France
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.
Admiral sells Chiarezza to BlackFin Assurance
Admiral has sold its Italian price comparison venture to BlackFin Assurance Courtage.
Lloyd's Lonmar sells MediCare to April
Lloyd's broker Lonmar Global Risk has agreed terms for the sale of its MediCare International subsidiary to French firm April.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The top 10 most popular articles published on insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
Are you listening to your customer?
The perception in the insurance market is that all customers care about is price but, as Geoffrey Godding and John Cooper reveal, a recent survey highlighted that brand, financial security and insurer interaction are just as important.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The top 10 most popular articles on insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
RSA appoints new France country manager
Global insurer RSA has appointed Didier Arminjon as country manager for France.
MMA's Fearn becomes executive deputy chairman of Covéa
Garry Fearn, currently chief executive of MMA Insurance, is to take on a new role as executive deputy chairman of Covéa Insurance.
CCR removed from negative review after eurozone developments
State-owned Caisse Centrale de Reassurance has had its A++ financial strength rating and AA+ issuer credit rating removed from review by AM Best.
ISE 2012: France to suffer extreme temperatures due to global warming
Andreas Sterl, senior researcher at the Royal Netherlands meteorological Institute, has warned that France will be particularly affected by global warming.
Ace bolsters Continental Europe sales and distribution team
Ace has made three senior appointments to its Continental Europe sales and distribution team.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The 10 most read stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
Groupama CEO reaffirms employees and policyholders despite £1.5bn net losses
Groupama chief executive Thierry Martel has blamed "adverse market conditions" on huge capital losses, attributing the group's net result of a loss of almost €1.8bn (£1.5bn) to the Greek debt crisis.
Scor IDS upgraded to A+
French reinsurer Scor has had its long-term issuer default rating and insurer financial strength ratings upgraded by Fitch, owing to its strong solvency and moderate debt in relation to its risk profile.
RSA's Charon appointed CEO for Zurich GI France
Anne Charon has been appointed chief executive officer for Zurich's general insurance business in France
French appointment builds Towers Watson European brokerage
Towers Watson has reinforced its position in the French reinsurance brokerage market with the appointment of Faiza Lefèvre as a senior broker.
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The 10 most read stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
Aviva Europe operating profits up 26%
Aviva Europe's general insurance and health operating profit increased by 26% to £137m for the full year 2011.
Scor 'resilient' in the face of nat cats
French reinsurer Scor absorbed natural catastrophe losses of €138m from the Thai floods to record net income of €330m for 2011.
At-fault payout product could fill 'deliberate' hole in motor market
Concerns have been raised that a new product that "fills a genuine gap" in the motor market could be plugging a hole that has been left deliberately.
Admiral overseas losses increase to £15.1m but policycount soars to 4.1m
Admiral Group has reported that its two international operations – motor and aggregator – increased their losses to £15.1m (2010: £12.8m loss) in 2010.
Admiral COO describes 2011 as a year of two halves as profit hits £299m
Admiral has reported group profit before tax up 13% at £299m in 2011 (2010: £266m) on a turnover up 38% at £2.19bn (2010: £1.58bn).
Insurance Insight – top 10 stories
The top 10 stories from www.insuranceinsight.eu over the past seven days.
Kiln launches into specialist property with appointment in Paris
Kiln has appointed a new underwriter in Paris to focus on a broad range of property facultative reinsurance risks across Europe.