The Business of Herding Cats
July 1, 2014 Joel Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ Inc.) and MSA Research Inc. and Carolyn Rennie, Director of Catastrophic Loss Analysis, CatIQFacing catastrophe losses that are both more frequent and severe, insurers/reinsurers in Canada require accurate and actionable detailed analysis and insured loss estimates to be able to effectively manage associated risks.
Be it Resolved
May 1, 2014 Angela Stelmakowich, EditorDoug Cutbush spent 40 years in insurance, and now employs his vast experience, education and committee work to help others come to a resolution.
Weather Beaten?
March 1, 2014 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorClimate change is contributing to sea level rise, coupled with changing temperature and precipitation patterns. This has Canadian municipal risk managers grappling with challenges posed by more frequent and more severe disasters, including flood and damaging winds. While some officials focus on mitigation measures, such as improving drainage and building dikes, some experts suggest the best approach is to discourage development in high-risk areas, or at the very least, enforce building standards that reduce risk.
Common Anomaly
November 1, 2013 Angela Stelmakowich, EditorIt has been a year since Sandy – an angry lady that slowed a bustling powerhouse of a region to a crawl before inspiring some quick rethinking about how best to prepare for hurricanes and the damaging water they inevitably…
New Brunswick tornado claimants advised to call for more info
July 31, 2013 byNew Brunswickers with questions about insurance claims following the July 20 tornado that caused extensive damage, particularly in the Grand Lake region, are advised to call for more information. Amanda Dean, vice president, Atlantic Region for the Insurance Bureau of…
Clouds on the Horizon
June 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorCloud computing is not a new way of doing business, but concerns seem to be growing among some about perceived risks. This at the same time that others are touting cloud computing as the way forward and an approach that can actually help to mitigate risk.
Expect the unexpected
March 1, 2013 Andrew Castaldi, Head, Catastrophe Perils, Americas, Swiss ReCanada is one of the few developed countries exposed to many different severe natural hazard risks, ranging from avalanche to freeze, drought, flood, tornado, wildfire and earthquake. The country has been relatively quiet over the last decade, but does that mean Canada has simply been lucky?
Technological Restoration
February 1, 2013 Bruce Derraugh, Chief Operating Officer, FirstOnSite RestorationThe restoration industry is poised to undergo a revolution, one in which technological advances promise to foster innovation. But are businesses keeping pace and able to operate in this new environment?
Close to Home
October 1, 2012 Jason Thistlethwaite, Director, Climate Change Adaptation ProjectHomes built today are designed to withstand today’s weather. But today’s weather is changing and becoming more extreme, and that may not bode well for property damage in future.
Insurance Mini-Cycles
August 1, 2012 David Gambrill, Senior EditorIt’s important not to overreact to these crisis-and-response “mini-cycles,” which seem to be happening every two or three years.
Grazing with Elephants
July 2, 2012 David Gambrill, Senior EditorConsolidation in Canada has caused reinsurers to look at new ways to share premium in a marketplace filled with hungry elephants. Reinsurers here point to a gradual, growing imbalance fed by the increasing demand for excess of loss reinsurance and a dwindling supply caused in part by a lack of premium growth. In response, reinsurers are looking to sate their appetite for more premium by moving into Canada’s primary insurance market.
When to Sponsor a Cat Bond
July 2, 2012 Geoffrey Lubert, Senior Vice President, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd.Catastrophe bonds offer a compelling supplement to traditional reinsurance catastrophe programs when capacity is difficult to obtain and multi-year solutions or hard collateral are needed, given a company’s own strategic risk management plan. However, despite a closing price gap, traditional…