Alan Gray Selected to Provide Run-Off Administration Services for ECRA and CMC Reinsurance Pools
Weekly Articles
Insurance Market
AmTrust Financial Services and Blackstone Credit & Insurance are spinning off several of AmTrust's MGA and fee businesses in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Continental Europe into a new independent company, with a 10-year capacity agreement for AmTrust to continue underwriting the existing books of business. Adam Karkowsky will lead the new entity as Chairman and CEO, overseeing over seven subsidiaries offering commercial specialty coverages, aiming to accelerate growth and sharpen focus in specialty lines.
Aon Launches Specialist Claims Solutions to Help Insurers Drive Profitability in a Volatile Market
Aon has launched Specialist Claims Solutions, a comprehensive service to help insurers improve profitability by identifying and reducing claims leakage, enhancing administration and run-off capabilities, and supporting debt recovery and commutations. The initiative includes a partnership with ARMStrong Insurance Services and will be led globally by Veronica Judice and David Griffiths under the sponsorship of Aon's strategy and reinsurance leadership.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Enters the Accident & Health Market in the UK
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance is entering the UK Accident & Health market by launching Group Personal Accident and Business Travel insurance for companies of all sizes. The product includes real-time traveler risk alerts, emergency response, and virtual health and mental health services, led by Toni LePine as Head of A&H UK and Tom Keeble as Senior Underwriter.
Insurance Industry Reps Back Reauthorization of Federal Terrorism Backstop
Insurance industry representatives expressed strong support for the reauthorization of the federal terrorism insurance backstop, which is set to expire at the end of 2027. They cautioned that uncertainty around the program's future could disrupt coverage availability, impact pricing, and create volatility in the commercial insurance market.
Reinsurance Market
Aerospace Insurance Market Renewal Outlook: Q3 2025 - WTW
The aerospace insurance market is showing early signs of hardening as insurers become more selective on risk, demand stronger pricing and apply more scrutiny to exposure and claims history. While premium rates have remained flat in many lines amid strong capacity, rising costs and recent airline losses are increasingly leading underwriters to demand premium increases in the second year of long-term agreements.
Global Specialties 2025 Market Update
Guy Carpenter's Global Specialties 2025 update highlights that specialty reinsurance remains stable with adequate pricing, strong retained earnings, and new capital supporting growth. While some rate softening has emerged in marine, energy, and certain non-marine lines, reinsurers' continued discipline on terms and conditions positions them strongly for the January 2026 renewals.
PwC | Global Insurance Run-off Survey
PwC's 2025 Global Run-Off Survey estimates global non-life run-off reserves at approximately US$1.13 trillion, marking an 11 percent increase, with deal activity remaining solid though centered on mid-sized transactions. Long-tail casualty lines continue to dominate seller interest and investors expect new capital inflows in run-off over the next three years, with technology and AI seen as key levers for enhancing due diligence and claims handling efficiency.
Radian is acquiring Lloyd's specialty insurer Inigo for $1.7 billion in an all-cash deal to pivot from mortgage insurance into a global multi-line specialty insurer. The transaction is expected to double Radian's revenue and deliver mid-teens percentage earnings per share accretion in the first full year after closing, while Inigo's leadership team will remain in place.
Commercial Lines
DUAL announces new partnership in Ireland
DUAL Underwriting Ireland has formed a partnership with Hiscox Ireland to jointly offer high-net-worth (HNW) insurance products in Ireland, with DUAL managing underwriting, broker relationships, and servicing. Hiscox will provide capacity and technical oversight in this collaboration which aims to enhance product access, speed of decision making, and expertise for specialist HNW clients.
EverPeak Insurance has acquired Method Insurance, combining their expertise to create a national workers' compensation solution for brokers across the U.S. The deal strengthens EverPeak's distribution capabilities and expands its commercial lines offerings, giving brokers broader access to tailored workers' comp products.
Howden has agreed to acquire Gravitas Insurance Agency, a Los Angeles-based brokerage focused on contingency insurance for music, sport, and live events. The move strengthens Howden's U.S. retail presence and expands its global Sport & Entertainment capability by combining Gravitas' specialist expertise with Howden's platform.
