Airmic’s report, Managing Risk−The Human Factor, sheds light on the “unprecedented volatility with regards to people risk” and stresses the importance of HR, benefits, and risk professionals working together more closely. The report published in December 2019 in association with Arthur D. Little, Willis Towers Watson and Zurich, positions people risk around the people themselves instead of creating newer categories. This allows a view where risks which may have

Danske Bank subsidiary Danica Pension’s Jens Runing in December 2019 has been made Member of the Board and Executive Committee at Insurope SCRL/CVBA in Brussels alongside his role as head of the International area within Danica Pension since 2016 in Copenhagen, having been working at Danica for over 8 years. Prior to his current role, he was also Senior International Consultant for EB, Nordic Sales, Bancassurance, and Multinational Risk

Smart pensions, the tech platform offering savings and investments globally with investors such as Legal and General Investment Management and JP Morgan, in December 2019 teamed up with Revolut for Business, a part of Revolut, the digital services firm set up in 2015, to offer business clients a retirement savings platform for UK employees. Revolut’s business customers will now be able to sign up for their business account and

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) of the U.S. in December 2019 approved changes to the Credit for Reinsurance Model Law and Regulation to bring models in line with provisions of covered agreements with the European Union and the UK in the treatment of qualifying jurisdictions such as Bermuda, Japan, and Switzerland. This covers reinsurers domiciled in the European Union, Bermuda, Japan, and Switzerland, who will soon receive

The OECD in December 2019 published updated versions of the 2019 series of its E.U. Country Health Profiles. The profiles provide a concise overview of health and health systems in the EU/European Economic area, emphasizing the particular characteristics and challenges in each country against a backdrop of cross-country comparisons. Each Country Health Profile provides a short summary of: Health status Risk factors The organization of the health system Its

American International Group (AIG) in December 2019 announced that Peter S. Zaffino has been named President of AIG. He will continue to serve as Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) of AIG and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Insurance. Mr. Zaffino joined AIG as Executive Vice President and Global COO in July 2017 and assumed the additional role of CEO of AIG’s General Insurance business in November 2017. He

Carolyn Kennedy in December 2019 was promoted to Senior Vice President Global Employee Benefits and Administration at Chubb where she was previously Vice President Global Benefits from 2014-2019. Carolyn brings over 20 years’ global employee benefits experience to her new role, with a focus on design, management, and governance of global risk insurance programs. Prior to joining Chubb, she was Assistant VP Product Development, Global Employee Benefits at MetLife

On Allianz Global Benefits’ 5th anniversary, Dirk Hellmuth, CEO and Cyril Samson, Managing Director, take stock, review the achievements and successes and speak about where they want to be in five years’ time.

Allianz Global Benefits is the global employee benefits network of the Allianz Group specialized in implementing local employee benefits pro-ducts, insurance solutions and services into global programs. The headquarters of the network is based in Germany and operates a strong global network of more than 110 Allianz subsidiaries and selected external insurance partners in over 90 countries. Leveraging on the geographical scale, the expertise and the customer centricity of its network partners, AGB addresses the needs of multinational companies of managing employee benefits globally. AGB is a one-stop solution provider, this means that our clients can expect the full range of corporate life, accident, disability, health, pension and asset management solutions tailored to their needs. The high quality of local employee benefits plans provided by our local insurers is the backbone of our global solutions that include Multinational Pooling, Global Underwriting, Captive Reinsurance and Global Pension. Our aim is to provide multinational companies a truly flexible and holistic set of solutions for their global employee benefits programs delivered by the world’s most trusted financial service provider.

Published in December 2019, Neyber’s report, the DNA of Financial Wellbeing, which has surveyed over 42,000 people since 2016 suggests that absence, productivity and turnover of staff costs UK employers over £15.2 billion per annum. The report shows that employees’ financial woes are indeed a burden on employers as their spending habits (and results thereof) are a direct contributor to lost revenue at firms. With this report looking at

As concerns over vaping continue to grow, researchers and public health officials are investigating the causes of more than 40 deaths and 2,000 illnesses. It’s confusing even for experts. The term “e-cigarette” refers to a battery-powered device used to inhale an aerosol that typically, but not always, contains nicotine, along with flavorings and other chemicals, but not tobacco. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize e-cigarettes as a broad category that includes a variety of different products that operate similarly and contain similar components.

Exercise is recommended for people who are overweight or obese as a way to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But people don’t always have time to exercise as much as they would like, so finding ways to increase the health benefits of exercise is important. Our latest research has found a way to do just that, and it’s to do with timing. This means you might be able to get away with doing less exercise if other commitments, such as family and work, always seem to get in the way.

Professional sport is full of stories of elite athletes “choking” emotionally and mentally under the pressure of competition. One famous example is golfer Greg Norman, who was leading the 1994 U.S. Masters by six strokes at the beginning of the final round, but then lost by five strokes to Nick Faldo. And England football teams are well known for their struggles in penalty shoot outs.

