Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in February 2019 published the 2019 edition its annual “Global benefits financing matrix and poolable coverages” table. An indispensable tool of the trade for global employee benefits practitioners, it is available for download as a PDF. The matrix “provides a complete listing of the eight global benefits networks, and their affiliated insurers across 200 countries and the offshore (third-country national or expat) capabilities for each.”

Swiss Re in February 2019 reported it had realized an overall full-year net income of USD 421 million in 2018. The result includes estimated large claims of USD 3.0 billion, net of retrocession and before tax, which significantly affected both Property & Casualty Reinsurance (P&C Re) and Corporate Solutions’ segment earnings. In addition, an estimated pre-tax USD 599 million impact due to a change in US GAAP accounting guidance

Global broker Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) in February 2019 announced the appointment of Martine Ferland as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mercer. Ferland reports to MMC President and CEO Dan Glaser and joins the company’s Executive Committee. She joined Mercer in 2011 as Retirement Business Leader for Europe and Pacific regions.  She then served as Europe and Pacific Region President and Co-President, Global Health, before being

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has issued recommendations for the insurance sector in case the United Kingdom (UK) withdraws from the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

Great podcast with OECD Head of Social Policy, Monika Queisser, on social protection for gig workers. A great overview of the issues at hand.

Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB), Marsh & McLennan Companies’ (MMC) international employee benefits business, in February 2019 appointed Hervé Balzano as Leader of MMB International, based in London. He reports to Flavio Piccolomini, President of Marsh’s International Division, and Martine Ferland, President and CEO-elect of Mercer. Balzano will be responsible for ensuring MMB meets increasing demand for health and employee benefits, especially in global growth markets, as well as enabling firms

A London judge in February 2019 ruled that a European Union agency, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), could not use Brexit to break its lease. The EMA is moving its 900-people headquarters to Amsterdam, The Netherlands as a direct result of Brexit. It has a 25-year lease for 10 floors in a building in London’s Eastern financial district, Canary Wharf, with 21 years to run. The European agency pays

AXA XL in February 2019 announced it would shed over 700 jobs in Europe. AXA XL has 9,500 staff worldwide. AXA’s business insurance division will end 275 positions in the UK, 222 in France, 140 in Germany, 41 in Italy, and 33 more across the rest of Europe. The move is a step in the integration of XL Catlin, AXA Corporate Solutions, and other AXA entities into AXA XL.

Fitbit in February 2019 launched a new fitness tracker, the Inspire, which is available through health and wellness providers only. From a consumer perspective, the Inspire is a fully subsidized (i.e. free) product intended to be distributed in mass quantities and is promoted “as a way to encourage the well-being of health care recipients”. The tracker monitor activity and sleep, calories burned, and prompts wearers with reminders to get

Global Benefits Vision: What is your role in your company and what is your background? Chris Burns: I am a Partner at EBCG LLC. We are a national and global employee benefits consulting firm. For over 25 years, our team of consultants has helped companies unlock hidden value in their programs. With 5 offices across the U.S., we work with both large and mid-sized companies. We are also a member of the Worldwide Broker Network (WBN), which allows us to assist our clients in over 100 countries around the world.

Gatehouse in February 2019 released its 2019 State of the Sector Report. A member of global brokerage Gallagher, London, UK-based Gatehouse is an internal communication agency providing consultancy on internal communications research. With over 820 responses from 40 countries, the report surveys the internal communication and employee engagement landscape. It also provides internal communications strategists with insights into careers, budgets and working practices, as well as insight into what

France in February 2019 published transitional (or emergency) measures related to insurance in case of a no-deal Brexit. As per the new rules, contracts may not be amended if additional premiums are collected renewals, including automatic renewals are not allowed payment of claims will not be considered a breach for at least the first 12 months The new rules apply to contracts covering French risks and entered into before

InsurTech Oscar Health in February 2019 named Sid Sankaran CFO, reporting to CEO Mario Schlosser. He succeeds Brian West. Sankaran joins from American International Group (AIG) where he was CFO and earlier, chief risk officer. Prior to AIG, he worked for consulting firm Oliver Wyman as a partner in the Finance and Risk practice in Toronto, Canada; and Mercer Risk, Finance & Insurance Consulting and MMC Enterprise Risk. He

In the January 2019 issue Contingency Planning for a Hard Brexit Scenario – Ian Cooper, Jon Green Chris Burns on Insurtech – Interview Benefits in Germany: An Overview and Case Study – Anika Ort, Philipp Dienstbühl E.U. Pensions: The New IORP II Directive, Issues, Impacts and New Requirements – Amin Rajan Vaccines Have Health Effects Beyond Protecting Against Target Diseases – Christine Stabell Benn Lockton 2018 Forum Report Marco

