Stevan Bernard, an expert in global security management, and Executive Vice President at global media and entertainment company, in November 2016 has been appointed as non-executive director at Healix International and its U.S. subsidiary, HX Global. Bernard comes to Healix, a leading provider of international medical, security and travel assistance services, with over 30 years’ experience in the security industry, including a career in the U.S. Army and law

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, in November 2016 announced the acquisition of Argentis, a financial planning and employee benefits firm based in London, England. Founded in 2005, Argentis is a financial planning and employee benefits consultant, specializing in corporate employee benefits consulting and individual wealth management services to private and corporate clients throughout the United Kingdom. Their

The U.K.’s High Court in November 2016 ruled that the British government could not trigger Article 50 of the E.U. Treaty, thereby setting off Brexit negotiations, without having Parliament voting on the matter first. The government has appealed the decision and the appeal will be heard in the U.K. Supreme Court in early December. The court stated it would deliver its judgment, which is final, “probably in the New

The International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA) organizes its 17th annual conference on March 1 and 2, 2017, in Brussels, Belgium. Attendance is limited to two paying delegates from each provider (insurance company, consultant, broker, etc) and not limited for corporate delegates. If past experience is any indication, this policy should again result in a quite remarkable 50/50 balance between providers and corporates. Registration will open in late 2017. Global

The 2017 edition of the World Captive Forum will take place from January 29 to 31, 2017, in Boca Raton, Florida. The two-day main program includes several sessions on employee benefits captives, including “Adding Benefits to Your Property/Casualty Captive”, “Medical Stop-Loss: Single-Parent and Group Captive Solutions”, “Medical Stop-Loss: Single-Parent and Group Captive Solutions”, “Benefits Data: Its Role in Rating and Reserving”, “Legal and Regulatory Update for Benefits Captive Programs”

The European Commission in October 2016 conducted hearings with pension funds, asset managers, insurance undertakings, individuals, consumer associations, and public authorities  to debate the need for a pan-European pension product. The panel debates allowed stakeholders to determine if EU action fostering the emergence of European personal pension products is appropriate as well as proportionate. At stake are simple, affordable, and transparent pension plans that provide better returns. More investment

AIG Global Benefits Network announced that AlfaStrakhovanie Group has joined its network of 42 insurers. AlfaStrakhovanie offers medical, life, accident and disability coverage in Russia, where all but medical can be pooled. Alfa-Health Center Clinics, a project of AlfaStrakhovanie Group, provides high quality medical services to customers in 12 regions of Russia. One of the largest Russian insurance companies with a full range of services for corporate and private

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The Association of British Insurers (ABI) published an analysis of how EU legislation impacts on the U.K. insurance and long term savings industry after BREXIT. The analysis, titled EU Exit: EU Legislation Mapping Exercise, identifies legislation that ranges from key consumer protections, such as the European Health Insurance Card and Data Protection regulations, to EU-wide prudential regulations like Solvency II. The mapping exercise identified 80 “relevant” pieces of EU

Hub International Limited (HUB), a global insurance brokerage, in October 2016 announced the appointment of Tina Osen as President of HUB Canada, reporting to Marc Cohen, recently appointed President of HUB International. Osen is to drive “organic growth and continued expansion through mergers and acquisitions” in Canada. Currently President of HUB TOS in British Columbia, Canada, Osen replaces newly appointed Executive Vice President of HUB International Larry Lineker. She

To read Global Benefits Vision’s latest news, you can either take the initiative and go to the website’s homepage, or you can elect to have all news sent to you every day without further action on your part. Should you choose the latter, consider making use of our new RSS facility. Your RSS reader will come and fetch the latest news from the GBV website automatically and anonymously—and it

Hub International Limited (HUB), a global insurance brokerage, in October 2016 announced the appointment of Chad Robertson as Executive Vice President of International Business and Growth Initiatives, reporting to Marc Cohen, recently appointed President of HUB International. Robertson’s objective is to build a broader spectrum of offerings for HUB clients throughout North America and coordinate Hub’s relationships and business at Lloyds. Currently Regional President, Canada West, Robertson is a

Olivier Goiot in March 2016 joined Swiss Life International’s Corporate Clients unit as Head of Operations, reporting to CEO Theo Iaponas. Goiot joins from Farad Global Services, a private life insurance broker, where he was CFO; previously, he was Zurich Eurolife’s CFO and COO after positions at Zurich Insurance, Credit Agricole Asset Management and PwC. A graduate of EDHEC business school, he speak Spanish and English in addition to

