Groupama
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny has a night at the circus
Bollington reshuffles management team as private equity speculation increases
Joe and Stephen Wall have both left the Groupama-owned firm
Fraud IFED: Funding the fraud force
While early results have been impressive, some still believe the industry funding the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department is a step in the wrong direction
View from the Top: An illusion of choice
With no sign of a turning market, a bout of consolidation looks on the cards
News analysis: Management buyouts on the rise as teams tire of waiting
Following MBOs at Europ Assistance and A&A Group, could 2012 see a rise in such deals?
Editor's comment: Slim pickings at Groupama
It didn’t take long for some insurers to begin sharpening their knives and forks, and start planning how they can prey on the perceived wounded animal that is Groupama UK.
Brokers wary over Groupama transfers as S&P puts Aviva and Axa on rating alert
Up for sale insurer may be helped by wider eurozone worries.
Broker focus - Personal lines: Survival tactics
Embattled personal lines brokers are facing a tough climate with falling incomes and business volumes, but those willing to adapt to the new environment can survive and prosper.
Europ Assistance confirms UK MBO
Europ Assistance has confirmed that an agreement has been reached for the management buy out of its UK and Ireland arm.
NED Tim Ablett leads Europ Assistance UK MBO
Europ Assistance’s non-executive director and former Groupama managing director Tim Ablett has confirmed he is leading the management buyout of the travel insurer’s UK and Ireland arm.
View from the top: Looking longer term
The present market should be given less consideration than future propects, says Laurent Matras.
Groupama UK CEO quashes MBO speculation
Groupama UK chief executive François-Xavier Boisseau has ruled out a management buyout.
Trio arrested for selling fake Groupama policies
The police fraud unit has arrested three individuals suspected of selling fraudulent policies under the Groupama name.
Editor's comment: Tempting fate on features
Commissioning editorial copy can be a bit like tempting fate. This week’s broker-focused feature on mergers and acquisitions reflected back over 2011 as its starting point, when first conceived a couple of months ago, with a writer assigned to analyse…
News analysis: Groupama UK up for sale — but who will buy the group?
Will Groupama be sold lock, stock and barrel or broken into an insurer and its broker parts?
Broking - Mergers & acquisitions: Do not disturb
2011 was a relatively sleepy year for merger & acquisition activity in the broker sector. Could 2012 be a wake-up call or will the market stay snoozing?
Groupama for sale after ‘grand cru’ year
Groupama’s UK chief executive officer François-Xavier Boisseau, pictured, has told staff in the insurer and its broker subsidiaries that the company is for sale after “unsolicited approaches”.
Groupama to sell UK operations
French insurer Groupama has confirmed it will sell its UK operations.
Post Intelligence Benchmarking - Commercial insurers: Winners and losers
The annual Insurance 360 Business Insurers Insight Report service rankings show some steady, some on ladders - and some on snakes.
Claims - Big freeze: Winter of discontent
The big freeze of late 2010 led to widespread criticism of adjusters and insurers — but have lessons been learnt for the future?
Penny Black’s insurance week
Penny is rather partial to a good Christmas song to get her in the festive spirit but she does prefer the classics to be sung by the experts.
Groupama hit with S&P downgrade to BBB-
Groupama has suffered a ratings downgrade at the hands of Standard & Poor's despite the France-based insurer announcing a range of key strategic actions designed to halt the recent slide.
Editor's comment: The winds of change
And so we end 2011 in a similar vein to December 2010, with loss adjusters doubling staff numbers, ramping up resources and putting into play their surge plans as severe weather conditions batter the UK.
UK insurers wait on developments following PM Cameron EU Treaty veto
Standard and Poor’s downgrade warning on 15 insurers should have been “no surprise” but the market is still in the same position it was a week ago given the lack of “concrete activity” at the weekend, according to an industry analyst.