March 2014/3

Privately held US carrier Western World Insurance Company has been placed up for sale in a process managed by Goldman Sachs, The Insurance Insider reported last week.

Equity Syndicate Management Limited hopes to have seen the last of its reserve strengthening and is forecasting a "very small" profit for the calendar year, its chief financial officer Katie Wade told The Insurance Insider.

QBE Europe international medical malpractice underwriter Avraam Avraam has resigned from the organisation, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

Insurers face potential political risk and trade credit claims after the European Union and US today (17 March) announced travel bans and asset freezes against senior Russian and Ukrainian officials in response to Moscow's encroachment on Crimea.

Swiss Re, the world's second-biggest reinsurer, was last week forced to deny a blog report that Italy's Agnelli family, the biggest shareholder in carmaker Fiat, was planning to buy a 20 percent stake in the reinsurer via a tender offer worth up to SwF7.4bn ($8.3bn).

Allianz has agreed to pay EUR440mn ($611mn) to acquire a portfolio of non-life renewal rights from Italian insurer Unipol.

Advent loads cargo hire; Hannover Re predicts loss; Acromas accelerates; Acromas accelerates; Mapfre targets growth; Hearn to chair LIIBA; Quake launch; Emerging threat; AIG elects; Generali turnaround; Syndicate 6107 strong; Weather claims; AIG downgraded; Argo appoints; Barbican hires; Ironshore leaders; Zurich jobs; Hannover Re boosted; Esure profits; Quake loss 'minimal';  Add-on rules

Lloyd's insurer Atrium is the lead on the Malaysia Airlines aviation war policy that would face a $100mn hit if terrorism was conclusively proved to be the cause of the plane's loss, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

Successful travel writers often lament the fact that their work can spoil the places they most enjoy visiting.

Services company Charles Taylor is looking to become the fourth turnkey managing agent at Lloyd's next year, and will look to shepherd protection and indemnity (P&I) mutual the Standard Club into the market on the same timetable, The Insurance Insider can reveal.