Latest Asia Headlines

All the headlines from our Asia Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Ironshore Int’l. Appoints O’Reilly to Underwrite M&A in Singapore

Sep 24 2013 // Ironshore International has appointed Astrid O’Reilly to write Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) insurance lines, based in its Singapore office. She will oversee Ironshore’s M&A insurance offerings and...

River Floods, Earthquakes are Highest Risk to Urban Areas: Swiss Re Report

Sep 18 2013 // River floods top the list of risks posing dangers to more people than any other natural catastrophe, according to a new Swiss Re report, which “benchmarks” the natural catastrophe risks faced by 1.7 billion...

Collett Joins Willis to Expand Financial Solutions Division in Hong Kong

Sep 5 2013 // Willis Group Holdings announced the appointment of Les Collett to establish a Financial Solutions office in Hong Kong, effective from October 1, 2013. He joins Willis from Standard Bank in Hong Kong where he is currently...

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Names Kleiterp to Head Asia Pacific

Sep 3 2013 // Swiss Re Corporate Solutions has appointed Fred Kleiterp, a Swiss Re executive, as Head of Asia Pacific. He will move from his current position as Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in Zurich. He is based in...

Shippers Brace for More Suez Canal Turmoil After Vessel Attack

Sep 3 2013 // An attack by assailants on a container ship in the Suez Canal has heightened risks for merchant shipping using the vital waterway, with further threats considered likely as political turmoil continues in Egypt. On Sunday...

AIG Names Coory Vice President for Corporate Marketing for Asia Pacific

Aug 28 2013 // American International Group Inc. has appointed Damian Coory to the newly created role of vice president for Corporate Marketing and Communications for Asia Pacific. Coory will report to Christina Pretto, senior vice...

ING Sells South Korean Insurance Unit to Asian Buyout Firm MBK

Aug 26 2013 // ING Groep NV sold its South Korean insurance unit on its second attempt within a year, raising about 1.84 trillion won ($1.7 billion) from MBK Partners Ltd., the Asian buyout firm formed by ex-Carlyle Group executives. MBK...

Allied World Asia-Pacific Launches ‘Side A’ D&O Coverage

Aug 21 2013 // Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG announced from its headquarters in Switzerland the launch of its Asia-Pacific platform, “the Executive ForceField product to provide a new level of protection for company...

Hong Kong’s Li to Tap ex-AIA Deputy as New Insurance CEO: Sources

Aug 16 2013 // Hong Kong businessman Richard Li, the youngest son of Asia’s richest man, will appoint a former top executive at AIA Group Ltd as the CEO of his new insurance company, according to people with direct knowledge of the...

Global Economic Outlook Dims as U.S. Recovery Continues: ICC-Ifo Survey

Aug 15 2013 // According to a World Economic Survey (WES) carried out by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Munich-based economic research institute Ifo, “the world economy has weakened slightly this...

Aon Benfield’s July Cat Report Confirms Canada’s 2nd Billion Dollar Loss

Aug 8 2013 // According to the latest Global Catastrophe Recap report from Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model development center of excellence at Aon Benfield, the “strong thunderstorms” that “brought record...

Tokio Marine Targets Asean for Expansion Abroad: Southeast Asia

Jul 29 2013 // Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., Japan’s second-largest non-life insurer, is seeking to expand in Southeast Asia as Japan’s shrinking population erodes its domestic market. The insurer plans to expand in life...

U.S.-Led Trade Talks Gain Heft, Complexity, as Japan Joins

Jul 24 2013 // Japan joined U.S.-led trade talks on Tuesday, adding its weight to a pact that covers two-fifths of the world economy but raising further doubt over whether negotiators can prise open sensitive sectors such as farm goods...

Hill to Lead ACE Group’s International Property Business

Jul 19 2013 // The ACE Group has appointed Jarrod Hill to Executive VP and Head of International Property for ACE’s Overseas General business, effective September 1, 2013. He will have responsibility for all of ACE’s retail...

ACE Names Sullivan Chairman-Asia Pacific; Ortega, McNamee in New Posts

Jul 19 2013 // The ACE Group has named Damien Sullivan as chairman of the company’s Asia Pacific region. He is currently the region’s president. As chairman he will focus on governance, strategic planning and senior customer...

Guy Carpenter Facilitates Launch of Multi-Peril Crop Insurance in Australia

Jul 10 2013 // Guy Carpenter & Co., LLC, a global risk and reinsurance specialist and member of Marsh & McLennan Cos. has facilitated the launch of a Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) product for Australian grain growers for the...

Swiss Re sigma Study Finds Global Insurance Premium Growth at 2.4%

Jun 26 2013 // Swiss Re’s latest sigma study reveals that “total global premiums written increased by 2.4 percent in real terms in 2012 to $4.613 trillion. Life premiums expanded by 2.3 percent unwinding some of the...

UK’s Miller Appoints Weaver as Head of Asia

Jun 24 2013 // Miller Insurance Services LLP, the UK-based specialist insurance and reinsurance broker, has appointed Simon Weaver as Head of Asia as of September 1, 2013 He joins Miller from JLT Asia where he was CEO of JLT Specialty...

Ratings: Heddington, Bosna Re, Arden Re, Syndicate 609, Asia Capital Re (notes)

Jun 13 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Bermuda-based Heddington Insurance Limited, both with stable outlooks. The ratings...

La Nina More Likely Than El Nino in Northern Summer: Forecaster

Jun 6 2013 // The U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday predicted that extreme conditions are unlikely through the Northern Hemisphere summer, with the La Nina pattern more likely to develop than its more infamous counterpart,...