Energy
NIG makes senior hire to strengthen FarmWeb contract
NIG has appointed Andy Brock as its new head of agricultural business.
Cooper Gay gives UK structure a makeover
Cooper Gay has restructured its UK business, Cooper Gay, into three core trading units.
Central boosts Aberdeen presence with strategic acquisition
Central Insurance has acquired long-established Aberdeen firm Collins Halden & Burnett in a £2.6m deal.
Norgrove confirmed as Zurich's GI CEO in Ireland
Zurich Insurance has confirmed the appointment of Ken Norgrove as chief executive officer of its general insurance (GI) business in Ireland.
Norgrove makes swift exit from Travelers Ireland
Less than five months after joining from RSA, Travelers Ireland vice president, Ken Norgrove, has resigned to take up a senior post within Zurich's Irish operation, Insurance Age understands.
Momentum signs up three brokers
Momentum, the recently launched support and development service for new and existing insurance brokers, has been joined by three brokers.
News review: November 2010
IAG UK-owned broker Barnett & Barnett almost doubled its size to £50m gross written premium, with a move for a controlling stake in Bromley-based commercial and personal lines specialist NBJ.
Product news: Wind farm contract won
Heath Lambert has won the contract to supply all risk services to Scottish wind farm developer Carbon Free.
News Analysis - Conferences: Prime Minister announces £200m university and enterprise link
This year's Chartered Management Institute and Confederations of Business Industry conferences pulled in the big hitters as business leaders attended to work out how best to plan for the period of austerity ahead.
Editor's comment: Regional gloom with some optimism
The Spending Review dominated October, the speculation leading up to George Osborne's announcement in parliament giving way to analysis of how hard and where exactly the Chancellor's axe will fall on public spending.
Broker profile: Broking in a warzone
William Wakeham is worlds apart from the average Insurance Age reader. Martin Friel profiles the life of a broker working in Iraq as he risks car bombs, mortars and bullets in his bid to crack the Middle Eastern market
Recycling: More than a load of old rubbish
Recycling in the UK is increasing, a process that is generating significant underwriting opportunities and, in turn, openings that brokers should be keen to explore, writes Andy Poole.
Market Watch - Low carbon economy: High hopes for low carbon
Andrew Williams investigates the promises and pitfalls of offering cover across the many and varied risks in the growing green energy sector.
Carbon offsetting: Energy bills to rise
Brokers could face an increase in annual energy costs of £368 by 2020 as a result of climate change policies, the government has admitted.
Climate science: Too hot for comfort
Global warming is one of the most contested and emotive issues in the world. Regardless of whether the experts are right or wrong, the industry has to face the challenge, writes Danny Bradbury.
Editor's comment: Change regardless of blame
The floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia might or might not be caused by manmade global warming but they are the kind of incidents that the bulk of the scientific community are predicting more of if we continue to spew carbon dioxide into the…
Viewpoint: The carbon challenge
Climate change remains controversial for broking. Either it is not discussed or it is addressed in the context of new business opportunities such as renewable energy. Regardless of a broker's positioning on climate change, it has become a regulatory…
Willis report predicts further insurance rate softening in power sector
Insurance rates in the power sector are expected to soften further in 2010, despite the existence of many of the conditions that would normally lead to a hardening market, according to the latest Power Market Review from Willis.
CNA unveils senior hires
CNA Insurance Company has announced the appointments of Paul Dowling and John Taylor to the newly-created roles of chief underwriting officer, commercial lines and chief underwriting officer, specialty lines, respectively.
Hiscox reports £10m Deepwater oil disaster impact
Hiscox gross written premiums (GWP) increased by 6.4% in local currencies to £504.1m in the first three months of 2010.
QBE restructures business
QBE European Operations has restructured its product underwriting and distribution divisions.
Chaucer returns to profit
Chaucer Holdings has announced an increase in profit before tax and foreign exchange on non-monetary items of £75.3m in 2009, (2008: loss £59.5m).
Broker UIB expands energy division
Insurance broker UIB has appointed Charles Walker to help expand its offshore energy division.
Marsh raids Zurich for energy leader
Marsh has appointed Martin Clark as UK leader of its energy claims team.