Corporate
Marsh and Citi support vaccine efforts; Hudson takes majority Occam stake; Simply Business in Barclays tie up; Aston Lark strikes Irish deal; RAC picks Premium Credit
For the record: Post wraps up the major insurance deals, launches, investments and strategic moves of the week.
Adam Winslow hails progress at Aviva and promises more to come
Aviva has grown across all commercial lines of business and all sizes of brokers this year, UK and Ireland general insurance business CEO Adam Winslow told Post.
Aviva posts highest half year GWP in UK for a decade
Aviva has recorded £2.49bn of gross written premium in the UK for the first half of 2021 up 8% on the same period of last year as it swung back to operating profit.
Analysis: Cyber cover and the ransomware factor
Global cyber insurance pricing increased by 32% over the last year, research suggests, as insurers refine their approaches and some experts argue the full benefits of the cover are yet to materialise.
Analysis: The importance of diversity and inclusion in claims
Post spoke to senior claims figures on the role of diversity and inclusion in supporting customers' needs.
Ardonagh hires former Ireland rugby captain Best
Ardonagh has appointed former Ireland rugby captain Rory Best as director of development.
Briefing: Dye, Stovin, Masojada and now Reader, is a ‘pangdemic’ reshaping the CEO landscape in UK insurance?
There appears to have been an unseasonally large amount of turnover at the top of UK insurers recently. Jonathan Swift suggests this could be down to something he is calling the 'pangdemic'.
Insurance firms urged to review dress codes to boost gender inclusion
The Gender Inclusion Network has urged insurance companies to review their dress codes as part of a broader effort to build knowledge and acceptance of non-binary and trans identities in the market.
Parhelion co-CEO Richardson asserts insurers need to move on from a ‘piecemeal’ ESG approach
The co-CEO of the self-proclaimed ‘world’s first sustainable insurer’ has admitted that he regards Parhelion as a “pathfinder” for the industry and hopes others will follow it into fully committing to the environmental, social and governance space…
Dirk Wegener re-elected as Ferma president
The Federation of European Risk Management Associations has re-elected Dirk Wegener as its president, giving him another two years in the role.
Blog: A call for LGBTQ+ allyship in our organisations
Lisa Bartlett, Crawford president, UK & Ireland, calls for the insurance sector to encourage LGBTQ+ allyship.
Bought By Many to launch in all 50 US states after $350m raise
Bought By Many has raised $350m (£247m) and secured a valuation of over $2bn, with CEO Steven Mendel telling Post that the pet insurtech aims to launch in all 50 US states by “this time next year”.
Insurers failing on ESG: report
Insurers are failing to tackle ESG issues, a report by Share Action has warned, though European businesses are at the front of the pack.
Aviva faces leaseholder ire over mounting fire safety concerns
Aviva has drawn anger from leaseholders in residential properties owned by an investment fund over the management of fire safety issues.
Marsh McLennan receives Lord Mayor’s Dragon Award
Marsh McLennan has received the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Award for the social impact achieved through Surviving to Thriving – a strategic regional initiative developed by British Red Cross to support unaccompanied refugees and asylum seekers aged 11 to 25.
Q&A: Randall Goss and James Begley, Oxford Insurance Group
Post caught up with Randall Goss, chair and CEO of parent company US Risk, and James Begley, chief operating officer of Oxford Insurance Group, to track how the offering was formed, its growth, expansion and acquisition targets. The pair also share their…
Reich targeting £120m GWP within five years
Reich is on track to hit its £100m of gross written premium target for 2022 and will push on to £120m over the next five years, CEO Simon Taylor told Post.
Lemonade refutes activist short seller’s ‘security flaw’ allegations
Lemonade has denied that its website has a vulnerability that could enable people to enter and edit its users’ accounts without providing credentials, as alleged by an activist short seller.
Biba Conference Special: Returning to a new normal - supporting commercial clients and brokers in the post-Covid world
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the business landscape in the UK practically overnight. Jon Walker, CEO of Axa Commercial in the UK, and Elie Hanna, chief distribution officer for UK and Lloyd’s at Axa XL, discuss how insurers should be working to support…
Cyber threat to insurers on the rise as criminals target data treasure trove
The threat of cyber-attacks on insurers is on the rise as criminals pivot to less opportunistic tactics to gain access to data, according to cybersecurity experts.
Interview: Stephanie Smith, Allianz
Allianz Insurance chief operating officer Stephanie Smith virtually joined Jen Frost to discuss her engineering and aviation experiences, Allianz’s LV and Legal & General integrations and £5bn ambitions.
Direct Insurance restructures and rebrands as Aventum ahead of hitting acquisition trail
Direct Insurance Group has restructured, combining its UK and international teams into one group under the brand Aventum.
Briefing: Abrdn or Aberdon’t
Standard Life Aberdeen’s Abrdn rebrand has met with consternation and raised eyebrows – time will tell whether it pays off or falls vowel of its own “clarity of focus”.
Admiral, Aviva and Lloyd’s sign Fintech Pledge; Nextbase Insurance launches with Axa and Ageas; Rightchoice buys Fresh and Zurich in Ping An tie-up
Post wraps up the major insurance deals, launches, investments and strategic moves of the week not covered elsewhere on www.postonline.co.uk