September 2012/4

Aon Benfield and Willis Re have benefited after Australian giant QBE switched brokers on two key components of its outwards reinsurance programme ahead of the 1 January 2013 renewal, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

WR Berkley upgrade; Brown & Brown; Buffett upbeat; Fitch negative; Beazley closes; QBE exit; Hastings expands; Transparency call; Isaac $1bn-$2bn; Stanford three years; AIG returns; Bacon departs

Third Point Re has attracted enough funding to launch its property cat venture for the 1 January renewals, The Insurance Insider understands.

When a single young man discovers that a close friend is going out with a beautiful young lady, the next logical and indeed inevitable question he will ask of said friend is always "does she have a sister?"

Steve Hearn, the Willis executive who has enjoyed a meteoric rise since joining the global broker four years ago, is now the frontrunner to succeed Joe Plumeri next year as CEO, The Insurance Insider can reveal