News

Rong Chen has recently been appointed head of property in Canada of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Americas. Chen has been with Allianz since 2009, when he joined as an executive underwriter. “Rong brings an extensive amount of experience and…

The Economical Insurance Group completed the rollout in Quebec of its web-based underwriting system, Energie Auto. “We are leading the Canadian general insurance industry in moving away from legacy systems to a web-based solution,” said Steve Livingstone, Economical’s vice president…

Insurers must consider the associated risks of lowering expenses and seeking efficiencies, as it may cost them in loss control or hamper their ability to meet consumer expectations, a report from Conning Research & Consulting says. In ‘Property-Casualty Expense Management:…

For the first time in years, the D&O market is showing sure signs of hardening, A.M. Best reported. Reporting from the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)’s Symposium in New York, BestWeek’s Meg Green interviewed Eric Anderson, chief executive officer of…

Pat Van Bakel has been appointed chief operating officer at Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc., effective March 1. Van Bakel has been with the company for more than 20 years, having most recently served as senior vice president, operations, insurer…

The marine insurance unit of XL Group has launched Contractor’s Equipment Coverage Solutions. The portfolio of coverages is designed to protect general building, infrastructure and specialty contractors’ equipment. The coverage has a few exclusions and is extremely versatile with adjustable…

Winmar Franchise Corp. is pleased to announce the opening of its newest location in Yorkton, Sask. The location is owned by Doug Maes and Jason Thibodeau. Maes has been successfully operating Winmar Moose Jaw for the past two years. The…

Losing an international game on a team tour is not the only risk players face, according to Lloyd’s. A touring team requires insurance for medical expenses (including emergency assistance) cancellation and delay, personal liability and baggage, the company notes in…

The price tag for a sketchy driving record – two violations in three years – could be an insurance premium increase of between 20% and 25%, according to research by InsureEye.The research was conducted using the data from InsurEye Peer…

CNA Canada has appointed Rick DeBruyn as assistant vice president and Winnipeg branch manager.DeBruyn joined CNA Canada in 2006 as a senior underwriter. Prior to joining CNA, DeBruyn had worked at ING in Winnipeg, where he has served as senior…

Price trumps safety, according to B.C. car buyers surveyed in an Ipsos Reid poll.Only 32% of car buyers in British Columbia listed “safety” as one of their top three considerations when purchasing a vehicle, according to an Ipsos Reid survey…

The national average for reconstruction costs grew by 1.51% in 2011, according to Xactware’s 2011 Property Report for Canada. The increase in the overall cost to rebuild was related to a rise in the average cost of building and installation…