In the January 2019 issue Contingency Planning for a Hard Brexit Scenario – Ian Cooper, Jon Green Chris Burns on Insurtech – Interview Benefits in Germany: An Overview and Case Study – Anika Ort, Philipp Dienstbühl E.U. Pensions: The New IORP II Directive, Issues, Impacts and New Requirements – Amin Rajan Vaccines Have Health Effects Beyond Protecting Against Target Diseases – Christine Stabell Benn Lockton 2018 Forum Report Marco Giacomelli on Insurtech – Interview

Generali Global Assistance (GGA) in February 2019 announced the acquisition of U.S. travel insurance specialist TripMate. GGA is Europ Assistance’s main brand name outside of Europe, and Europ Assistance is part of Generali Group. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, TripMate is a specialized provider of travel insurance products. It acts as a managing general agent (MGA), operating as an intermediary between travelers and the U.S. travel insurance market. It

The 8th edition of the World Pensions Forum will be held in Brussels on 23 and 24 May 2019. The forum will focus on pension investments, financial regulation, and risk management in the post-Brexit era. It also will address the evolving fiduciary role of pension executives and trustees – notably corporate governance, green growth, and women’s economic empowerment. Furthermore, UK, US, Canadian and European Union policy makers, financial regulators

Jean-Baptiste Ramboz in January 2019 joined Chubb as Head of Corporate and Multinational Business Development, Accident & Health (A&H). He is based in Paris, France. Ramboz joins Chubb from UNIQA where he was Head of marketing and sales, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was head of the insurance division of broker Assor Russia in Moskow, Russia; and Insurance manager for haulage company Norbert Dentressangle, now XPO, based in

AXA Egypt in February 2019 joined pooling network MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN). AXA Egypt is the second MAXIS partner in the country, along MetLife Egypt, and joins the global network of over 140 local insurers. AXA Egypt was established as recently as 2015 and is a multi-line insurance carrier, offering general insurance, life and protection insurance, health insurance, and micro-insurance plans. The company is ranked fourth in

Gallagher in February 2019 announced the expansion of the IBIS Academy conference with an Employment Law Symposium. The new track is in addition to the 2-day Conference, the 5-day Institute, and the 3-day Mobility modules. It is designed specifically for employment law practitioners and HR professionals with a particular focus on global employment law. Topics include: Is the law up-to-date with today’s flexible workplaces and forms of work (i.e.,

Adam Winslow in January 2019 was elected Chairman of the Board of the AIG Global Benefits Network (AIG GBN) pooling network, succeeding Frank Schmid who remains a member of the Board while assuming new responsibilities within AIG. Adam in June 2018 became CEO, International Life and Retirement at AIG, a position he retains. Earlier, Adam held positions at AIG in France, South Africa, and the UK, both in life

Francoise Ah-Kuit in January 2019 joined cosmetics distributor Sephora (a member of LVMH Group) as Global Compensation & Benefits Project Director. She is based in Paris, France. She joins Sephora from Van Cleef & Arpels where she was International Compensation & Benefits Director. Earlier, she was Compensation and Benefits Manager at Moët Hennessy, and an MBA Intern in International Benefits & Mobility Management at Louis Vuitton. Previously, she was

American International Group (AIG) in January 2019 named Edward Levin global head of accident and health (A&H), general insurance. He is based in London, UK, and reports to Christopher Townsend, CEO of AIG International General Insurance. Levin joins AIG from Chubb where he served most recently as Group Digital Business Officer, and earlier as Division President of International A&H. Previously he spent four years at ACE Europe as Executive

Zurich UK in January 2019 announced it was backing London, UK-based travel insurance startup Pluto. Pluto targets Millennials, an under-insured segment when it comes to travel insurance, with up to 60% of them traveling without insurance. The underwriting engine blocks people over the age of 46. Zurich provides underwriting and claims management; Pluto brings mobile-oriented software that gives clients a standard insurance quote in around one minute, or three

Chubb in January 2019 named Glen Browne as deputy regional president for Asia-Pacific and division president for Southeast Asia. He is based in Singapore and report to Paul McNamee, SVP and regional president, Asia-Pacific. Browne is in charge of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. He retains his current role of regional head of accident & health for Asia-Pacific. Prior to his current position, he served at ACE,

The Aon Benefits and Trends Survey 2019 published in January 2019 says that 97% of UK employers agree that employees’ expectations of their experience in the workplace are changing, and that employees’ top priorities now include flexible working hours, agile working, mental health, diversity and inclusion, and parental leave. The survey asks questions of over 200 UK employers of all sizes who work across a broad range of sectors.

Sheldon Kenton in January 2019 was appointed President and CEO of iPMI insurance carrier GeoBlue. He replaces Diego Fernandez, President and CEO since September 2018, and who himself succeeded Guillaume Deybach. GeoBlue is the iPMI (international private medical insurance) joint-venture between BlueCross – BlueShield (U.S.A.) and BUPA (UK). In addition to his responsibility at GeoBlue, Kenton will continue setting BUPA Global’s overall strategic direction. He previously was BUPA Global’s