ModusLink in July 2019 announced that Robert Breukers will start a new position as HR Director. Mr. Breukers will be based near Eindhoven, the Netherlands (NL). Breukers is seconded as interim HR Manager by Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services, based in NL. Previously, he held positions as General Manager and Senior HR Professional for HR5 in Uden, NL; Director of HR for Hüppe in Germany; as HR Director for

Marine Charbonnier, who is also an author for Global Benefits Vision, in June 2019 started a new position as Global Programs and Captives Regional Director Europe at AXA XL (a division of AXA). She was previously Head of Integrated Solutions A.R.T. (alternative risk transfer) for AXA, as well as Head of Risk Financing Solutions at AXA. Charbonnier is based in Paris. Previous to her tenure at AXA, Charbonnier was

Burlington, Vermont, USA-based Distributed Ledger Governance Association (DLGA) in July 2019 launched a blockchain working group dedicated to captive reinsurance companies. The U.S. state of Vermont is a major domicile for captive insurers and reinsurers. DLGA’s mission statement is “to enable [its] members to successfully demonstrate and accelerate commercialization of their distributed ledger technology (DLT). [DLGA believes] this can best be accomplished through effectively engaging with government and stakeholders

Indigo Captive Insurance Consulting has announced the addition of Linda Danna to their Charleston, South Carolina consulting staff as of June 2019. She joins Indigo from Marsh where she has served as Senior Advisory Consultant and Captive Management Executive since 2005. Previous to joining Marsh, Danna was CFO and VP of Venture Management and Consultants and worked as manager of accounting operations for Blackbaud. She moved to Blackbaud after

Verisure has named Stéphanie Breton-Courtadon as head of Payroll, Compensation & Benefits as of February 2019. She is based in Châtenay-Malabry, Île-de-France. Breton-Courtadon was previously Compensation and Benefits Manager for Verisure, and previous to her tenure at Verisure she worked in Compensation & Benefits at LVMH Watches & Jewelry in Paris. Before that, she was a Team Leader and Consultant, Compensation and Benefits, for the Hay Group. Prior to

AIG has named Adam Winslow as Interim Chief Executive Officer of its global Life Insurance business, effective in June 2019. He is based in London, UK; Nashville, TN; and Houston, TX, and is responsible for AIG’s global life business (US and international). He also is a member of AIG’s Life and Retirement Executive Team. Winslow has been with AIG since 2013 when he was brought on board as Executive

Nick Burns in July 2019 joined Gallagher as the new CEO of its UK Employee Benefits Consulting Division. He now is based in London and succeeds Tim Johnson. Prior to joining Gallagher, Burns was a non-executive adviser for SMEs and start-ups in employee benefits and creative technology, including Hybrid Legal; Brand Biology; Engage Works; and Neyber. Earlier, he was the CEO of Capita E.B. Solutions; of consulting firm Bluefin;

Global insurance premiums passed the USD 5 trillion mark for the first time in 2018, equivalent to more than 6% of world gross domestic product (GDP) according to the July 2019 issue of sigma, “World insurance: the great pivot east continues”, from Swiss Re Institute. This surge was based on solid growth in the non-life sector, especially in China and other emerging Asian countries, as well as in advanced

Nexus Insurance Brokers has announced that Emmanuel Isenbrandt has been named Head of Sales, Employee Benefits, in the UAE as of April 2019. He will be based in Dubai. Isenbrandt was previously Vice President – Head of Gulf, Employee Benefits for MetLife in Dubai, and earlier, International Director at Henner in Dubai. Previous to that, he spent 13 years at Allianz as International Master Black Belt Project Manager based

The number of workers on zero-hours contracts continues to rise in the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that between October and December 2018 there were between 777,000 and 911,000 people working on zero-hours contracts. But the impact of such contracts seems to be underestimated by the government.

In June 2019, much of Europe was struck by early heatwave, with temperatures reaching nearly 46 Centigrade (115 Fahrenheit) in France, an all-time record. A heat wave is characterised by extremely high temperatures over the course of several days and nights. They have significant impact on our daily lives – we feel overheated and tired. When a heat wave strikes, many governments activate a “heat action plan”, advising those affected to drink water, avoid strenuous exercise, and stay cool. If not, one risks having a heat stroke, which can be potentially life-threatening.

People in China have used salt to prepare and preserve food for thousands of years. But consuming lots of salt raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke, now accounts for 40% of deaths in China.

Why should employers look to create a positive workplace culture? We sat down with Dr Leena Johns, Head of Health & Wellness at MAXIS Global Benefits Network, to discuss the, often unseen, impact of workplace culture on the productivity and health of employees.

