2019 in review: February's top stories

During February, readers were most interested by people moves at RSA and Aon. The promotion of Scott Egan to CEO at RSA, as well as other developments at the insurer, would continue to attract attention over the rest of the year.

1. Steve Lewis exits RSA UK & International CEO role
   The top story from February revealed the departure of Steve Lewis from his international chief executive position at RSA. The announcement named his successor as Scott Egan, who had been CFO at the firm since October 2015. Lewis’s exit followed £70m of underwriting losses in Q3 2018.
    
2. Axa staff sentenced for data theft
   This ‘Wolf of Manchester’ case saw an employee and ex-employee of the insurer, along with two others who ran a claims management company, receive suspended sentences for their roles in exploiting and selling customer data. IFED revealed that Axa staffer Shane Jerman stole customer data and passed it onto former employee, Stuart McGill, who then sold it onto Jack Greenwood and Andrew Franks for their claims management company. According to IFED, Jerman and McGill made approximately £18,250 between them.
    
3. Brokers confused about RSA’s strategy after CEO change
   Brokers were left scratching their heads following Steve Lewis’s exit from RSA as they questioned the insurer’s strategy. Regional brokers suggested that the provider was moving towards dealing with larger and larger brokers. They also argued that the culture needed to change and that the business should reconnect with the provincial market.
    
4. Joe Henderson leaves Aon
   The fourth most read was a story from 26 February. Joe Henderson left Aon around two years after the multi-national bought the business he founded, Leeds-based Henderson Insurance Brokers. The story included Aon’s confirmation that Joe Henderson decided to leave the firm effective immediately. According to Aon, Henderson left the business after a “successful year of integrating” the broker with the insurer.
    
5. Up to 275 jobs at risk at Axa XL in the UK
   Finally, Axa XL confirmed that 711 people across its European operations are at risk of redundancy as it worked to integrate Axa Corporate Solutions, Axa Matrix, Axa Art and XL Catlin. Insurance Age learned that up to 275 roles in the UK may be cut. In a statement, the insurer argued that combining separate teams and activities into one structure meant it would need to redefine its working processes and organisation.