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The 8th edition of the annual AEIP Venice Conference will focus on innovative approaches in delivering pensions and healthcare and will bring together representatives of the main actors driving forward the evolution of pensions and healthcare systems in Europe. The conference program focuses on the latest developments in these sectors and on their social impact. AEIP, the European Association of Paritarian Institutions, was founded in 1996 and is a

Hub International Limited (HUB), a global insurance brokerage, in September 2016 announced the appointment of Marc Cohen as President of HUB International, replacing Richard (Rick) Gulliver who becomes Vice Chairman. Both will report to Chairman and CEO Martin P. Hughes. Cohen, currently Regional President of HUB East Region, will be responsible for driving continued growth and productivity improvements across the firm and Gulliver will continue to lead HUB’s external

General Electric (GE) in September 2016 has had its European pension fund approved by FSMA, Belgium’s financial supervisory authority and the regulatory body for pension funds. GE is encouraging its existing European-based pension plans to join the fund, which takes the legal form of an Organisme de Financement de Pensions (OFP), Belgium’s IORP-compliant vehicle for pensions provisions. At this early stage, a management committee has been appointed. An IORP

Auto manufacturer BMW in September 2016 decided to end both of its UK final salary-defined benefit (DB) pension plans. Both plans will cease future accrual as of June 2017, affecting around 5,000 members total. Citing significant pension fund shortfalls and the cost risks associated with DB plans, BMW explained that their plans are increasingly unsustainable and unaffordable for both the company and the pension plans members. Unite, the union

Swiss Life (SL) Market Unit International in May 2016 has begun implementing a new operating model for its Corporate Clients business line with a new leadership and a new organizational structure centralized in Luxembourg. Swiss Life Luxembourg will take a more significant role as the hub for the cross-border insurance business. Theo Iaponas has taken the lead for Corporate Clients, managing and developing both SL Luxembourg’s activities and the

The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) in September 2016 announced that Simon Lorne, Vice Chairman and Chief Legal Officer of alternative investment management firm Millennium Management, would become its next Chairperson. In addition to Lorne, there are four new additions to the Council: Robin Grew, Chief Administrative Officer and GC of Man Group; Han Ming Ho, a partner at Sidley Austin; Ryan Taylor, Partner and Global Head of Compliance

Tokio Marine Life Insurance Singapore (TMLS) and Henner Group in June 2016 announced that they have joined forces to launch an international medical coverage solution for globally mobile employees based in Singapore. Henner is a French firm specialized in employee benefits and one of the largest and best-known TPAs in the international private medical insurance market where it was previously known as GMC. The partnership allows TMLS and Henner

A leading player in the French benefits industry, life and health insurance carrier Malakoff Médéric (MM), which operates as a non-profit, jointly-managed mutual group, in September 2016 announced it would combine its teams with those of its wholly-owned subsidiary Quatrem. Reasons cited include the “impact of Solvency 2” as well as operational and commercial synergies. Quatrem was essentially Malakoff Médéric’s brokerage unit and wrote group business only, representing approximately

Zenefits in June 2016 announced it will cut 106 jobs, or about 9% of its workforce, and close an Arizona sales operation as it addresses licensing and governance issues. GBV in February 2016 had published another report on Zenefits, Zenefits hits more turbulence. In total, Zenefits has now announced about 350 layoffs or approximately one quarter of its workforce, mostly in sales; including resignations, there remain fewer than 1,100

In an unexpected move, French teachers’ mutual insurance company MGEN (Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale) in October 2016 launched its MGEN International Benefits (MGEN IB) unit, dedicated to expatriates. MGEN IB will develop a range of insured life and health products for globally mobile people originating from any country. It will address both individual and corporate markets in France and abroad, dealing with stays of any duration, from a

Employee benefits in France are provided by several types of insurance carriers, some of which are particular to that country—and that results in some confusion. Here is a brief overview of the main types of players. French English Translation Coverage Offered Applicable Laws and Regulations Institutions de Prévoyance (IP) Provident Institutions Paritarian Institutions Group health, life, pensions Social Security Code Groupe de Protection Sociale (GPS) Social Protection Group (grouping

At a recent global economic conference entitled Leading in Uncertain Times, Isabelle Kocher, CEO of ENGIE, said that for a global organization, the key to being nimble and profitable is for leadership at the top to be connected to what is happening on the ground.

Gerald was head of HR for an international company and he was good at what he did; he knew the company and the industry well. He was trusted in the executive team as a provider of sound advice, and as much as any HR person could he considered himself to be “at the table.”