United Kingdom News

Best Upgrades Zurich’s Ratings to ‘A+’

A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A+’ (Superior) from ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to “aa-” from “a+” of Zurich Insurance Company Limited (ZIC), the main operating company of …

Feds Urges All States to Require Motorcycle Helmets

Federal safety officials are calling on states to require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, citing a surge in fatalities since the late 1990s. Motorcycle deaths have increased over the last decade even as other traffic fatalities have declined, the …

Decades of Data Show Troposphere Is Warming Too

Not only is Earth’s surface warming, but the troposphere — the lowest level of the atmosphere, where weather occurs — is heating up too, U.S. and British meteorologists reported Monday. In a review of four decades of data on troposphere …

RMS Appoints Weinthrop VP for Client Development in Europe

Risk Management Solutions announced the appointment of Martin Weinthrop to the position of vice president of client development, Europe, effective immediately. He will be based in London, and will lead the regional sales team, “focusing on developing both existing and …

People

Connecticut-based managing general agency Business Risk Partners has named Mark Bradway as director of broker relations. He has worked in specialty liability for over a decade. He began his career at wholesale broker Swett & Crawford in Los Angeles specializing …

Family of Mississippi Inmate Who Died Sues Town, Private Prison Firm

The family of an inmate who died in prison is suing the town of Walnut Grove and a private corrections company, claiming Dennis Earl Holmes was denied adequate medical care before dying of what the plaintiffs believe was treatable diabetes. …

Best Revises Hannover Re, Subs Outlook to Positive; Affirms ‘A’ Ratings

A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the ratings of Germany’s Hannover Rueckversicherung AG (Hannover Re) and its related debt issues and rated subsidiaries. Best also affirmed the financial strength rating …

Swiss Re Structures $386 Million ‘European Windstorm’ Notes

Swiss Re’s Capital Markets Division has structured €275 million [$386 million] in notes as an alternative risk transfer vehicle, covering European windstorm events, for AXA Global P&C’s Calypso Capital Ltd., a special-purpose company incorporated in Dublin, Ireland. “The notes, which …

People

Massachusetts-based Eastern Insurance Group has appointed Matthew Shadrick as executive vice president of its employee benefits division, Eastern Benefits Group. The 20-year industry veteran most recently served as national sales director for the Aon Consulting Human Capital Practice where he …

Aspen Q3 Net Down 36% at $92.8 Million; Conference Call Today

Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited reported net income after tax for the third quarter of 2010 of $92.8 million and operating earnings of $0.79 per diluted ordinary share, compared to Q3 2009 net income after tax of $145.8 million, and …