July 2010/3

Willis has maintained its public crusade against contingent commissions today (19 July) by distributing a white paper on the subject to risk managers, following up on the high-profile "Clients Before Contingents" campaign launched at the Rims conference in April.

AJ Gallagher said last week it had entered into a new $500mn unsecured credit facility to replace one expiring later this year.

Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter has hired Walsham Brothers veteran Martin Pepper to replace Jack Stephenson as head of its London-based marine and energy practice.

Mark Parker, the head of one of Willis’s international P&C London market operations, has left the broker, The Insurance Insider has learnt.

The UK-registered holding company created as part of the merger between Cooper Gay and Swett & Crawford has no representatives from the latter's executive management team, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

Two years after Willis acquired rival broker Hilb Rogal Hobbs (HRH), senior former HRH executives have emerged at the head of a new US broker consolidator The Hilb Group.

R-T Specialty, the wholesale arm of Pat Ryan's broking start-up, has made its first acquisition, picking up California-based wholesaler Chartwell Independent Insurance Brokers.

It's a headhunters' market out there.

Lloyd's insurer Chaucer is opening a new office in Buenos Aires to write facultative property business, as it looks to exploit hardening rates in the wake of the Chile earthquake.

Lord Levene is adamant that he can continue to fulfil his responsibilities as Lloyd's chairman despite his new role as executive chairman of an unnamed start-up looking to muscle its way into the UK consumer banking sector.

HCC Global has appointed joint CEOs to head up the firm's international operations, replacing Matthew Fairfield.

The Brazilian economic boom has not translated into a growth in reinsurance demand despite the lifting of the state monopoly two years ago, according to a veteran Brazilian insurance consultant.