Latest Australia Headlines

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

Willis Completes Acquisition of Australia’s CKA Risk Solutions

Aug 20 2015 // Willis Australia, part of Willis Group Holdings plc, announced the completion of its acquisition of CKA Risk Solutions. The announcement noted that “CKA is a leading independent broker based in Perth with a strong...

Zurich Launches Management Liability Offering for SMEs in Australia

Aug 13 2015 // Zurich is launching a new management liability offering, specifically designed to protect small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Australia, with turnovers up to AUD$50 million. The new product will be provided via...

France Expands Search for MH 370 Debris at Malaysia’s Request

Aug 7 2015 // The French government has responded to a request from Malaysia for more help in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. France said it would send planes, boats and helicopters to scour the coast of the remote...

Malaysia Says Maintenance Records Prove Wing Part Is from Flight MH370

Aug 6 2015 // Malaysia said on Thursday that paint color and maintenance-record matches prove that a piece of wing found on the shore of the French Island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean was part of the wreckage of Malaysian Airlines...

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Enters Marine Insurance Market in Australia & N.Z.

Aug 4 2015 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Enters Marine Insurance Market in Australia & N.Z Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI) announced that it has begun underwriting Marine Insurance in Australia and New...

QBE Names Fagen as Group Chief Strategy Officer; Plant Is Promoted

Jul 29 2015 // Sydney, Australia-headquartered QBE has appointed Colin Fagen as group chief strategy officer, in a new role “designed to create a strong platform for growth across the group,” according to Group Chief...

Beazley Launches New Insurance Product for Australian Expat Workers

Jul 23 2015 // Specialist insurer Beazley has launched Expatriate Medical and Emergency Evacuation, a new tailored insurance solution for Australian employees who live and work overseas. The product combines elements of both health and...

JLT Australia Deploys NetSuite Cloud Solution to Run Entire Business Life Cycle

Jul 15 2015 // Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) Australia, a subsidiary of the London-based insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits firm, has deployed NetSuite OpenAir cloud professional services automation (PSA) solution to run the...

Spate of Climate Change Reports Ahead of Global Summit

Jul 2 2015 // Ahead of December’s big and much-talked about United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21 or CMP11, it seems there’s been an information ramp up of sorts. I’m not just talking about Pope...

Beazley Launches Business Travel Insurance in Australia

Jul 2 2015 // Specialist insurer Beazley has launched its first international business travel insurance product in the Australian market. Beazley Corporate Travel Insurance will be offered to Australian brokers and coverholders. Beazley...

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Expands in Australia, New Zealand

Jun 30 2015 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. (BHSI) said it is entering the healthcare underwriting market in Australia, and has appointed Tony Bainbridge, previously with American International Group (AIG), to lead the...

DUAL Australia Launches Suite of Marine Products with New Team

Jun 26 2015 // DUAL, the underwriting arm of the Hyperion Insurance Group*, has announced the continued expansion of its global marine and energy practice following the launch of a marine offering at DUAL Australia Pty Ltd. DUAL...

Flitcroft Named Managing Director of Gen Re Australia, Regional Treaty Manager

Jun 24 2015 // Gen Re announced that Andrew Flitcroft will assume the role of managing director of General Reinsurance Australia and regional treaty manager for the Asia Pacific region, effective July 31. He will take over for Pietro...

Zurich Australia Appoints Seales as COO, General Insurance

Jun 22 2015 // Zurich Australia has appointed Raelene Seales as its new chief operating officer, General Insurance. Seales, who is currently head of Wrap and SMSF Platforms with ANZ, will replace Shaun Feely in the COO role. Feely has...

Insurers Stepping Toward Greater Green Investment Footprint

Jun 18 2015 // This is the second of a two-part column on green bonds.The first installment focused on bond sales. Australian carrier QBE Insurance Group Ltd. has invested $190 million Australian Dollars ($148.42 million) in four green...

Berkshire Hathaway to Buy Stake in IAG to Boost Australia Insurance Sales

Jun 16 2015 // Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will pay A$500 million ($388 million) for a stake in Insurance Australia Group Ltd. as part of a plan to expand in the region. The agreement will give Berkshire 20 percent of...

Australia’s April-May Storm Loss Claims Reach US$1.208 Billion

Jun 3 2015 // The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) announced that insurance losses from claims following from storms in April and May at A$1.551 billion [US$1.208 billion], as a series of severe storms hit eastern Australia. The ICA...

‘All at Sea:’ Australia’s Search for MH370 Wreckage Under Scrutiny

May 28 2015 // Nearly a year after embarking on a multi-million dollar quest to solve one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries, authorities and search teams are being criticized over their approach to finding Flight MH370 in...

El Niño Strengthens as Pacific Temperatures Show Same Trend as ’97-’98

May 26 2015 // The El Niño taking hold across the Pacific strengthened, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, citing indexes of sea-surfaces temperatures that showed the same trend for the first time since the event in...

Airlines Banning Bulk Shipments of Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

May 19 2015 // Replacing smartphone batteries just got harder. Fearing cargo fires like one that caused a United Parcel Service Inc. freighter to crash into the desert near Dubai in 2010, at least 18 airlines have banned freight...