Meeting the climate challenge: the #ReinsuranceMonth debate
In the absence of the annual market gatherings that typically take place at this time of year, The Insurer’s #ReinsuranceMonth has sought to facilitate debate and discussion around critical industry issues throughout the month of September.
A visionary investment?
Masayoshi Son is the possessor of at least two accolades which make his strategic moves worth studying.
Fox lobs ball back in activist’s court
Global Indemnity chairman Saul Fox and his recently revamped management team have presented a tantalising vision of a significant turnaround that would see the insurer transform from an industry laggard to a top-performing E&S specialist with a share price and valuation to match.
When lightning strikes twice…
Argo’s revamped management and board could have been forgiven for thinking that they had consigned the threat of activist investor action to history after a bruising battle with Voce Capital Management that only ended after the exit of CEO Mark Watson and a series of governance reforms.
Willis Towers Watson – so what is different this time?
Wind the clock back six weeks to breakdown day, when the termination of the Aon-Willis Towers Watson (WTW) transaction was announced, and there was a sense that the John Haley-led firm was in disarray.
The darkest hour…
This weekend will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center – a vile, catastrophic event that continues to shape the world we live in today and which at the time extracted a huge human and financial toll on the (re)insurance sector.
Welcome to #ReinsuranceMonth
Welcome to the start of The Insurer’s #ReinsuranceMonth 2021 and our first of five weekly editions.
Hurricane Ida: Factors that could drive up the industry loss bill
Hurricane Ida has provided the most severe test of the city’s rebuilt levee system since its failure following Katrina, which led to widespread flooding and more than 1,800 deaths.
Growth, growth and more growth
Far from a summer lull, the last few weeks have seen a surge in activity spanning fundraising, M&A, program launches and platform building in the US program sector.
ICT appeal
In the aftermath of the 2016 merger of Willis and Towers Watson one area of synergistic opportunity identified was for reinsurance broker Willis Re to leverage the analytical capabilities of its new stablemate to enhance its offering to insurance carrier clients.
Back to a virtual world?
Next month was supposed to signal a return to the normality of face-to-face meetings on a large scale as the fall conference season in the US got under way. But postponements are already beginning to trickle through for smaller events, and there are concerns that some flagship industry meetings may ...
Can activist outfox Saul?
This publication has previously noted its scepticism that a standard activist investor playbook against Global Indemnity and its powerful chairman Saul Fox will prevail. But with Harbert Discovery Fund looking to up the ante ahead of a 13 September investor day, could a more aggressive approach expose vulnerability in Fortress ...
Up-for-sale Tysers and the JLT vacancy…
Just as now, industry chatter in the late nineties often focused on the frenzy of broker M&A.
Is Willis Re a Marxist paradise?
There is a case to be made that investment banks such as Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley are corporate examples of Marxism in action.
Don’t mock – Lloyd’s is right to take a climate lead
Yesterday, a UN climate panel published a landmark report on global warming which secretary-general António Guterres described as “code red for humanity”.
COP26: an opportunity for the industry to prove its relevance with joined-up thinking
With this November’s COP26 talks now less than three months away, the P&C industry is continuing to debate and formulate the role it should play in helping meet some of the challenges posed by climate change.
Moody’s sees profit in climate change but a warmer front may be required
Catastrophe modelling, perhaps more than any other facet of the (re)insurance sector, presents formidable barriers to entry. Yesterday, Moody’s secured its entry into the space via its acquisition of market leader RMS – but it came at a substantial price.
US digital opportunity takes centre stage as Hiscox looks to future
This morning’s earnings announcement from Hiscox, which saw the group join the ranks of those posting a significant consensus beat for the period, marked the end of an era for the London-listed carrier.
Crunch time for WTW to resolve Willis Re future
Willis Towers Watson and its CEO John Haley have a short window to resolve the future of Willis Re or risk mass defections and value destruction as the mood within the ranks of the reinsurance broker risks rapidly souring in the aftermath of its sale to Gallagher being called off.
Lloyd’s takes step forward on climate action but protests likely to continue
Climate protests are an increasingly frequent sight on Lime Street. Only yesterday a so-called Insurance Rebellion protestor daubed the Lloyd’s building with green paint, which followed a stink device protest last month and the dumping of fake coal outside the building in April.
What next for Aon, WTW and Gallagher…
Keeping up with inflation
Climate shocks highlight the costs of a short-term outlook
Ryan holds seat among the financial titans
The US program sector – a growth story
Enhancing the product suite to meet the net-zero transition challenge
Elsa highlights risk of further attritional losses for beleaguered Florida carriers
Lessons from Covid-19: the cyber aggregation challenge
Bermuda continues to push back against G7 tax deal
Covéa - Third time lucky?
Regulators send clear signals that climate disclosures need to improve
Will Pat Ryan’s second act inspire other broker IPOs?
ERS pre-emption shows importance of confidence in management…
Anxious wait for contingency (re)insurers as Tokyo Olympics draws near…
Optimistic Lloyd’s highlights value of reinsurance as capital tool
Second time lucky as Central Fund reinsurance deal highlights renewed confidence in Lloyd’s management
Comment: Ugly GC-Howden poaching dispute opens the Pandora box of litigation
Slow UK Covid claims response risks further reputation damage for industry
What’s in a name?
A good deal for Covéa, a great deal for Scor
Lloyd’s likely to remain on familiar course as it unveils 2022 planning objectives
The rise of investor activism
Industry has opportunity to step up as political momentum builds
Cyber insurance alarm bells ringing
Beazley and Parhelion plans highlight ESG’s rise up underwriting agenda
Mooted US and Aus-NZ divestments point to final actions to get Aon-WTW over the line
Aon-WTW – another key step taken
A Pool to action…
US casualty quota shares – striking a balance
Validus Re upgrade – an incremental positive…
Better (not) call Saul…
R&Q: when a dividend cut is really a gain…
Broker M&A, asset bubbles and the Pac-Man defence
Platforms for growth
Citizens and TWIA highlight impact of softer cat bond pricing
Scor: an insider over the polymath…
Aon-WTW: It wasn’t so much the regulators, as the markets…
France acts on cyber’s moral conundrum. Will others follow?
Aon-WTW – history suggests DoJ will fall in behind EC regulatory approval
Next decade critical for insurers in net-zero push
Divestments close in Aon-WTW end game
Performance assessments: catalyst for further change?
Truist organic growth is positive read-across for other brokers
Willis Re highlights reinsurers’ underlying conditions
Eeyore or Goldilocks: what’s happening with (re)insurance rates?
Five reasons for optimism at One Lime Street…
Even cyber writers are not immune to attacks
The need for political (good)will…
The importance of choice
Are Lloyd’s SIABs poised to bounce back?