The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in July 2022 released Composite Leading Indicators (CLIs) that continue to signal growth losing momentum in most major economies and in the OECD area as a whole. Among large OECD economies, the CLI for the United States now signals growth losing momentum, a change from last month’s stable growth indication. In the United Kingdom, Canada and in the euro area as a whole, including Germany,

The United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) in July 2022 released a special issue of its Investment Policy Monitor, which analyzes the evolution of corporate income taxes across the world, as well as country efforts to attract investments through tax incentives. The Monitor expands on the analysis presented in the World Investment Report 2022: International Tax Reform and Sustainable Investment. Key findings include: The tax competition to

GEB: Why a Competitive Multinational Pension Demands a Single View – Long COVID: Vaccination Could Reduce Symptoms – Inflation: There’s a Way to Reduce It: Raise Productivity – Who Really Owns the Oil Industry’s Future Stranded Assets?

Hervé Lavisse in July 2022 joined Veolia as its new group compensation and benefits (C&B) director, based near Paris, France. Veolia is active in water management; waste management; and energy services. As of June 2022, it has around 220,000 employees worldwide. Veolia in January 2022 completed the acquisition of competitor Suez and subsequently spun off part of the combination as the “new Suez”. The latter includes Suez’s Water and

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in June 2022 announced its partnership with HUMANOO, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of automated digital wellbeing solutions. MAXIS’ multinational clients will now be able to choose to work with HUMANOO and help improve the overall health, wellbeing and engagement of their people. According to the company, “HUMANOO’s app is designed to help improve employees’ physical and mental health with customised, on-demand fitness, physio,

Generali in June 2022 announced a reorganization of its management structure that sees all its global business lines report into a new business unit, i.e. “France, Europ Assistance and Global Business Lines”. The three global business lines are: Generali Corporate and Commercial Generali Employee Benefits (GEB), including iPMI activities known as GGH (Generali Global Health) Arte Generali GEB, headed by Ludovic Bayard since May 2022, previously reported to the

IPEBLA, the International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association, in June 2022 announced it would hold its Eighteenth Biennial Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands from August 28th to August 30th, 2022, the first conference it has held in person since Lisbon in 2019. IPEBLA conferences provide a forum for common and civil law lawyers from different countries to discuss current domestic and international issues affecting their practice in pension, executive

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in June 2022 released its latest Composite Leading Indicators (CLIs). According to the CLI models, economic growth may lose momentum in the OECD area as a whole over the next six to nine months. The latest indicators support the view presented in the latest OECD Economic Outlook, which revised global growth forecasts downwards due to the impact of the war in

According to a June 2022 press release from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in the first quarter of 2022, gross domestic product (GDP) in the G20 area rose by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter according to provisional estimates, down from the 1.3% increase recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021. The slowdown in the G20 area in Q1 2022 reflects weaker performance in the United States, where GDP contracted by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter

In the June 2022 issue: GEB: Why a Competitive Multinational Pension Demands a Single View – Denis Cabrillon R&D – Long COVID: Vaccination Could Reduce Symptoms – Trish Greenhalgh, Brendan Delaney, Manoj Sivan R&D – Inflation: There’s a Way to Reduce It: Raise Productivity – David McMillan R&D – Who Really Owns the Oil Industry’s Future Stranded Assets? – Gregor Semieniuk, Philip Holden

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in May 2022 announced a new partnership with MindCo Health, a digital health company which specializes in virtual reality (VR) programs focused on mental health and smoking cessation. Based in San Jose, California, MindCo joins several other suppliers which make up MAXIS’ wellness technology marketplace. MAXIS GBN will offer multinationals and their employees MindCo’s MindCotine service, a VR-based smoking cessation programme. MindCotine helps

In the May 2022 issue: Insurers And Employers Working in Partnership to Address the Global Mental Health Crisis – Daniela Masters R&D: COVID Reinfection and Associated Symptoms – Lara Herrero R&D: A Sociological Perspective On Long COVID – Laura Mauldin R&D: The Biology Of How Muscles Change With Age – Roger Fielding

GEB’s Insurers And Employers Working in Partnership to Address the Global Mental Health Crisis with Daniela Masters – R&D: COVID Reinfection and Associated Symptoms – A Sociological Perspective On Long COVID – The Biology Of How Muscles Change With Age

Ludovic Bayard in May 2022 was promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Generali Employee Benefits (GEB). The position reports to Marco Sesana, Country Manager & CEO of Generali Italia and Global Business Lines, and is based in Luxembourg. Ludovic previously was GEB’s General Manager. He is well known in the global employee benefits market where he is recognized as a trusted point of reference in a sector where

