August 2006/3

South African-headquartered broker Alexander Forbes Ltd has reached an £86mn deal with US broker Lockton Companies Inc and private equity firm Stone Point Capital LLC to sell Alexander Forbes Risk Services Holdings, the holding company of its London-based

Swiss giant Zurich Financial Services (ZFS) this morning reported half-year net profits of $1.96bn, up 9 percent on the first six months of 2005, and ahead of analysts’ consensus of $1.8bn.

Randall & Quilter Group Investment Holdings Ltd, the UK based acquirer of run-off businesses, has acquired Chevanstell Ltd, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

Australian-headquartered (re)insurer QBE Insurance Group announced today (16 August) that its after-tax operating profits were up 20 percent to Aus$591mn for the first half of 2006.

Sports underwriter Sportscover today (15 August) announced that it is launching a new Lloyd’s syndicate specialising in covering amateur sports.

Swiss-based reinsurer Glacier Re has responded to rating agency concerns following last year’s hurricanes by further bolstering its capital base with a $30mn cash injection from existing shareholders.

Zurich Financial Services announced last week that Mike Foley, the head of McKinsey's US P&C insurance practice, will become the chief operating officer for its North American Commercial unit.

The proposed manager of the WFUM Pools Scheme of Arrangement, PRO Insurance Solutions, has issued scheme documentation and announced that the creditor voting meetings will take place on 27 October 2006.

Willis Group has confirmed that it has recruited a team of Jardine Lloyd Thompson's (JLT) Financial and Professional lines brokers led by Julian Martin, the recent leader of JLT's UK D&O team.

The decision by Aon Ltd to outsource its entire back office Client Operations division could provide the framework for a new approach by London market brokers to process their business.

Lloyd's insurer Canopius and Neil Utley's Equity Insurance Group (EIG) are to support a new UK commercial lines underwriting operation to be led by former NIG Commercial Lines (NIG) managing director Charles Earle.

Newly floated Bermudian (re)insurer Allied World Assurance Company Ltd (AWAC) reported an increase in net income from $71.5mn in the second quarter of 2005 to $102.4mn in its first accounting period as a public company.