Latest Europe Headlines

All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

RSA Appoints Gray as Marine Sales & Broker Manager, London Market, Europe

Jun 3 2015 // RSA, one of the largest UK marine insurers, has appointed Calvin Gray to the newly created role of marine sales and broker manager, London market and Europe. Reporting to Richard Turner, marine director, Gray will be...

Chubb Europe Renews Concours d’Elégance at Salon Privé Sponsorship

May 29 2015 // Salon Privé and Chubb Insurance Company of Europe SE announced that they have renewed their sponsorship agreement for the esteemed automotive event’s Concours and Tour d’Elégance. Chubb said the...

Factbox: Lloyd’s Chief, Other Leaders Offer Views on Britain’s EU Referendum

May 29 2015 // Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to renegotiate Britain’s ties with Europe and then give voters a referendum on European Union membership by the end of 2017. Following are the views of business...

European Central Bank Warns of Risks to Insurers of Low Interest Rates

May 29 2015 // The European Central Bank said on Thursday that record low interest rates were putting insurance firms and banks under increasing pressure and warned that any sell-off in stocks and bonds could damage the euro zone’s...

Some European Insurers, Pension Funds Build Loan Books to Rival Banks

May 27 2015 // Australian Symon Drake-Brockman is on the front line of a revolution in European finance. The former head of global debt markets at Royal Bank of Scotland now runs Pemberton Asset Management in London’s genteel...

Zurich Aims to Cut Costs by $1B, Seeking to Reverse Earnings Decline

May 21 2015 // Zurich Insurance Group AG, Switzerland’s biggest insurer, will cut costs by more than planned as it seeks to reverse a drop in earnings. Chief Executive Officer Martin Senn said he will make additional annual savings...

Vienna Insurance Posts Lowest Q1 Profit Since ’09, Hit by Low Interest Rates

May 20 2015 // The financial repercussions of record-low interest rates in Europe were highlighted Wednesday as Vienna Insurance Group AG, eastern Europe’s biggest insurer, posted its worst first-quarter profit since the financial...

Solvency II’s Impact and Its Future Analyzed at EIF Conference

May 20 2015 // Solvency II – all 2000 plus pages of it – has been completed and is slated to go into force as of the first of January 2016. As befits a major reorganization of a major EU industry, it took a long time – eight years...

ACE Launches New Corporate Travel Proposition in Sweden

May 20 2015 // ACE Group has launched in Sweden its new corporate travel proposition ACE Business Class, as it continues to enhance its multinational offering for companies in the Nordic region. ACE Business Class provides comprehensive...

DIMA CEO on Ireland’s Recovery and Facing Neglected Challenges

May 19 2015 // Sarah Goddard, the CEO of the Dublin Insurance Marketing Association (DIMA), organizers of the European Insurance Forum, took time to discuss some of the issues the re/insurance industry faces, now that it has more or less...

European Insurance Forum Examines a Changing World

May 18 2015 // With the long journey towards a unified regulatory system for insurance in the European Union – Solvency II – finally appearing to be near its end, the re/insurance industry has realized that even greater...

RSA Appoints Thomas as Broker Relationship Director for UK, Western Europe

May 14 2015 // RSA, one of the largest UK commercial insurers, has appointed Owen Thomas as relationship director, effective May 13. In this newly created role, Thomas will have responsibility for leading the top broker relationships...

Update: Generali Q1 Operating Profit Rises 6% to $1.5B on Investment Income

May 14 2015 // Assicurazioni Generali SpA, Italy’s biggest insurer, reported the highest quarterly operating profit in seven years, spurred by a surge in investment income. Profit in the three months to March climbed 6 percent to...

RSA Appoints McKenzie as COO for UK, Western Europe

May 13 2015 // London-based RSA has appointed Darren McKenzie to the newly created role of chief operating officer for the UK & Western Europe. Joining on July 1, McKenzie will report directly to Steve Lewis, chief executive for the...

Hiscox Reports 12% Hike in Gross Written Premiums on Good Claims Experience

May 12 2015 // Bermuda-based Hiscox Ltd., the international specialist insurer, reported gross written premiums increased by 12 percent to £561.7 million ($869.6 million), compared to £501.6 million ($776.6 million) reported during the...

Outflows From Pimco Cut Allianz Asset Management’s Q1 Profit by 14%

May 12 2015 // Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer, said first-quarter profit from asset management slid on outflows from Pacific Investment Management Co. Operating profit at the business, which consists of Newport Beach,...

European Insurers’ Dividend Growth Unlikely With Rock-Bottom Interest Rates

May 11 2015 // Expectations of rising dividends and share buybacks from Europe’s insurance companies are fading as ultra low interest rates make it harder for them to meet new capital regulations. Rock-bottom interest rates reduce...

UK Elects the Conservatives, but Question of EU Status Remains

May 8 2015 // “Heavy Fog In Channel. Continent Cut Off.” That often quoted newspaper headline, which dates from at least the 1930’s, captures the ambivalent feelings the British have about their European neighbors....

Zurich Profit Falls 4% on Decline at General Insurance Unit

May 7 2015 // Zurich Insurance Group AG, Switzerland’s biggest insurer, said first-quarter profit fell 4 percent on lower earnings from general insurance and higher tax payments. Net income declined to $1.22 billion from $1.28...

Allianz Profit Rises 11% to 1.82 Billion Euros Despite Outflows From PIMCO

May 6 2015 // Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer, said first-quarter profit climbed 11 percent, even as investors withdrew funds from its asset manager Pacific Investment Management Co. The shares surged the most in six...