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in April 2022 announced the appointment of Federico Morosi as Chief Technical & Financial Officer, effective on May 2, 2022. Based in Paris, Federico oversees MAXIS GBN’s Finance, Legal, Portfolio Management and Reinsurance & Reporting teams. A member of MAXIS GBN’s Executive Committee, he reports to CEO Mattieu Rouot. Jérôme Picon, Head of Finance & Operations, will be taking on new responsibilities within

In the April 2022 issue: Global Expert Views With Damien O’Farrell – Pasquale Gorrasi Six lifestyle “medicines” for a better, longer life – Yoram Vodovotz, Michael Parkinson Got Zoom fatigue? – Julie Boland

GEB’s Global Expert Views With Damien O’Farrell and Pasquale Gorrasi – Six lifestyle “medicines” for a better, longer life – Got Zoom fatigue?

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in April 2022 published its February 2022 unemployment figures: unemployment rate in the OECD area dropped below the pre-pandemic rate to 5.2%, down from 5.3% in January. This is the lowest level since the start of this data series in 2001. The number of unemployed workers in the OECD area also continued to fall, reaching 34.9 million, 0.7 million below its

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in April 2022 published its February 2022 inflation statistics, confirming their acceleration. Year-on-year inflation in the OECD area rose to 7.7% in February 2022, compared with 7.2% in January 2022, and 1.7% in February 2021. This increase reflected in part another sharp rise in inflation in Turkey, increasing from 48.7% in January to 54.4% in February. Excluding Turkey, inflation in the

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in April 2022 published its latest Composite Leading Indicators (CLI), based on data available up to March 2022. CLIs are designed to anticipate turning points in economic activity relative to long-term trends. The newest numbers point to growth losing momentum in Europe, but a stable growth in other major OECD economies. In Europe (U.K. and the Euro area) the lower growth

French iPMI broker-TPA MSH International in March 2022 announced the appointment of Frédéric Grand as its new CEO. Grand succeeds Frédéric Van Roekeghem who becomes Group EVP in charge of corporate function of MSH International’s mother company Diot-Siaci. MSH International is dedicated to international health and life insurance solutions. It is one the three leading French iPMI broker-TPAs, with Henner and April. Grand started his career at French mutual

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in March 2022 published its January 2022 inflation statistics and confirmed the record-breaking figures of December 2021. Inflation in the OECD area rose to 7.2% in the 12 months to January 2022, compared with 6.6% in December 2021, and just 1.6% in January 2021. Similar to last month, this increase was driven in part by yet another surge in Turkey (to

Immigration experts Fragomen will host an online event about the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, Resources and Crisis Management Pointers for Employers. The webinar is intended to provide further insight into the immigration ramifications of the situation: Updates regarding the evolving crisis in Ukraine as related to immigration How [Fragomen] can help employers and employees navigate the current challenges Reducing vulnerabilities by assessing immigration risks and mitigating their impact through planning and

Global broker and consulting firm Aon in January 2022 appointed Sven Roelandt as Global Leader Captive EB Services. He now heads Aon’s new global team supporting captives for employee benefits (E.B.) risks. Sven previously was Aon’s global expert for EB financing strategies and carrier relations and continues to be based in Antwerp, Belgium. He came to Aon from Further Financial Services in Madrid, Spain, where he served as Director

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in February 2022 published its December 2021 inflation statistics, showing the highest rate since July 1991, more than 30 years ago. In fact, inflation in the OECD area rose to 6.6% in the 12 months to December 2021, compared with 5.9% in November, and just 1.2% in December 2020. This increase was driven in part by a surge in annual inflation

  Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) in February 2022 announced the appointment of Enrique Acevedo, CEO of Colombian insurance broker Correcol to its Board of Directors. Enrique Acevedo has over 25 years of intermediary experience as head of the Correcol insurance brokerage. For the last 16 years, Correcol has been the largest independent broker in the Colombian insurance market, employing over 250 staff within its headquarters in Bogota, and regional

Global broker Gallagher and employee benefits management software provider Cobee in February 2022 announced a new partnership agreement. Founded in 2019, Cobee operates in Spain for companies such as Ogilvy, Group M, Booking, Avis, TripAdvisor or Glovo. In January 2021, it expanded its services to Portugal. Under the agreement, Cobee will offer bespoke brokerage and administration solutions in Iberia to Gallagher’s Multinational Benefits & HR Consulting (MBHRC) practice clients,