Latest Europe Headlines

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

Ratings Recap: AIG (Taiwan) Lehman Re, Swiss Re (Denmark), Connaught, Allianz (Austria), China Ins. (Singapore)

Sep 18 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its long-term counterparty credit rating and insurer financial strength rating on AIG General Insurance (Taiwan) Co. Ltd. (AIG Taiwan), to ‘A’ from...

XL Appoints Muldoon Senior VP, Global Treasurer

Sep 17 2008 // Bermuda’s XL Capital Ltd. announced that it has appointed Fiona Muldoon as Senior Vice President, Global Treasurer. She previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Development and Planning Officer...

Marsh Sees Credit Crunch ‘Hardening’ Rates, ‘But Not Just Yet’

Sep 12 2008 // According to a recently released report from Marsh, “insurance rates across most lines of business in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region continued to soften in the first half of 2008.” However,...

Allied World Names D’Orazio Chief Underwriter; Bell Operating and Admin.

Sep 11 2008 // Allied World Assurance Company Holdings has announced two senior management promotions. Frank D’Orazio has been named Chief Underwriting Officer of Allied World Assurance Company, its Bermuda insurance subsidiary,...

Endurance Management Postings Expand International Operations

Sep 9 2008 // Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. announced several new leadership appointments in its international reinsurance operation servicing non-US clients. Laurent Beauregard has been appointed Senior Account...

Allied World to Open Swiss Branch

Sep 9 2008 // Bermuda-based Allied World Assurance Company Holdings announced that it will open a branch office in Zug, Switzerland that offers reinsurance products throughout Europe and beyond. The office, located at Lindenstrasse 4,...

S&P Reports Europe’s Insurers Fail to Differ from Other Financials

Sep 9 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has concluded that “Europe’s insurers are allowing themselves to be caught up in the gloom that shrouds equity and capital markets.” In a report entitled...

Rendezvous Roundup: Guy Carpenter; Aon Global Re; Munich Re

Sep 8 2008 // The Annual Reinsurance Rendezvous in Monte Carlo convened this weekend amid concerns over the ongoing credit crisis, the softening of the market and the onslaught of storms in the Caribbean. The current climate for the...

ACE Europe Launches New Pension Trustee Liability Product for Ireland

Sep 2 2008 // ACE Europe announced from its Dublin headquarters that it has launched a new Pension Trustee Liability (PTL) product “ACE Elite PTL IV,” which has been developed to provide comprehensive protection for Pension...

Commerzbank Poised to Buy Allianz’s Dresdner Bank Subsidiary

Aug 29 2008 // Allianz SE is set to sell control of Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank AG, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The deal would fuse Germany’s second and third largest banks. Taking over Dresdner,...

Best Affirms QBE’s ‘A’ Ratings

Aug 29 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of UK-based QBE Insurance (Europe) Limited , QBE Insurance (International) Limited...

International Chamber of Commerce is Pessimistic on Global Economy

Aug 21 2008 // The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) reported from its Paris office that its “ICC/Ifo global climate index in July fell for the fourth consecutive quarter in a row since sentiment became downbeat last summer,...

Best Withdraws Some Ratings on Swiss Re Subs after Domicile Transfer

Aug 20 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has withdrawn the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa” of Swiss Re Life & Health Limited and Swiss Reinsurance Company UK...

‘Dramatic’ WTO Farm Deal Close If Talks ‘Can Be Revived’

Aug 14 2008 // A world trade deal that dramatically opens livestock markets in the European Union, Canada and Japan is within grasp, if talks that collapsed last month in Geneva can be revived. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab...

ING Q2 Net falls 25% to $2.86 Billion

Aug 13 2008 // Dutch financial group ING reported a quarterly net profit that beat estimates on Wednesday as investments fell less than expected, and its underlying insurance and banking business remained solid. Second-quarter net profit...

Lloyd’s Europe Manager Highlights Expansion Plans

Aug 8 2008 // In a recent interview, published on the Lloyd’s web site (www.lloyds.com), Enrico Bertagna, Regional Manager for Europe, discussed Lloyd’s present and future plans to expand the London Market’s...

RMS unveils New UK Inland Flood Model, EU Earthquake Model

Aug 8 2008 // UK Flood Model Risk Management Solutions has released a major new upgrade to its U.K. Inland Flood Model. “The upgraded model will enable all segments of the insurance industry to drill down to a finer level of...

Pehrson Joins Aon Re Global

Aug 8 2008 // Christer Pehrson has joined Aon Re Global as executive director, focusing on its European-based global clients. He was previously managing director of Guy Carpenter in New York and deputy head of its international...

Credit Crunch Cripples European Insurers’ Profits

Aug 7 2008 // The global credit crisis tore a hole in the profits of some of Europe’s top insurers on Thursday, with AXA and Aegon both posting lower earnings. Share reactions were mixed across Europe. The DJ Stoxx European...

ACE Europe Names Bartolo to Manchester Environmental Risk Post

Aug 5 2008 // The ACE European group has appointed Emma Bartolo as Environmental Risk Underwriter in Manchester, in a move that enhances its regional specialty lines underwriting capabilities. She “will be responsible for driving...