Monthly Archives: <span>February 2021</span>

SPAC Backed by AmTrust Executives Files for $300M IPO

A blank-check firm, backed by AmTrust Financial Services Chief Executive Officer Barry Zyskind, is looking to raise $300 million through an initial public offering, a regulatory filing showed on Friday. Pine Technology Acquisition Corp. said it plans to sell 30 …

Caribbean Agricultural Workers Keep Fighting for Compensation from Pesticide Exposure

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Agricultural workers who have long sought compensation for contamination from a pesticide banned in France but used in the country’s Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe have finally had a day in court after a …

Swiss Re Reports Larger-Than-Expected Annual Loss of US$878 Million

Swiss Re swung to a larger-than-expected annual loss on Friday, pressured by $3.9 billion in claims and reserves related to the coronavirus pandemic, but declared a dividend as the reinsurer expects a return to profit in 2021. Swiss Re and …

Specialty Lines MGA Ensurance Completes New Capacity Deal with AXA

Ensurance, the London-based specialty managing general agent, has announced a new capacity deal with AXA Insurance UK plc for its core construction and engineering products. AXA replaces Swiss Re as the MGA’s main capacity provider, effective from Feb. 1, 2021. …

Officials: ‘Freak Storm’ Caused Deadly North Carolina Tornado

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that the state must learn from the surprise tornado that struck Ocean Isle Beach with little or no warning, leaving three people dead and 10 injured. The governor surveyed the brunt of the …

North Carolina Offering Altered Road Test for Teen Drivers to Receive Licenses

North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles has started offering road tests to teen drivers again. The Raleigh News & Observer reports that the DMV had largely stopped the tests last March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The agency …

Crum & Forster Adds Quaranta, Borovski to East, Southeast eRisk Teams

Crum & Forster has expanded its eRisk team with the addition of Cassie Quaranta as an executive underwriter in the Northeast Region and Vlad Borovskyi as an underwriter in the Southeast Region. Quaranta and Borovskyi will focus on underwriting cyber …

Allianz’ 2020 Operating Profit Drops 9.3% in First Decline Since 2011

FRANKFURT – German insurer Allianz posted its first fall in annual operating profit in nearly a decade on Friday on higher claims from businesses hit by lockdowns and lower demand for car and travel insurance. Operating profit fell 9.3% to …

Citing Bias, Black Franchise Owner, Ex-MLBer, Sues McDonald’s

The Black owner of 14 McDonald’s franchises says the company has shown more favorable treatment to white owners and denied him the opportunity to buy restaurants in more affluent communities, according to a civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court …

Why Industry Must Take Measurable Steps to Increase Diversity

A key takeaway from 2020 is the acknowledgement that change of a magnitude greater and more frequent than anyone had anticipated is upon us. One of the best ways for insurers and their business partners to embrace this momentum in …