Australia News

Zurich Picks Perritaz to Replace Howie as Asia-Pacific/Middle East CFO

Zurich Financial Services Group has appointed Pascal Perritaz (37, Swiss citizen) to the position of Chief Financial Officer Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME), effective April 1, 2010. He replaces Iain Howie, who has been appointed CFO Zurich Australia. Perritaz will …

Google, Facebook Face Heat from Cyber-Bullying Cases

The Internet was built on freedom of expression. Society wants someone held accountable when that freedom is abused. And major Internet companies like Google and Facebook are finding themselves caught between those ideals. Although Google, Facebook and their rivals have …

Rising Rivers Flood Rural Australian Towns

Floods caused by heavy rains have cut off several townships in Australia’s northeastern Queensland state and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, the state’s premier said Sunday. Premier Anna Bligh toured an affected community- St. George, a town …

People

Thomas J. Schaffler has been named president of Lockton Cos. employee benefits practice in Chicago. He joined Lockton more than 10 years ago as executive vice president and producer and serves on the Chicago executive committee. He is also a …

El Nino Dissipating, But May Linger Through 2010

The deadly El Nino weather anomaly should dissipate by early summer in the northern hemisphere, but there is a chance a weak version will linger for the rest of 2010, according to a U.S. government report issued Thursday. The federal …

‘Great Earthquake’ Strikes Chile; 700 Dead; 2 Million Affected

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck the central coast of Chile early Saturday morning, February 27. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured the magnitude at 8.8 with severe “shaking intensity” extending nearly 500 kms (app. 300 miles) from …

Allianz 2009 Net Income up 13% at $6.4 Billion

Germany’s Allianz Group posted preliminary figures for 2009, indicating that its net income rose by 13.2 percent to €4.7 billion [$6.4 billion]. Revenues were up up 5.2 percent to €97.4 billion [$132.5 billion]. Life and Health revenues exceeded €50 billion …

Maag to Head North American P&C Unit for XL

XL Insurance has appointed Seraina Maag as chief executive of its North America Property & Casualty (P&C) unit. Maag most recently headed the Zurich North America Commercial, Specialties Business Unit, managing all aspects of that operation with offices across the …

Copenhagen: Billions in Aid Seen as Key to Climate Talks Success

The allure of $30 billion in climate aid for poor nations holds the key to helping restore confidence in U.N. talks on fighting global warming and stopping them from unraveling. But there’s only months to figure out a way to …

People

Steve Cooper was appointed president of United Heartland, a national workers’ compensation insurer based in New Berlin, Wis., and a subsidiary of Accident Fund Holdings Inc. Cooper succeeds Emil Pfenninger, who has led United Heartland since its founding in 1990. …