Ambant to extend MGA offering following Heritage investment
Guernsey-based Heritage Group has acquired a 33% stake in managing general agent launch specialist Ambant Underwriting Services.
Prosight authorised to launch managing agency at Lloyd's
Prosight Specialty Insurance has received final authorisation from Lloyd’s, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority for its own Lloyd’s managing agent to manage Prosight’s Syndicate 1110 at Lloyd’s.
Lloyds Bank GI profits hit by early 2014 storm claims
The impact of storm claims in the first quarter of 2014 and the continued run-off of legacy books resulted in Lloyds Banking Group posting a £41m drop in underlying profit for its general insurance business last year.
Biba poll finds 29% of SMEs not reading full policy terms
More than a quarter of British SMEs are failing to read the terms of their insurance policy in full, according to a poll carried out by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.
Evans declares Axa five-year turnaround plan 'job done'
Axa UK and Ireland CEO Paul Evans has described the five year turnaround plan unveiled in 2011 as “job done” a year ahead of schedule.
British entrepreneurs to benefit from £14.7m Axa start-up fund
Axa UK has pledged €20m (£14.7m) to boost the development of innovative ideas that could be used to benefit to the future of the insurance, healthcare and financial technology industries.
Axa chalks up fourth year of double digit profit growth in the UK
Axa’s UK and Ireland general insurance business recorded a fourth successive year of double digit earnings growth after chalking up a 40.4% rise in underlying earnings to £250m in 2014 (FY 2013: £178m).
Chilton named as Ross' successor as Gallagher international CEO
Arthur J Gallagher has appointed Grahame Chilton as CEO of the company’s UK-based international brokerage division.
Ascot sees 2014 profits slide as CEO predicts 'challenging' year of trading
Ascot Underwriting CEO Andrew Brooks has vowed to maintain underwriting discipline amid a “challenging trading environment” in 2015, after the firm reported a dip in pre-tax profits last year.
Online dispute system to present industry with 'disruptive technology' challenge
The insurance industry should embrace the challenge of harnessing a new form of disruptive technology if an online dispute resolution system is rolled out to deal with low-value civil court cases in England and Wales.