October 2008/2

London and international broker HSBC Insurance Brokers Ltd. has opened a branch office and received regulatory approval from the QFC Authority to provide insurance broking services to corporate customers within Qatar.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson has announced that Warren Dann will join its Global Risk Solutions (GRS) division as sales leader on 16 October.

London and international broker Thompson, Heath & Bond has appointed John Goldsmith, former chairman of the London (re)insurance broker Dennis M. Clayton (now part of Towers Perrin), as non-executive director of the firm.

A survey of senior level members of insurance brokerage firms carried out by market data provider Advisen suggests that most brokers are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" in AIG after the $85mn federal bail-out, and only a small percent are advisin

Expansive Lloyd's insurer Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Ltd has hired a five-strong team from HSBC that will bring renewal rights to a portfolio of high net worth property business.

Janet Edey and Mathew Carr, two underwriters with 35 years experience in D&O between them, have been appointed as joint leaders of Novae's Syndicate 2007 management liability unit.

The notional value of the global weather derivatives market has tripled in three years to $32bn for 2007-8 and is expected to see 30 percent annual growth "for the next several years", according to a report from the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Aon Ltd, the UK operation of the Chicago-based global broking giant, has agreed a deal to buy niche trade broker Supercover Holdings Ltd, as it continues to snap up specialist firms to boost distribution.

Start-up energy specialist insurer Torus Insurance Holdings Ltd has confirmed the appointment of Clive Tobin as the Group's CEO, effective 1 January 2009, as revealed by The Insurance Insider in June.

Bermudian-headquartered run-off specialist Enstar Group Ltd has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royston Run-Off Ltd, has won the race to buy Unionamerica Holdings Ltd, the discontinued UK-based operations of Travelers for $343.4mn.

A US congressional committee criticised former AIG executives last week during a hearing to examine the regulatory mistakes and financial excesses that led to the $85bn September bailout of the insurance giant.

A fundamental disagreement over the issue of mandatory commission disclosure lies at the heart of last week's decision by the London Market Insurance Brokers' Committee (LMBC) to break away from the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) and form a