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On The Move (February 01, 2005)

February 1, 2005 by Canadian Underwriter

Cunningham Lindsey Canada Ltd. has appointed Greg Doerr as branch manager of its Barrie, Ontario office. Doerr has been with the firm since 2001, and has more than 10 year adjusting experience. Cunningham Lindsey has also named Michael Alwyn as

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Views (February 01, 2005)

February 1, 2005 by Canadian Underwriter

Law firm Miller Thomson LLP has expanded its presence into Quebec, merging with Pouliot Mercure. The Montreal-based firm has 56 lawyers, bringing Miller Thomson’s total professional staff to more than 500. The Quebec office will operate under the name Miller

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Industry SEMCI: at Critical Mass?

February 1, 2005 Sean van Zyl, Editor

With the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry rousing from its “wintry hard market”, company attention has once again shifted to the rebuilding of books of business and the courting of brokers. It is therefore not surprising that the final quarter of last year saw a rush of insurers signing on to the Centre for Study of Insurance Operations’ (CSIO) Internet-based company-to-broker “portal”. With the CSIO facing a critical turning point with the pending launch of the all-important “phase II” of its single-entry, multi-company interface (SEMCI) solution, industry attention is very much focused on whether the portal has achieved “critical mass” in terms of insurer and broker support.

Source: IBC
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CRISIS and REFORM

February 1, 2005 Sean van Zyl, Editor

The role of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has evolved along with the events, and perhaps even fate, that have shaped the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry into what it is today. As lobbyist, facilitator, champion of regulative reform and the public voice of insurers, the IBC as an industry body has had to learn to adapt rapidly to the demands of a faster moving, riskier and increasingly complex marketplace. Sometimes lauded, and other times the brunt of industry criticism, those running the IBC often face a thankless job, observes Igal Mayer who took over as the bureau’s board chair at the end of 2004. However, the significant achievements made over the last year regarding auto insurance reform across the provinces, and the subsequent return of adequate market coverage availability, stands testimony to the success of the IBC in handling crises, Mayer notes. Looking ahead, the bureau is shifting from crisis management to focus on long-term market reform in a bid to break from the insurance industry’s destructive pricing cycle, he adds.

Amateur video shows the December 26, 2004 tsunami's waves crashing into Phuket, Thailand.
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Tsunamis Echoes of the Waves

February 1, 2005 Vikki Spencer

The devastation wrought by the Indian Ocean tsunami poses a host of dire questions for government and for insurers here in Canada as they struggle to maintain some footing in what has become a war against Mother Nature.

Gregory Serio
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High Strung

February 1, 2005 Sean van Zyl, Editor

Being one of the first annual property and casualty insurance events held in the beginning of the year, the 2005 Joint Industry Forum (JIF) – which recently took place in New York City – revealed the considerable uncertainty felt by leaders within the industry toward the startling charges made against U.S. insurer and broker representatives in the commission controversy sparked by New York’s attorney general, Eliot Spitzer. While the ongoing Spitzer investigation took center-stage at this year’s JIF event, insurance CEOs also highlighted a myriad of ominous indicators which, in confluence, could signal a disparaging turning point in the industry’s financial affairs. At the very least, increased public scrutiny and rising cost factors point to a new period of taut strain for management of the insurance industry, the JIF’s analyst and insurer CEO speakers forewarn.

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Demystifying Technology

February 1, 2005 Chris Venn, president of Inventive Networks

The “evils” of technology seem to haunt us wherever we turn. Portals are popping up all around us, broker management system vendors are changing their applications constantly and adding new software tools regularly, Microsoft seems to have all of us on a two-year leash of software licensing and renewal, and of course there is always a new virus poised to attack our business-critical systems every week.

Caroline Kennedy
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Boosting Workflow Efficiency

February 1, 2005 Caroline Kennedy, and Catherine Trimble

New Year’s resolutions often revolve around personal goals and objectives such as losing weight, getting in shape, buying that big screen plasma or LCD television, a new car, etc. This is also a great time of year to take stock of your business goals and objectives.

Kevin Campbell
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Commercial Complacency

February 1, 2005 Kevin Campbell, president of Policy Works

Insurers and brokers who believe time will wait for them to get their commercial operations into shape should think twice. Competitors do exist in the form of direct writers, many of whom are targeting package commercial business. Today, there is urgency for brokers and companies to share data and streamline the policy processing function.

Rick Jackson
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XML, Insurers’ Ultimate Plug-in?

February 1, 2005 Rick Jackson, director of consulting at CGI Group Inc.

With increased competition in the property and casualty insurance industry, companies are looking for ways to improve efficiencies of staff and decrease operational costs.

Glen Piller
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Process First, Technology Second

February 1, 2005 Glen Piller, president of iter8 Inc.

“Business process management” (BPM) is a term insurers will likely hear a lot more of in the months ahead. Done right, it has vast potential to improve how companies operate their businesses. However, like any new concept it can mean virtually anything, and insurers should demand specifics.

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Political Wannabe..?

February 1, 2005 Sean van Zyl, Managing Editor

Public champion or opportunist? Big, bad industry or an “easy target”? The public furor created by New York’s attorney general Eliot Spitzer as a result of his investigation into certain types of remuneration paid by insurers to brokers and alleged