Specialty Program Group Consolidates Leading Wholesale Brands Under SPG Banner
Specialty Program Group (SPG) is merging five of its wholesale and specialty brands under a single identity - SPG Wholesale - to streamline operations, strengthen carrier partnerships, and enhance market access for brokers nationwide. The legacy brand names will be retired, but their expertise and specialized capabilities will feed into a unified specialty platform aiming for greater scale and simplicity in wholesale underwriting.
Emerging Risks & Technologies
Democratic Lawmakers Urge Trump to Drop Plan to Kill Vehicle Emission Limits
More than 100 Democratic U.S. Representatives sent a letter urging the EPA to abandon its plan to repeal greenhouse gas emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. The lawmakers warned that undoing these rules could lead to $1.3 trillion in lost fuel and maintenance savings, hurt clean vehicle technology growth, and threaten jobs in the emerging clean automotive sector.
GreenieRE Launches Suite of UCS-Backed Renewable Energy Surety Products | GreenieRE
GreenieRE, in partnership with United Casualty & Surety Insurance Company (UCS), has launched a suite of renewable energy surety products to help developers and utilities manage risk in critical areas such as interconnection, construction, decommissioning, and permitting. These products are intended to remove financing roadblocks, enabling more clean energy infrastructure to be deployed in affordable and responsible ways via surety solutions tailored to specific project bottlenecks.
Insurance AI Pilots Without a Framework Are Risky Business
Many AI pilots in insurance fail to move into full production because they are initiated without sturdy frameworks or scalable design. The author argues that successful pilots should include clear business metrics, executive buy-in, consistent oversight, phases of rollout, and mechanisms for learning and adjustment.
kWh Analytics Closes Parametric Wind Proxy Hedge for Apex Clean Energy
Apex Clean Energy's 79 MW Rocky Forge wind project in Virginia has closed a parametric Wind Proxy Hedge deal via kWh Analytics and Munich Re to protect against low wind speed risk using an Indifference Structure, backed by lenders MUFG and CIBC. This structure increases project returns, boosts debt capacity, and reduces equity requirements by generating roughly seven dollars in additional debt for every dollar of premium during the mini-perm period.
Persistent gaps in risk and adaptation strategies remain amid rising climate hazards
A global survey by Marsh of more than 130 risk managers shows that although about 78 percent of organizations report climate-related impacts such as flooding, heat, and water stress only 38 percent conduct detailed climate risk assessments and 22 percent do not assess future climate impacts at all. Forty percent of respondents said their organization lacks sufficient funding for effective climate adaptation and that other business priorities often outweigh climate initiatives.
Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation Over Door Handles
U.S. auto safety regulators have launched a preliminary evaluation into whether exterior door handles on certain Tesla Model Y SUVs can become inoperative when low-voltage batteries fail, risking vehicle occupants becoming trapped. The inquiry follows more than 140 complaints from owners about door malfunctions since 2018 and highlights increasing scrutiny over electric vehicle safety as EV features become more complex.
Litigation & Mass Torts
AMP to Pay $80 Million to Settle Class Action Over Pension Fees
AMP Ltd. will pay approximately A$120 million (about US$80 million) to settle a class suit claiming it charged excessive fees from July 2008 to May 2020 in some pension funds without admitting liability. Insurance underwriters will cover around A$45 million of the settlement after AMP contributes the rest, highlighting the risk of legacy liability exposure even for financial services firms.
Boeing Faces $3.1 Million in Fines for Safety Violations
The Federal Aviation Administration has fined Boeing Company $3.1 million for safety violations discovered during inspections between late 2023 and early 2024. The infractions included issues with inspection records and failure to fix known defects in a timely manner.
Firings After Comments on Kirk's Death Raises Questions on Worker vs. Employer Rights
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, dozens of employees across the U.S. have been fired for social media posts viewed as celebrating or mocking his death. The wave of terminations has reignited debate over the balance between employee free speech rights and employer authority, with legal experts noting that most private-sector workers have little protection against being disciplined or dismissed for public comments.
Trump's NYT Lawsuit Tossed for Now as 'Inexcusably' Long
A federal judge in Florida dismissed Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, citing repeated failure to comply with court rules that require claims to be "short, plain, direct." The judge described portions of the complaint as "repetitive," "superfluous," and "florid," while granting a 28-day window to refile a condensed version.
