Latest Underwriting Headlines

Quirk & Co. Names Two Washington Underwriters

Dec 14 2007 // Quirk & Co. has added two Bainbridge Island, Wash., underwriters. Pam Hollinshead has more than 30 year of commercial underwriting experience. She will focus on servicing new and renewal accounts for...

Best Revises Zurich Outlook to ‘Positive,’ Affirms ‘A’ Ratings

Dec 12 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of Zurich Insurance Company (ZIC), the main operating company of...

OneBeacon Names Thompson Chief Underwriting Officer

Dec 10 2007 // OneBeacon Insurance Group has appointed Terry Thompson as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer of the company’s U.S. operations. Reporting to Chief Executive Officer Mike Miller, Thompson will be...

American International Underwriters to Present Podcasts

Dec 6 2007 // American International Underwriters (AIU), the international P/C division of American International Group (AIG), has announced it will offer a series of podcasts or audiocasts, entitled “‘AIUcasts,’...

Hardy Sets Sail for Bermuda; Redomiciliation Set for 2008

Dec 5 2007 // The Board of Hardy, a major specialist Lloyd’s insurer, announced that it proposes to move the Group’s corporate domicile to Bermuda “in order to improve the Group’s strategic positioning in the...

Chicago Specialty Underwriters Names New VP, Chief Underwriting Officer

Dec 4 2007 // Specialty Underwriters’ Alliance, Inc. (SUA) announced that Daniel Cacchione has been appointed as vice president and chief underwriting officer of Chicago-based SUA Insurance Co., the sole operating subsidiary of...

Catlin’s Interim Report Shows Gains, Despite Subprime Write Down

Nov 28 2007 // According to its recently released trading statement, the Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited “continues to perform strongly, and this performance reflects continued broker support for Catlin’s enlarged...

Trinity E&S Names Tanner Underwriter

Nov 27 2007 // Trinity E&S Insurance Services Inc. based in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., has named Phil Tanner an underwriter responsible for commercial lines. He will handle the territories of California, Nevada and Arizona.

Nov 18 2007 // People Lockton Companies LLC appointed Frank Scardino as president of the company’s Dallas property and casualty operation. In his new position, Scardino is responsible for setting the vision and long-term strategies...

New Players Enter the E&O Market … But Some Agents May Not See Rates Decline

Nov 18 2007 // Despite a rosier outlook in the agents’ errors and omissions (E&O) insurance market compared with years past, many insurance agents still faced rate increases in their E&O coverage in 2007 and anticipate...

Recognizing, Encouraging and Nurturing Outstanding Customer Service Reps

Nov 18 2007 // Today’s top CSRs possess indispensable attributes, including good communication skills, trust, integrity, and more Agencies that offer their employees the option of working remotely achieve an advantage when it comes...

USRisk Brokers Announces Senior Staff in Oakland

Nov 16 2007 // USRisk Brokers Insurance Services Inc. announced that Joan Edwards has joined its Oakland, Calif., office as branch manager, and Chris Ramos has joined the office as senior underwriter. USRisk Brokers is a California...

S&P Report on Bermuda’s Re/Insurers – Cautious, but Optimistic

Nov 14 2007 // Analysts from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services have pit together an analytical report on Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance industry, following what S&P sees as “another excellent...

U.S. Risk Names Stanislaw VP, Lighthouse Underwriters

Nov 14 2007 // U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc., the ninth largest managing general agency and surplus lines wholesaler in the nation, announced that it has named Peter Stanislaw as vice president and branch manager of Lighthouse...

Hartford Expands Professional Liability to London; Best, S&P Rate New Unit

Nov 7 2007 // The Hartford Financial Services Group announced that it is expanding its existing international professional liability underwriting capabilities with the opening of a new office in London. Following the success of its U.S....

People

Nov 4 2007 // Bermuda-based Catlin Group Ltd. appointed Nick Greggains chief underwriting officer for insurance, and Andrew Englesbe chief underwriting officer for reinsurance for Catlin U.S. Both will be responsible for insurance and...

D&O underwriters assess the subprime meltdown

Nov 4 2007 // When defaults in U.S. mortgages reached record levels in the second quarter of 2007, forcing a large number of subprime mortgage lenders to shut down or file for bankruptcy, the fallout spread quickly throughout the...

Mapping out lawyers liability

Nov 4 2007 // Attorneys are singularly aware of liability exposures and the impact of litigation in modern society. Accordingly, attorneys are adroit and meticulous about the insurance coverage they purchase. Insurance must fulfill...

Berkley Net Underwriters Names Risen, Douglas to Marketing Posts

Nov 1 2007 // Berkley Net Underwriters announced the addition of Brian Risen as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing and the promotion of Brian Douglas to the newly created position of director of Marketing and Strategic...

Munich Re Acquires UK’s MSP Underwriting/Stake in Syndicate 318

Oct 30 2007 // Munich Re is acquiring the UK Company MSP Underwriting Ltd. for a figure it said is in the “mid double-digit million Euro range.” MSP Underwriting Ltd. owns both the Lloyd’s managing agency Beaufort...