News

Life and non-life insurance sectors showed entirely different developments in 2005, a Swiss Re annual study of the global insurance market found.In 2005, the worldwide insurance industry wrote premiums to the tune of US$3.4 billion. According to a Swiss Re…

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ratings and stable outlook on U.K.-based insurer Aviva PLC and related core operating entities of the group, including CGU International Insurance PLC. At the same time, S & P’s revised its outlook…

Social skills are more critical for success in insurance than in any other industry, according to a study by PsyMax Solutions, a Cleveland-based, human capital assessment firm.“‘Sociability’ in the workplace means being able to relate to others in a highly-engaging,…

Hub International Limited (NYSE:HBG)(TSX:HBG) has acquired the life insurance portfolio of Standard International Underwriters Ltd. (SIU). Details of the purchase by the Toronto-based Hub Financial Inc. (HUB Financial) were not disclosed. Both HUB Financial and SIU are managing general agencies…

The Vancouver-based marine services branch of Crawford Adjusters Canada has been appointed to handle the insurable repercussions resulting from a recent oil spill into an inlet off North Vancouver’s waterfront.Vessel owner’s liability insurers appointed Crawford Marine Services to investigate and…

Robert Rukavina has been appointed to PPG Canada’s position of district manager, value added programs for Western Canada.CertifiedFirst national manager Norm Angrove said in a press release that Rukavina will be responsible for “continuing to build the CertifiedFirst Network of…

A.M. Best Co. recently released a new podcast series focused on insurance technogy and the E-Fusion conference. The audio series, called the “E-Fusion Podcast,” covers technology developments, conference doletails and the E-Fusion awards. The first episode features an interview with…

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is sponsoring four medical students who are cycling across Canada this summer to raise awareness about how to prevent brain and spinal cord injuries.The IBC is offering up to $20,000 in sponsorship money as…

Crawford Adjusters Canada recently appointed John Taylor to the position of vice president, human resources and training. Taylor began his career as an independent insurance adjuster at Crawford after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University’s Bachelor of Business Administration program in…

Large and publicly held companies appear to be more advanced than their smaller counterparts in their preparations for a possible avian flu pandemic, according to a study by The Conference Board, a New York-based, global research centre. The report was…

Aviva plc, the U.K-based financial services company, and Iowa-based life insurer AmerUs Group Co. both confirmed speculation they are in talks that could lead to Aviva’s acquisition of AmerUs, according to A.M. Best.“Further to recent speculation, Aviva plc confirms it…

HUB International Limited (NYSE/TSX: HBG) plans to launch its first regional hub in the Southeastern United States through the planned acquisition of a Florida-based insurance broker.This acquisition represents the platform for HUB’s further expansion in the region. Founder of the…