Articles by Harry Curtis
More than half of London market risks placed electronically in Q2
Lloyd’s syndicates placed 60.2% of in-scope risks electronically during the second quarter of 2019, surpassing the 50% target set in December.
Aviva UK profit dips as result of restructuring but excludes £45m Ogden hit
Aviva’s UK general insurance business delivered an operating profit of £172m for the first half of 2019, though the result excludes the £45m expense of strengthening reserves following last month’s discount rate decision.
Ageas UK CEO slams government over discount rate review
Ageas UK CEO Andy Watson has criticised the government’s handling of the recent discount rate review, saying decisions made by some insurers to release reserves in anticipation of a higher rate were “a reasonable thing to do.”
Guidewire appoints Mike Rosenbaum as CEO
Guidewire has appointed Mike Rosenbaum as CEO, replacing Marcus Ryu who will become chairman of the company’s board of directors.
Analysis: Discount rate decision casts a shadow over personal injury settlements
The personal injury discount rate will be set at minus 0.25% from 5 August providing certainty for insurers and claimants alike, but uncertainty created by the Ministry of Justice review behind the new rate could have left claimants – as well as insurers…
Roundtable: Innovation in pricing: the need to adapt
As insurers innovate, those at the core of insurers’ pricing and underwriting strategies face a growing need to adapt. Post held a roundtable, in association with Sas, to examine what is driving innovation in pricing and what challenges those changes…
This week: Rolling in it
Thursday seemed an appropriate day for insurtech Hippo to announce the outcome of its latest funding round – with temperatures reaching 38°C in places, the urge to emulate the mud-wallowing tendencies of its namesake animal became more and more tempting.
Go Compare profits continue to fall
Go Compare parent, Goco Group, saw its pre-tax profits fall 52% year-on-year to £7.6m, as revenues from its core price comparison site also slumped.
Hiscox floats seized ship cover as Iran Gulf tensions threaten premiums
Hiscox has developed a product designed to protect shipping targeted by nation states amid warnings that escalating tensions between Iran and the UK and its allies could lead to higher insurance premiums.
Investment returns drive Beazley half-year profit as it strengthens cat reserves
Beazley saw double-digital premium growth in the first six months of the year, posting a pre-tax profit of $166.4m (£133.9m) largely driven by “exceptional” investment returns.
Axa XL names incoming Europe CUO
Axa XL has appointed Paul-Henri Rastoul as chief underwriting officer of its EU-registered vehicle, XL Insurance Company SE.
Analysis: Mitigating the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace
Over the past two years, awareness of how prevalent sexual harassment is in the workplace has reached perhaps unprecedented heights.
Insurers attack 'misleading and wholly disingenuous' discount rate impact assessment
The impact assessment issued to parliament in relation to Lord Chancellor David Gauke’s decision to set the discount rate at minus 0.25% has been called “misleading and wholly disingenuous” by Huw Evans, director general of the Association of British…
Opponents of diversity 'shouldn’t be working in this marketplace': Miller CEO
Miller CEO Greg Collins has emphasised the need to root out ‘unpleasant and unhelpful views’ in the industry ahead of the fifth year of diversity and inclusion festival, Dive In.
Money Supermarket clone site shut down
The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a warning about fraudsters operating a clone of price comparison website Money Supermarket.
B3I appoints John Carolin as CEO
John Carolin has been appointed CEO of B3I. He has held the position on an interim basis since March, succeeding B3I co-founder Paul Meeusen.
Analysis: Industry faces financial blow from discount rate revision
Insurers that have been pricing and reserving using a discount rate of between 0 to 1% may face a short term financial hit, analysts have warned.
Lloyd's modernisation proposals receive positive consultation response
Six proposals to modernise Lloyd’s, including setting up two digital platforms, have received widespread backing from market participants following a 10-week consultation.
Rising Star: Valeria Altavilla, Scheme Serve
An insurtech providing software to the insurance industry is a far cry from qualifying as a lawyer in Italy, but Scheme Serve's Valeria Altavilla isn't looking back.
Dive In festival launches with flash mob at Lloyd's
Event registration has opened for the 2019 Dive In festival, which aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the insurance industry and will year take place from 24 to 26 September.
US commercial drone insurtech partners with Chaucer in UK expansion
US on-demand commercial drone insurtech Skywatch AI has expanded into the UK, where its policies will be underwritten by specialty reinsurer Chaucer.
Flood Re and Axa propose funding flood-resilient home improvements
Payouts on household flood claims could rise above the cost of damage in order to enable claimants to make their homes more resilient to future incidents, under proposals outlined by Flood Re.
Top 0.2% of firms to pay 61% of next year's FSCS levy
110 financial services firms will pay 61% of the Financial Service Compensation Scheme’s levy in 2019/20, according to indicative numbers published by the compensation fund.
Lloyd's cracks down on silent cyber risk with new mandate
Lloyd’s market participants will soon be required to clearly state whether policies cover cyber-related losses, such as cyber-attacks and loss of data.