Articles by Harry Curtis
Exeter University bomb damage excluded from cover in Allianz win
The High Court has ruled that damage to buildings at the University of Exeter caused by the detonation of a Second World War bomb in 2021 was not covered by insurance.
One Call director killed in car crash
Oliver Rose, a director of Doncaster-based insurance broker One Call and a former Biba Young Broker of the Year, has died aged 37.
Aercap protests fail as Russian aircraft claims to be heard together
Five lawsuits in which aircraft leasing companies are collectively seeking more than $4bn for the loss of planes stranded in Russia are to be heard concurrently in one trial, a Commercial Court judge has decided.
Lloyd’s appoints Bob James as chief operating officer
Lloyd’s has appointed Bob James, previously market transformation director, as chief operating officer.
Lloyd’s steps up worst-case scenario planning for cyber and geopolitical risks
Lloyd’s is conducting exercises with the aim of better understanding how a major cyber event or adverse geopolitical developments might give rise to losses for the market.
Admiral builds on pre-pandemic profits in 2022 despite inflation pressures
Admiral has reported pre-tax profits of £616m from its insurance operations in the UK last year, despite markedly deteriorating loss ratios.
Hiscox chairman Childs to retire
Hiscox chairman Robert Childs will retire and step down from the insurer’s board later this year, ending a 37-year career at the insurer.
Pizza Express and insurers clash over alleged number of claims on Aon wording
Pizza Express and its insurers have clashed in court over the wider market applicability of a preliminary hearing to determine whether the restaurant chain is able to claim £250,000 or as much as £178m for its Covid business interruption losses.
Russian airlines approach Aercap over ‘potential insurance settlements’
Russian airlines have reached out to aircraft leasing giant Aercap over “potential insurance settlements” after over 100 planes were stranded in the country when conflict broke out in Ukraine last year.
RSA quickens broker base build-out and plugs proposition gaps
RSA is aiming to strike up new trading relationships with twice as many brokers as it did last year in 2023, following steps to improve its level of service and its proposition.
War exclusions curb Beazley’s cyber growth
Updated war exclusions slowed down the growth of Beazley's cyber book last year, according to CEO Adrian Cox.
Causes for concern for renewable energy insurers
Analysis: Harry Curtis explores the challenges facing the renewables insurance market and why smaller wind turbines installed over a decade ago are giving providers cause for concern.
SMEs continue to fight for BI payouts as unresolved issues await litigation
Three years on from the onset of the pandemic and more than two years on from the resolution of the Financial Conduct Authority’s initial test case, many small businesses remain embroiled in disputes with insurers over Covid business interruption claims.
Cloud migrations and third parties present cyber security challenges, says Resilience
Cloud migrations and digital transformation projects are increasing organisations’ risk of being susceptible to cyber attacks, managing general agent Resilience warns.
Customer understanding is most pressing concern ahead of Consumer Duty, conference hears
Improving customers’ understanding of insurance products is the area where firms have the most work to do to comply with the forthcoming Consumer Duty, Fairer Finance’s James Daley has warned.
Use of data risks social harm, warns Lloyds Bank insurance director
The insurance industry’s increasing use of data risks is fueling financial exclusion, Lloyds Bank’s head of general insurance has said.
ABI launches three-year strategy and reaffirms summer launch date for leaseholder support scheme
The Association of British Insurers has launched a three-year strategy focused on improving customer trust, sustainable investments and lobbying for further legislative, regulatory and tax reforms.
Liberty and Aon BI wordings to be the subject of October trial
Several business interruption cases, in which Liberty Mutual is a defendant, will be heard together over the course of a five-day trial in October.
Coalition reports strong UK launch as organisations look for non-restrictive cover
Cyber insurance provider Coalition says it has outstripped its expectations in its first six months of trading in the UK, attributing this in part to the proliferation of ransomware sublimits in the market.
Liberty Mutual faces fresh wave of BI court battles
Liberty Mutual is facing a growing number of lawsuits over business interruption insurance, with a group of racecourses and pub chain Fuller’s the latest to join the ranks of organisations suing the insurer.
Government seeks insurance support for carbon storage projects
Insurers are being encouraged to come up with solutions for carbon capture and storage projects, with both prospective clients and the UK government leaning on the industry for support.
Big freeze pushes RSA's personal lines to Q4 underwriting loss
Adverse weather drove RSA’s personal lines business to an underwriting loss in 2022, with freezing winter temperatures and dry summer conditions pushing its full-year combined ratio to 106.2%.
Ascot president replaces retiring Brooks as group CEO
Retiring Andrew Brooks is succeeded by Ascot's group president Jonathan Zaffino as CEO with immediate effect.
Over half of FCA staff looking to leave amid dissatisfaction over pay, says Unite
The trade union Unite has written to Financial Conduct Authority CEO Nikhil Rathi to warn the regulator that widespread anger over pay has led to more than half of staff looking to leave their jobs.