Australia is in the bottom third of OECD countries when it comes to working long hours, with 13% of us clocking up 50 hours or more a week in paid work. These long hours are bad for our health. A new study from France has found that regularly working long days of ten hours or more increases our risk of having a stroke.

SIRVA Worldwide Relocation & Moving has named Suzie Chapman as Vice President, Global Account Management as of April 2019. She will be based in Washington DC. She is also Vice President, Global Account Management and Implementation, and Vice President, Global Client Engagement. Chapman comes to SIRVA from MetLife, where she was Director of Delivery Strategy in their International Assignment Office, and Cartus, where she was Director of Global Operations.

MAXIS GBN announced in July 2019 the promotions of Trudie Roberts and Greg Tew to the position of Member Manager for the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region. The appointments mean the firm now has five dedicated professionals focused on serving members and supporting the growth and development of its network. MAXIS GBN member managers represent local insurers and their needs across projects and initiatives, deliver ongoing local

In our previous article* we saw how the growth and geographical expansion of multinationals is leading to increasing international mobility, and new challenges for the HR function. Now we’ll look at the issues surrounding a specific area of benefit provision – group life and disability cover – and discuss the range of solutions available.

Every year in April the two most important surveys for the Group Risk industry come out: Swiss Re’s ‘Group Watch’ shows how the Group Risk market is performing which informs insurers; while the GRID claims statistics survey shows how the Group Risk industry is performing from an adviser, employer and employee perspective.

Leena Johns on Workplace Culture – Protecting Employees on The Move – The UK Group Risk Market in 2018 – Long Hours Increase Chances of A Stroke – Salt, China’s Deadly Food Habit – Body Organs Most at Risk During A Heatwave – The Toll of Zero-Hour Contracts

Virva Ojala has been named new Nordic Head of Financial Lines at Zurich Insurance as of June 2019. She will be based in Stockholm, Sweden. Ojala was previously with AIG as Nordic Manager PI & Cyber, based in Stockholm, and Nordic PI, Cyber, Crisis Management Manager based in Oslo, Norway. She also served as Manager, Financial Lines Norway; Manager, Financial Lines Finland, and Senior Underwriter Financial Lines, all at

Discovery, the global leader in real life entertainment, has named Karen Bradshaw as Total Rewards Analyst as of April 2019. Bradshaw was previously employed as Global Mobility Technology Consultant with Mercer and based in Louisville, Kentucky. Before that, she was a Global Mobility Specialist with Kimberly Clark in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Global Mobility Specialist at AMD Semiconductors, as well as an International Relocation Consultant and Staffing Consultant for Intel

Non-life reinsurer TransRe in July 2019 completed the redomiciliation of its Swiss subsidiary, TransRe Zurich, to Luxembourg. Owner Transatlantic Holdings had announced the move in September 2018. TransRe Zurich changes its name to TransRe Europe in the process. In addition to P/C, the company also reinsures Accident & Health risks. The continental European offices in Munich, Paris and Zurich, as well as Dubai, become branch offices of Luxembourg. TransRe

AM Best’s Review in July 2019 released the 2019 edition of its list of the top 20 global insurance brokers, with Marsh & McLennan Companies leading the pack. The list ranks global insurance brokers by total yearly revenue. With $14.95 billion in total revenue, Marsh & McLennan (MMC) maintained the lead it held in 2017 thanks to the acquisition of Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) in September 2018 for $5.6

Gallagher in July 2019 announced the purchase of a minority interest (29.7%) in Czech based insurance broker Renomia. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Prague, Renomia is the largest independent broker based in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, and has achieved double digit growth over the past five years. This growth is credited to a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. With more than 1,500 associates,

In April 2019, global mobility management company Topia announced the appointment of Terry Schmid as CFO. He will lead the global finance and accounting team, joining recently appointed CISO Randy Barr and CEO Shawn Farshchi. Terry has held a number of CFO roles over the past 20 years in the finance and technology sector including for IBM and top Silicon valley companies Coremetrics, Imperva and most recently, Apttus. His

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in June 2019 released the 2019 World Investment Report, which analyses global and regional foreign direct investment trends and prospects. It also documents national and international investment policy developments. In its theme chapter, the 2019 Report provides the global landscape of special economic zones (SEZs) and offers a policy framework for addressing key emerging challenges. The report highlights: Global foreign

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for the United States was released in June 2019, indicating a decline from the previous month of May. The Index now stands at 121.5 (1985=100), down from 131.3 in May. The Present Situation Index, based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions, decreased from 170.7 to 162.6, while the Expectations Index, which is based on the short-term consumer outlook for income,