Monthly Archives: <span>December 2020</span>

MAPFRE Insurance Hires Jensen as Northeast Senior VP of Business Development

MAPFRE Insurance has hired Keith Jensen as senior vice president of Business Development for the company’s Northeast Region. Jensen, who has more than 30 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, will lead business development strategies for …

Free Shots, Cash Bonus, Firing. Employers Weigh How to Get Employees Vaccinated

U.S. workers could soon face choices such as free COVID-19 shots and a cash bonus if all get immunized, or those unwilling to be vaccinated get reassigned or even lose their jobs. Those options are being studied by businesses hoping …

UK Insurtech Startup battleface Raises $12M in Funding from U.S. Venture Capital Firm

UK startup battleface Inc., a company that specializes in tech-enabled global travel insurance, announced a $12-million Series A financing round from Drive Capital, a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm. The investment will be used to fund growth and market expansion …

FDA Expected to Quickly Approve Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it was working rapidly to issue an emergency use authorization for Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, with the first Americans set to be immunized as early as Monday or Tuesday. U.S. Department …

New Capital Entering Market Unlikely to Quickly Soften Rates: Vantage Risk CEO

Greg Hendrick, the CEO and co-founder of the new reinsurance and insurance company Vantage Risk isn’t too concerned about the new capital that has been pouring into the market this year, and its potential to drive down rates – at …

Cyber Attack on EU Drug Regulator Has Not Disrupted Work on COVID-19 Vaccines

BRUSSELS – The head of the European Union drug regulator said on Thursday the agency’s work assessing COVID-19 vaccines had not been disrupted by a cyber attack that took place in the past two weeks. U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its …

Zurich and Farmers Agree to Buy MetLife’s U.S. P/C Business for $3.94 Billion

Zurich Insurance and Farmers Exchanges have agreed to buy MetLife’s U.S. property and casualty business for $3.94 billion, the insurers said on Friday, after the COVID-19 pandemic made motor and home insurers more profitable. Motor and home insurers have had …

1 Worker Killed, 3 Injured by West Virginia Chemical Plant Blast

An explosion and fire at a West Virginia chemical plant that shook surrounding homes killed a plant worker and injured three other people. It happened after 10 p.m. Tuesday at Optima Chemicals Co., a tenant on the Chemours property site …

COVID, Economy, Social Inflation Warrant Negative Commercial Lines Outlook: A.M. Best

U.S. commercial lines insurers will continue to be tarnished by an A.M. Best negative outlook, thanks to COVID-19 economic uncertainty, social inflation and other challenges. A.M. Best first revised its outlook for the segment to negative from stable in April, …

Next Insurance Buys Data Firm Juniper Labs to Enhance Workers’ Compensation Offering

Digital small business insurer Next Insurance has closed its first acquisition, buying Juniper Labs, a Denver-based provider of data and underwriting technology. With the acquisition, Next said it will focus on innovation in workers’ compensation and general liability product offerings …