France
Towers Watson builds IMC business with senior European appointments
Towers Watson has appointed Sabine Leboulanger in France and Henning Maass in Germany to lead the growth of its Insurance Management Consultancy practice in Europe.
Gable reports 37% profit growth amid unstable market conditions
Gable has reported a 37% rise in pre-tax profit to £3.7m in the year ending 31 December 2011.
Terrorism and civil unrest: Risky business
With several parts of the world engulfed by violence and civil unrest, is traditional terrorism and political risk cover increasingly irrelevant?
Aviva announcement on senior staff shake-up expected
Aviva is understood to be preparing to inform staff this week of details of the next stage in its plan to "simplify" its business.
Amlin to integrate French unit
Amlin France, known as Anglo-French Underwriters before its 2008 acquisition by Amlin Group, will be integrated into Netherlands-based Amlin Corporate Insurance as part of the insurer's European growth strategy.
Axa fails in bid to re-enter Taiwan market
Taiwan's insurance regulator has refused to allow Axa to re-enter the market owing to concerns about the French insurer's commitment.
Amlin consolidates European operation
Amlin has consolidated all commercial insurance activities in mainland Europe with the integration of its French operation into its Netherlands base.
Coface appoints manager for France and Western Europe
Coface has appointed Jean-Michel Riou as manager of Coface France and the Western Europe platform.
Combined profit of 'going concern' Provident and sister MMA reaches £4.5m
MMA and Provident's final sets of individual annual results published before their anticipated merger reveals a combined pre-tax profit of £4.53m for the year ending 31 December 2011.
EU considering impact on trade of Iranian oil insurance ban
Britain and France are studying a proposed European Union ban on insuring tankers carrying Iranian oil to see how severe an impact it would have on trade with non-EU countries, Reuters reported.
Casualty & General opens first office in London
Gibraltar-based liability cover specialist Casualty & General Insurance Company (Europe) has opened a representative office in London as part of plans to grow its business in the UK, particularly its casualty account.
Taiwan regulator lambasts fickleness of foreign insurers
Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission has criticised foreign insurers for exiting the market at the first sign of trouble, and urged them to honour their commitments in Taiwan.
Allianz hunts P&C acquisition targets
German insurer Allianz is considering property and casualty acquisitions, having a better grasp of future capital requirements for the business under Solvency II, according to reports.
Terrorism and political violence poll result
Risk downgrades were applied last week to the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
MMA posts £12.1m profit in final results before merger
MMA Insurance recorded pre-tax operating profit of £12.1m in its 2011 annual results, up from £0.3m in the prior year period.
Fitch affirms Coface's 'AA-' IFS rating
Credit insurer Coface's major group insurance entities have had their 'AA-' IFS rating and 'A+' IDR ratings affirmed by Fitch.
Credit card-linked insurance and assistance market worth €4bn in Europe
The market for packaging and cross-selling insurance and assistance policies linked to payment cards and bank accounts is lively and competitive in most European countries, according to research by consultancy firm Finacord.
IT systems make Asian acquisitions an attractive option for insurers
Flexible and efficient IT systems are essential for insurers aiming to bolster Asian operations through acquisitions, according to IT consultancy Northdoor.
Litigation in Continental Europe may affect European insurers
Attempts to adapt local legislation to European Union and international law are creating a challenging environment for insurers operating in the region, according to Guy Carpenter.
Catalana Occidente bids for Groupama Spain
Insurer Grupo Catalana Occidente SA has made a non-binding bid for the Spanish arm of French insurer Groupama SA.
View from the Top: The varying role of the broker across Europe
There is no perfect model for an insurance broker. The important aspect to focus on is not the way in which distribution in individual European countries - or sectors - works, but the continued collaboration of the industry as a whole.
Price-comparison model questioned as Admiral casts off Italian Chiarezza
Admiral's sale of its Italian aggregator Chiarezza on Monday demonstrates a failure adequately to invest in overseas ventures, and further withdrawal from European aggregators is a possibility for the insurer, according to one analyst.
Mayer leaves Aviva as part of management restructure
Igal Mayer has left Aviva as part of a mangement restructure to 'simplify' and 'focus' the business, after little more than a year in his role.
Editor's comment: Shaking up the market
Two of this week's market stories - emanating from opposite ends of the insurance supply chain, and arising from both home and abroad - carry the potential for significant shakeup in the months to come.