Articles by Harry Curtis
Industry watches as election puts Martyn’s Law passage in doubt
Anticipated legislation targeted at boosting public premises’ resilience to terrorist attacks could now be delayed by the dissolution of parliament ahead of July’s general election.
Andy Haste appointed Canopius group chairman
Canopius has appointed former RSA boss and current Esure chairman Andy Haste as its group chairman, succeeding Michael Watson on 1 July.
Smaller businesses increasingly drawn to growing recall insurance market
Smaller businesses are increasingly buying product recall insurance in order to meet their contractual obligations, spurring growth in what has long been a niche corner of the industry.
Winslow continues Direct Line management overhaul
Direct Line Group CEO Adam Winslow has continued his makeover of the insurer’s management team, appointing a new managing director of motor and chief strategy and investor relations officer.
Allianz research does little to assuage underinsurance fears
Fewer than one in five small business owners have increased their sums insureds despite widespread concern over inflation, research by Allianz Commercial has found.
Ransomware victims urged to consider alternatives to paying hackers
Insurance sector trade associations have collaborated with the National Cyber Security Centre on guidance that they hope will reduce ransom payments made by companies that fall prey to cyber attacks.
Pret parent company to ramp up insurance investment
JAB, the investment firm that owns Pret a Manger, has announced plans to build a global insurance platform.
Aviva and Butlin's clash over definition of storm in lawsuit
Holiday resort operator Butlin’s is suing a group of insurers led by Aviva after it was told that it would be indemnified for less than half of the sum it claimed following damage at one of its resorts last year.
RSA ‘pragmatic’ on product review as NIG acquisition completes
RSA intends to “move at pace” and make strides towards going to market with a single set of products by the end of this year following its acquisition with NIG and FarmWeb, Sonya Bryson has told Insurance Post.
Allianz’s lawsuit against Revolut ends in settlement
Allianz Partners and Revolut have settled a lawsuit over an abandoned travel insurance deal that saw the companies trade blows in recent months, Insurance Post can reveal.
Former GCHQ director joins Cyber Monitoring Centre
The Cyber Monitoring Centre has appointed former GCHQ director general for technology, Gaven Smith, to its technical committee.
Zurich and Freedom Services partnership targeting £50m GWP in year one
Zurich UK has penned a five-year deal with managing general agent Freedom Services under which the insurer will provide capacity for an existing commercial vehicle book as well as a fresh telematics play.
Three takeaways from Zywave’s Cyber Risk conference
Price adequacy may be under pressure in the cyber insurance market and there are “seismic shifts in buying behaviour” in the reinsurance market, according to experts gathered at Zywave’s Cyber Risk conference.
Cyber insurance procurement process labelled ‘a disaster’
Onda chief underwriting officer Alex Jomaa has dubbed the procurement process for cyber insurance “a disaster”, and said that both brokers and underwriters need to change their ways to boost the number of businesses that buy the product.
RSA still unsure on combined NIG business brand
RSA CEO Ken Norgrove has said the future brand of the combined RSA and NIG business is an open question, in an update to brokers.
Integration and restructuring costs push RSA to 2023 loss
RSA has reported a £19m pre-tax loss for 2023, despite improving on both its 2022 underwriting and investment performance.
Mandy Hunt named as MD of Clear Group MGAs
The Clear Group has appointed former RSA chief underwriting officer Mandy Hunt as managing director of its managing general agent business.
Direct Line’s chief customer officer Kate Syred retires
Direct Line Group’s chief customer officer Kate Syred has retired after more than 20 years at the insurer, Insurance Post can reveal.
Big Interview: Jon Dye, Hiscox
Jon Dye, CEO of Hiscox UK, sits down with Harry Curtis to discuss the business’s growth prospects, its ongoing digital trading efforts and new look C-suite.
CII consulting on cutting ‘around eight’ roles
The Chartered Insurance Institute is planning to cut its headcount by “around eight posts” as part of streamlining efforts.
QBE eyes growth opportunity in ‘underweight’ South East
QBE director of UK regions Andy Fitzgerald has identified the South East as a “massive” growth opportunity for the insurer as it aims to bulk up its UK regions business.
Lloyd’s appoints Miller as US-based chief commercial officer
Lloyd’s has appointed its commercial director Dawn Miller as chief commercial officer and CEO of Lloyd’s Americas, effective 1 September, in a move that will see her relocate to New York later this year.
Aviva revamps financial lines management and pushes into Scotland
Aviva has announced several new hires in its financial lines team, including underwriters that expand its presence into Scotland.
RSA appoints trading directors ahead of NIG integration
RSA has appointed Moira Spencer and Deena Hemming as trading directors for the North and South respectively, ahead of the integration of NIG next month.