Allianz Global Benefits (AGB), the employee benefits network of Allianz Group, in December 2020 announced the appointment of Frank Forster as Managing Director and Chief Transformation Officer. According to the company, “Forster’s responsibility will include introducing new digital offerings to meet the growing demand of multinational corporate clients while implementing AGB’s holistic business model, organized as an employee benefits platform, to simplify and digitize the business.” In a statement,

In the December 2020 issue The European Pension System: State of Play – Paolo Lippi Q&A with Paolo Lippi mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19 – Sanjay Mishra Mathematical modeling of tumors – Nikita Simonov COVID-19, Coping with Uncertainty – Jayne Morriss

U.S.-based Insured Nomads in October 2020 appointed Allen Koski as President and Chief Innovation Officer, to provide the insights necessary for the company to grow into new markets and unique client segments.. Insured Nomads is an insurtech focused on the healthcare needs of expatriates, remote workers and business travelers.

Insurance and Propagation in Village Networks, NBER working paper: non-insured events have a lasting impact on the entire supply chain.

In the November 2020 issue Social Recognition for Employee Engagement: Q&A with Achievers – Jon Maddison Obesity Harms the Body in Real Time – Cate Varney Self-Employed? How to Protect Your Wellbeing – Andreana Drencheva, Kristin Hildenbrand, Mike Duffy Jr.

According to Swiss Re, global insurance markets are set to rebound in 2021 with China leading recovery.

Swiss Re report advises employers reopening public spaces on reducing the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Direct primary care provider Paladina Health in November 2020 changed its name to Everside Health

Mercer appointed Norman Dreger as its new CEO in Germany

According to UNCTAD, global FDI flows fell 49% in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, due to the economic fallout from COVID-19

Direct primary care provider Paladina Health hired Samie Moore for the newly created position of Senior Vice President, National Accounts, Healthcare Strategy, Benefits & Innovation

Diego Poncelet in September 2020 joined the EMEA team of INSUROPE Network as Regional Director

Ahead of the third G7 Pensions Digital Forum devoted on ESG, Inclusive Growth and the Future of Retirement, a GBV Quick Take with Nicolas J. Firzli, Director-General of the World Pensions Council, a Paris-based international association of public and private pension institutions

In the July 2020 issue The Best Compliant Model for Expatriates – Pasquale Gorrasi Interview with GEB’s Eric Butler on The Response To Covid-19 IBIS 2020 Conference Report Gig-Working to Dramatically Change Employment Landscape – Andrew Cunningham R&D: Weight Loss: The Tricky Last Few Pounds – Peter Rogers R&D: Coronavirus: Why Some People Lose Their Sense of Smell – Simon Gane, Jane Parker Employee Benefits 2045: Where Could We Be

Two months after the May 2020 announcement by MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) of the appointment of Mattieu Rouot as its new CEO, he officially takes over the reins of the multinational employee benefits network following the retirement of Mauro Dugulin. As CEO of MAXIS GBN, Mattieu Rouot oversees relationships with more than 500 multinational companies in over 120 countries around the world. He joined MAXIS in May

U.S. direct health insurer Oscar in June 2020 raised another USD 225 million in a late-stage round of funding. Led by co-founder and CEO Mario Schlosser, Oscar now is active in 15 U.S. states and has more than 420,000 members in individual, Medicare Advantage and small group products. Certainly helped by the coronavirus crisis, most U.S. healthcare providers today offer virtual consultations and ever more patients make use of

In the June 2020 issue Advanced Tools for Financing Employee Benefits Globally – Moritz Löschner Digital Transformation: Four Critical Workplace Planning Areas Holding Organizations Back – John McLaughlin R&D: Antigen Tests For COVID-19 – Eugene Wu R&D: Chronic Lyme Disease – Does It Exist? – John Nathaniel Aucott R&D: COVID-19, Smell and Taste – John E. Hayes, Valentina Parma R&D: No Evidence That ECT Works For Depression – John Read

In a reversal of strategy, AIG in mid-June 2020 announced it had decided to wind down its AIG Global Benefits Network (AIG GBN) multinational pooling network. According to the company, “AIG has realigned its strategy with regard to AIG’s Global Benefits Network business and as a consequence, [it] has decided to wind down its activities.” All existing pools will be cancelled effective December 31, 2020. AIG pooling clients now

AXA XL in June 2020 announced that Xavier Veyry had been appointed as CEO Asia & Europe, based in Dublin, Ireland, and reporting to Scott Gunter, AXA XL CEO. In addition to his duties as CEO, Scott Gunter had assumed the role of Interim CEO Eurasia in the context of the new organization of AXA XL and of its leadership team. Xavier currently is Country CEO of AXA China

AXA XL in April 2020 announced a new leadership team and a new organization following a strategic review. Changes include the creation of a single global insurance underwriting function and the establishment of three geographical business units across the Americas, Eurasia, and the UK & Lloyd’s market. Underwriting will be led by a global Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO), responsible for underwriting governance, pricing, P&L and the management of the

According to a statement published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in June 2020, the unemployment rate increased by an unprecedented 2.9 percentage points in April 2020 to 8.4%, compared to 5.5% in March, reflecting the impact of Covid-19 containment measures. The number of unemployed people in the OECD area increased by 18.4 million to 55 million in April. The United States accounted for the main

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in May 2020 announced that AXA COLPATRIA had joined the London-based global employee benefits network. AXA COLPATRIA provides medical coverage in Colombia as prepaid and health insurance. It is headed by Bernardo Rafael Serrano López, General Director and CEO. The company claims to be the sixth largest carrier in the Colombian PHI sector (pre-hospital and insurance) with a 6% market share and 220,000

The 50th edition of the IBIS Conference will be held online on Wednesday 13 May 2020 at 10am ET (1400 GMT/UTC, 1500 London time, 1600 CEST). It is the second one-hour roundtable of the 2020 IBIS event that covers the evolution of key global employee benefits and global mobility topics. The IBIS Conference will deal with the evolution of the COVID-19 crisis: Lessons learned; Unexpected consequences; and Innovative industry

The USA-based Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in May 2020 announced the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Conference & Exposition, citing “new directives from the San Diego Convention Center, the City of San Diego and the state of California”. The event previously was scheduled for late June in San Diego, CA. The cancellation is not really a surprise, as many U.S. states and foreign countries have prohibited large

The 50th edition of the IBIS Academy starts on Tuesday 12 May 2020 with the first of two one-hour roundtables that cover the evolution of key global employee benefits and global mobility topics. The IBIS Mobility Congress is devoted to refining global mobility strategies. On May 13, the IBIS Conference will deal with the evolution of the COVID-19 crisis: Lessons learned; Unexpected consequences; and Innovative industry response and solutions.

In the May 2020 issue A Holistic Approach to Employee Benefits – Jimmy Johansen R&D: The Mysterious Disappearance of The First SARS Virus – Marilyn J. Roossinck R&D: Working from Home? Why Detachment Is Crucial for Mental Health – Wladislaw Rivkin R&D: Exercise May Reduce Risk Of ARDS Complication – Zhen Yan R&D: Coronavirus: Step Up Research in The Immune System – Daniel M Davis, Sheena Cruickshank R&D: Coronavirus and

The tax division of global consultancy Deloitte in May 2020 published an analysis of permanent establishment and corporate residency issues in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. In a nutshell, employees stranded in a foreign country and performing remote work from there could unwittingly create a “permanent establishment” and/or a de-facto “corporate presence” in that country, which in turn would trigger tax consequences, potentially making their employer liable for