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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

Organizational Upheaval – The Challenges and Opportunities of Acquisition Paul Pittman Being W.O.R.L.D. Wise – Leadership (4) Natalie Richter Successfully Managing Global Mobility Kristin Sampson Flu vaccine Vittorio Zaniboni An Interview of Hanno Mijer, Zurich Insurance

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.”

Flu season is coming, and while many employers are deploying on-site vaccination programs for their employees, uptake and impact vary across countries and business sectors. Through a review of messages from public health institutions worldwide, we discuss below the pros and cons, trends so far, and expectations for the new season.

Today more than ever, businesses are reliant on the constant flow of people, goods and ideas to drive the global economy. As organizations continue to leverage global assignments as a key component of their growth strategies, they must give careful consideration to the ways in which they manage their global mobility programs.

Global Benefits Vision: Could you please tell GBV a little about yourself, how you chose your career path and your journey to Zurich? Hanno Mijer: I am a trained actuary, but I have never actually worked in an actuarial position. For the first fourteen years of my career I worked with AEGON Insurance, where I held a number of marketing, sales and executive roles in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Asia.

The Health Insurance Group in September 2016 introduced a global and expatriate Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides help and support to people working abroad who are in crisis or need. Partnering with Morneau Shepell, the leading provider of integrated health and productivity solutions in Canada, The Health Insurance Group, located in the United Kingdom, offers a comprehensive suite of international assistance programs, including worldwide EAP, to help employees

Travel insurance and assistance services are quickly gaining favor among travel professionals who work for companies that provide them. A new study, “Assessing the Prevalence and Value of Travel Insurance and Assistance Services”, published in September 2016 by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and AIG Travel, reveals that 95 percent of travel professionals feel that providing insurance or assistance services to employees is a valuable benefit for those

HealthMine, a healthcare technology company based in Dallas, Texas, in August 2016 released the results of a study revealing that the majority (62%) believe that all health care plan participants should join a wellness program to help them lower their health care costs. 32% responded that wellness programs helped them reduce the number of sick days logged, and 33% said their wellness program helped them be more productive at

Connecture, an IT company that provides web-based solutions to the health insurance industry, in June 2016 acquired its Chicago-based competitor ConnectedHealth, a benefits technology company that offers an e-commerce platform that helps businesses control costs and ease the process of shopping for personalized insurance benefits online. ConnectedHealth is a private company and was founded in 2009. Based in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Connecture is a provider of a web-based consumer shopping,

The Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) Board of Directors in June 2016 elected to name Francie Starnes as Chief Executive Officer of the world’s largest fully integrated international network of independent property & casualty insurance brokers and employee benefits consultants, effective in July 2016. Appointed WBN President and Chief Operating Officer a year ago, Starnes succeeds 40-year insurance industry veteran Bruce Basso, who becomes Chairman Emeritus. Founded in 1989 and

The Generali Employee Benefits network (GEB), as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, has launched a redesigned website that offers a new look and feel, with a bold design and many powerful graphics to guide users to available resources. The launch features dynamic content, starting with the GEB history carousel, which gives an overview of how GEB and society have evolved side by side since Generali and Aetna founded

AIG Global Benefits Network (AIG GBN) on 11 October 2016 organizes a technical-commercial information session on pooling and on its network of insurance carriers across the world, that is specifically designed for brokers and financial advisors. Intended both for commercial and technical individuals, the workshop includes live examples and an actual case study at the end to put all the theory immediately into practice. The workshop is free of