Update: SEC Hands Victory to IPO Issuers Who Want to Avoid Class-Action Lawsuits
The Securities and Exchange Commission voted 3-1 to allow companies going public to require arbitration of shareholder fraud or false statement claims rather than court litigation. Supporters argue this reduces litigation risk for IPO issuers while critics warn it diminishes investor rights and accountability.
People Moves
Appointment of Chief Executive Officer- HUW News article | London Stock Exchange
Louis Tucker has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Helios Underwriting plc, effective October and subject to regulatory approval. He joins from Arch Capital Group where he was Managing Director of Arch Managing Agency Ltd and previously founded and led Barbican Insurance Group.
Axis Insurance has appointed Kevan Thompson as National Senior Vice President for Construction, Contractors & Real Estate (CCRE) to lead strategy, risk management, insurance, and performance security delivery. Thompson's role will focus on growing and strengthening CCRE capabilities at a national level.
CRC Group Names Brennan Paris Chief Revenue Officer of CRC Specialty
Brennan Paris has been named Chief Revenue Officer of CRC Specialty while continuing his role as President of CRC Select. In his expanded role he will lead revenue growth across CRC Specialty's Brokerage, Select, and Insurisk divisions and focus on recruiting producers, promoting exclusive products, and enhancing collaboration across CRC.
HDI Global USA Appoints Bruce Griffin to Lead Casualty Business
Bruce Griffin has been appointed head of Casualty at HDI Global USA (HGIC) where he will lead strategy, underwriting, portfolio management, and product development for both primary and excess liability lines. He joins from Everest Insurance, brings about thirty years of leadership and underwriting experience, and will be based in Chicago reporting to HGIC's Chief Underwriting Officer.
Marsh McLennan appoints Renee McGowan as Chief Commercial Officer, International | Marsh
Renee McGowan is being appointed Chief Commercial Officer, International at Marsh McLennan effective October 1, 2025 and will report to Flavio Piccolomini, CEO of Marsh McLennan International, and Hans van Heukelum, Global CCO. She will continue as CEO of IMEA until early 2026 when she relocates to Europe to lead commercial strategy across Asia, Europe, IMEA, Latin America and the Caribbean, Pacific and the UK, covering all four Marsh McLennan businesses.
Patriot Growth Insurance Services promoted Bill Donato to President of Retail Insurance, Bob Monard to Chief Financial Officer, and Clara Arrington to General Counsel. These changes are meant to strengthen the leadership team as Patriot pursues further growth in its property & casualty, employee benefits, finance, and legal operations.
Ryze Claim Solutions Appoints Walter Leddy as Chief Executive Officer - Ryze Claim Solutions
Walter Leddy has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ryze Claim Solutions effective immediately. He has over 20 years of leadership experience including recent roles at Davies as CEO of US Field Services and previously CEO of IAS Claims Services, and he will lead Ryze's growth strategy including expanding services, investing in technology, and pursuing acquisitions in the property & casualty insurance sector.
SiriusPoint Ltd. - SiriusPoint Appoints Global Head of Claims
David Turner has been appointed Global Head of Claims at SiriusPoint, a role effective October 7, 2025. He will oversee the company's claims teams based in London and New York and report to CEO Scott Egan.
Sompo appoints Alessandrea Quane as CEO, International Markets | Sompo
Alessandrea Quane has been appointed CEO, International Markets at Sompo P&C, where she will be responsible for commercial and consumer insurance operations outside of North America and Japan. She will report to James Shea, oversee regions including the UK, Continental Europe with Turkey, Brazil, and Asia Pacific excluding Japan, and brings over 30 years of insurance experience including roles as an actuary, global chief actuary, chief risk officer, Chief Insurance Officer at Oscar Health, and independent director at AXA XL Bermuda Ltd.
The Fidelis Partnership has made several senior promotions to strengthen its Bermuda Treaty team. Paget Hengesbaugh becomes Head of International Treaty, Drew Tomlinson becomes Head of US Treaty, Will Abbott becomes Head of Complex Risks and Specialty Treaty, Jack Jarvis becomes Head of Global Clients, and additional leadership adjustments include Mark Herget promoted to Deputy Group Head of Property, Energy and Construction, Danny Mereu moving to Head of Property Underwriting Analytics and Pricing in Bermuda, and Dennis Brauchle appointed Head of Property Treaty & Portfolio Analytics.
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