Strong Winds are Blowing
January 1, 2000 Paul Kovacs, executive director of the Institute for CatastrophiWith the 1999 hurricane season recently closing with the last minute arrival of Hurricane Lenny causing considerably and unexpected damage in the Caribbean, the timing of the recently jointly held Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and Insurance Bureau of…
The Edge of Claims Handling
January 1, 2000 AxiomAs the company’s senior marketing representative, this occasion was a command performance for me. My company was unveiling its new and improved 24-hour claims service, which included a fleet of modern cell phone, fax and computer-equipped cars to take our…
Political Tremors
January 1, 2000 Sean van Zyl, EditorWelcome to a bright new bushy-tailed beginning of a year, or for that matter a new millennium, depending on your sentimental versus mathematical calculation. And, indeed, it would appear to be a bright year ahead, with fat company surpluses on…
Scrambling for loose business
December 1, 1999 Lowell ConnSports insurance is a specialty-lines oddity. It is unprofitable business marred by rising loss payouts not accurately balanced by the premiums generated. It is a competitive market where premium prices should be two or three times their current rate, insiders…
NOT ALL SPORT UNPROFITABLE
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterNot all of the specialty sports lines are unprofitable it appears. General liability coverage has been good business for Canadian managing general underwriters K&K Insurance, who write $50 to $70 million in premiums annually safeguarding teams against litigation surrounding spectator…
The future of distribution: Keeping our Options Open
December 1, 1999 Doug Davis of Davis Consulting Inc.With increasing attention being brought to bear on the cost of distribution and how to improve competitiveness, insurers and independent brokers alike are repositioning. This, however, is having a noticeable impact on the industry’s “traditional relationships,” leaving many within the industry unsure to the “what”, “where” and “how” of the future of the independent broker profession.
On The Move (December 01, 1999)
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Insurance Bureau of Canada has appointed Terri MacLean as senior vice-president and chief operating officer of the Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau. MacLean, an insurance lawyer, joins the ICPB after an extensive career including stops at Commercial Union, Wellington Insurance…
Coming Events (December 01, 1999)
December 1, 1999 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:…
CRIMS celebrates RIMS 50th year
November 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe focus for risk managers in the year ahead continues to be about education. But, according to Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS) president Susan Meltzer, the organization will focus on continuing education for professionals, not necessarily on designing new…
Lloyd’s impacted by consumer technology
November 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterHeightened consumer expectations and the broader reach of technology are having a significant impact on the commercial market, says Andrew Duguid, director of development at Lloyd’s of London. Technology has broadened the choices in risk management, enabling for inhouse risk…
Global brokers RESET TARGETS
November 1, 1999 Lowell ConnThe wave of mergers and acquisitions which has occurred between the corporate national property and casualty brokers across North America appears to have reached an end, leaving a landscape occupied by two distinct camps: small regional operators and the new…
Appraising the rocky shore of risk
November 1, 1999 Michael HlinkaCanadian corporations are facing an increasingly litigious environment resembling that of the U.S., delegates were told at the Canadian Risk & Insurance Management Society conference held recently in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Dubbed “Risk on the Rock”, the conference’s speakers portrayed…