What’s New: In Brief (January 07, 2009)

Manitoba’s auto theft rates have dropped to the lowest level since 1993, according to claims data released by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).
The trend is driven in part by a 40% decrease in auto theft taking place in Winnipeg, MPI noted in a press release.
In 2008, 3,173 vehicles were stolen in Winnipeg, down from 5,476 stolen vehicles in Winnipeg in 2007. In the province as a whole, 4,465 vehicles were stolen in Manitoba in 2008, compared to the 6,977 vehicles that were stolen in 2007.
“The drop in auto theft is attributed to the three-way partnership of the province’s mandatory immobilizer program, the Winnipeg Police Service’s Auto Theft Unit and Manitoba Justice’s Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy,” Marilyn McLaren, president and CEO of MPI notes in a release.

Julie Dunai has been appointed head of Zurich North America Commercial’s environmental unit.
Dunai will oversee all aspects of the unit’s operations, including the delivery of insurance solutions that address professional liability and environmental risk.
Dunai has more than 29 years of insurance industry experience. She has worked in a variety of senior roles including head of proposition development for commercial markets.