Features
Perils of Punitive Awards
March 1, 2000 Bill Blakeney and Anil VarmaConsumer suspicion of insurance companies has reached the point that it is now part of American pop culture to view them as commonplace in the U.S., as are awards of punitive damages.
News – 01-MAR-00 (March 01, 2000)
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterThere are a multitude of parallels between changes affecting the securities and insurance industries, notes 2000 Property & Casualty Joint Industry Forum keynote, Goldman, Sachs & Co. chief executive officer Henry Paulson Jr. “Globalization and technology are driving a whirlwind…
On The Move (March 01, 2000)
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterQueensway Financial Holdings Limited has announced the appointment of H. Anthony Arrell and Patrick Hodgson to Queensway’s board of directors. Arrell is the chairman and chief executive officer of Burgundy Asset Management Limited. Hodgson is the president of Cinnamon Investments…
The Technology PINCH
March 1, 2000 Laird Laundy, an independent insurance consultantGenerally speaking, I am an optimist about the role technology plays in our society, but I am certainly not an unabashed enthusiast. I often find, as I deal with various service suppliers, especially call-centers, that the cutting edge is not so much a finely honed blade as a blunt cleaver in need of a good refurbishing.
Mitchell International acquired by private equity firm
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterSupplier of information products and software for the insurance, glass replacement and collision repair industries Mitchell International has announced it is being acquired by San Francisco-based equity firm Hellman & Friedman. The company was sold by previous owner The Thomson…
News (March 01, 2000)
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterJim Ball, president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, has announced that board approval was received for the Association to join the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII). The WFII is a non-profit federation that promotes the interests of…
Coming Events (March 01, 2000)
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterAnnouncements in Coming Events are run free of charge as a service to the industry. Items should be submitted by the first of the month prior to the month in which the announcement is to appear. Toronto Insurance Women’s Association:…
Brokerlink finds white knight in Allianz
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterT he battle being waged for control of Calgary-based broker consolidator Canada Brokerlink took a dramatic turn toward the end of last month when Allianz Canada stepped to the table with a superior counter offer worth around $42 million. The…
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STANDARDS
February 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterOn the invitation of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) formed a working group in 1998 to prepare a set of draft standards of sound business and financial practices for property and…
Turn the Headlights On
February 1, 2000 Sean van Zyl, EditorArecently held KPMG seminar on e-commerce application opened with a quote from Bill Gates: “Business is going to change more in the next ten years than it has in the last fifty…If the 1980s were about quality and the 1990s…
Technology: Reaching for the Future
February 1, 2000 Lowell ConnThe answer to industry automation might never have been the Synchron Project or any vendor based initiative. There is rising sentiment that it always was the internet. This industry-wide realization has struck home, and insurers are now rushing to get…
A RISKY PROPOSITION
February 1, 2000 Ron Lepofksy, president, PTI TelecommunicationsGoing online means exposing your company to an array of security risks and hazards. These security risks are typically examined in a piecemeal fashion, but technology is emerging to examine this risk on an enterprise level. One thing is for sure, it’s time to assess your risk, and carry through with plans to mitigate it.