In the December 2019 issue History of Pooling at Allianz – François Jacquemin, Michael Scheu Vaping and e-cigarettes – Allison Kurti Hospital Price Transparency in the U.S. at Last? – Neeraj Sood To Lose Weight, Eat Less or Exercise More? – Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias Exercise Before Breakfast Works Best – Rob Edinburgh Controlled Breathing for the Rest of Us – David Shearer Allianz Global Benefits Interview – Dirk Hellmuth,

History of Pooling at Allianz – Vaping and e-cigarettes – Hospital Price Transparency in the U.S. at Last? – To Lose Weight, Eat Less or Exercise More? – Exercise Before Breakfast Works Best – Controlled Breathing for the Rest of Us – Allianz Global Benefits Interview, Dirk Hellmuth, Cyril Samson

I tend to be overweight, and for the last few years my blood glucose levels have been putting me on the brink of Type 2 diabetes. I love my food, and it is often part of my social commitments. I’m a Spaniard, so there’s also the occasional tapas and glass of wine, or maybe a martini on Saturdays. As a physiologist, I know I need to take steps to control my blood glucose and weight. So early every morning, I spend a considerable amount of time pedaling away on a stationary bike.

New federal regulations finalized Nov. 15 require hospitals to make public all the prices they negotiate with insurers and health plans, starting in 2021. The aim is to untangle the hospital marketplace with a wave of consumer-friendly information that will promote competition that leads to lower costs. Hospitals are not happy, but advocates of well-informed, patient-centered health care should be cheering.

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in December 2019 announced it had chosen CareClix as its global partner for telemedicine services. CareClix is a leading telemedicine solutions provider headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA and focused on technology-driven medical services to employers, governments, health plans and health systems. Beefing up the MAXIS Global Wellness Solution The partnership will allow MAXIS GBN’s clients, as a part of its MAXIS’ Global Wellness

Randstad’s WorkMonitor report for Q4 2019 was released in December 2019 with a look into work-life balance and the economic and financial outlook for 2020 and shows some interesting results. The survey covers trends across the globe in the mobility, job satisfaction, and motivation in 34 countries around the globe. Work-Life Balance Highlights of the report include the inevitability of technology creeping into our lives more and more: Workers

Hong Kong-listed Ping An Good Doctor (PAGD), along with the Hurun Research Institute, in early 2019 released a “Good Doctors Guide” covering both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to “help 1.4 billion people find the doctors they need”. In 2019, Good Doctor intended to develop its Hospital Cloud, Clinic Cloud, Pharmacy Cloud, Village Medical Cloud and increase the pace of its international strategy. According to Wang Tao, chairman

  Standard Setting Bodies and Professional Federations The European Commission: ec.europa.eu/internal_market/insurance/solvency/index_en.htm European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA): eueiopa.europa.eu National Association of Insurance Commissioners, USA (NAIC): content.naic.org/ International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS): www.iaisweb.org The European Federation of (Re)Insurers: www.insuranceeurope.eu The European Federation of Risk Management Associations: www.ferma.eu The Association of Reinsurance Professionals in France: www.apref.org Regulators and Control Authorities Belgium: www.nbb.be France: acpr.banque-france.fr/lacpr.html Guernsey: www.gfsc.gg/ Ireland: www.centralbank.ie Italy:

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN), the global network of locally licensed insurance companies founded by AXA and MetLife, in December 2019 announced it had teamed up with Peru’s largest insurance provider, RIMAC (Rimac Seguros y Reaseguros) to provide life and medical cover to MAXIS’s multinational clients. Prior to this, MAXIS GBN had Pacifico Compania de Seguros y Reaseguros as it’s Peruvian partner – alongside Insurope. RIMAC’s leading position

Cancer can change a person’s world beyond recognition. During this often highly stressful time, work can provide an oasis of normality and routine. However, the experiences of those working through a cancer diagnosis can vary widely. Employee benefits specialist Unum recently conducted a survey of 300 U.K. workers diagnosed with cancer in the last five years. Published in November 2019, the survey explored workers’ attitudes and challenges, as well

Ping An Good Doctor Develops Commercial Operation of One-Minute-Clinics in China Ping An Good Doctor (PAGD), China’s largest online healthcare services provider and a spin-off of Chinese insurer Ping An, in 2019 expanded its AI-based “One-Minute Clinics” across eight Chinese provinces and cities. One-Minute Clinics are small rooms where patients enter to connect with a virtual doctor (the “AI Doctor”) which in a few minutes offers a preliminary diagnosis

MAXIS Global Benefits Network announced in September 2019 that Grégoire Bonnefoy has been promoted to Reporting and Reinsurance Analyst from the position of Multinational Account Manager where he was responsible for business development for Multinational Pooling and Captive clients. He will be based in London. Prior to joining Maxis, Bonnefoy was a Commercial and Communication Assistant with OC Sport in Geneva, Switzerland. He has also been a business developer

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in November 2019 announced its selection of INTERVENT International as global provider of a suite of designated digital behavior change and population health management solutions. The partnership enhances Maxis GBN’s global solutions for the prevention and management of multiple chronic diseases, disability condition management, maternity care, and other drivers of health-related medical costs. As part of the collaboration, multinational employers working with MAXIS

Marie Moberg in December 2019 started her own consulting firm, Morem Consulting AB. Previously, she served as Group Head Compensation and Benefits at Bonava from 2016-2019 where she also served as Interim Group Head of HR (2018). Prior to this she was a Compensation Expert at Sandvik from 2012-2016 where she served in Australia and was Compensation and Benefits Manager at Sandvik Mining global. Marie was Director of Compensation