The 50th edition of the IBIS conference starts on Tuesday 12 May 2020. The longest-running international HR conference is available in a virtual format due (or is it thanks?) to the COVID-19 crisis. Two one-hour roundtables cover the evolution of key global employee benefits and global mobility topics: The IBIS Mobility Congress on May 12th at 10am ET is devoted to refining global mobility strategies. The IBIS Conference on

Multinational employee benefits network MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in May 2020 announced the appointment of Mattieu Rouot as its new CEO. Based in London, UK, Rouot succeeds Mauro Dugulin who oversaw the move from France to London five years ago and the implementation of a strategy focusing on large corporates. Rouot is far from being a newcomer to MAXIS, having played a key role in shaping the

The 50th edition of the IBIS conference will be held on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 May 2020. The longest-running international HR conference was moved online due to the COVID-19 crisis. Two one-hour roundtables cover the evolution of key global employee benefits and global mobility topics: The IBIS Mobility Congress on May 12th is devoted to refining global mobility strategies. The IBIS Conference on May 13th, titled “Crossfire –

Zurich, Switzerland-based ASN, Advisory Services Network AG, in April 2020 announced the appointment of Dr. Guglielmo Callipari as its Practice Leader for Corporate Health. Guglielmo is in charge of the expansion of corporate business outside of Switzerland. Dr. Callipari is a recognized expert in global benefits and multinational pooling. As Regional Managing Director, he developed and opened Generali Employee Benefits (GEB)’s offices across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, as well as

The non-profit association behind the Rendez-Vous de Septembre (RVS) international reinsurance industry conference in April 2020 announced it had canceled the 2020 edition. The organizers cited uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 crisis as the reason behind their decision. RVS brings together around 3 000 leaders from the global insurance, reinsurance, and brokerage industry and marks the beginning of the annual cycle of renewals of corporate insurance contracts and reinsurance treaties.

Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in April 2020 appointed Cyrille de Montgolfier as the new leader of its French business, Gras Savoye Willis Towers Watson (GSWTW), based in Paris. He brings over three decades of insurance industry experience to the role and will be responsible for setting the strategic vision of GSWTW, developing innovative solutions to client needs, and driving revenues across multiple lines of business. Since early 2019, de

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in April 2020 announced the appointment of David Watts as its new Director of Member Management, leading the network management team. The team includes four professionals. Based in London, UK, Watts reports to Jérôme Picon, Head of Finance & Operations. David previously was Senior Business Development Executive at MAXIS GBN. In 2002 he joined AIG Global Benefits Network (Alico) working as an Account

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Composite Leading Indicators (CLI) in April 2020 went into negative territory as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The CLI was on the path to recovery after a low point in September 2019 when the trajectory abruptly changed for the worse. In March 2020, the CLI level is at 98.77 vs the Feb 2020 level of 99.57, up from Jan

The 2020 edition of the IBIS conference will be held online on 12 and 13 May 2020. The 50th edition of the IBIS conference initially was organized in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 11 through 15, 2020. The longest-running international HR conference had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis and now has been moved online. Two one-hour roundtables will cover the evolution of key global employee benefits and

AXA in April 2020 struck a deal to sell its Life & Savings, Property & Casualty, and Pension business operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia to Austria’s Uniqa Insurance Group for €1bn. Uniqa, which lacked critical mass in major eastern European markets, outbid Generali, and Austria-based AG. Uniqa has core markets in Austria, Central and Eastern Europe, and 20,000 employees serving 10.1 million customers in 18 different

The 2020 edition of the IBIS conference will be held online on 12 and 13 May 2020. The 50th edition of the IBIS conference initially was organized in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 11 through 15, 2020. The longest-running international HR conference had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis and now has been moved online. Two one-hour roundtables will cover the evolution of key global employee benefits and

In the April 2020 issue How We Work During COVID-19 – Eric Muller-Borle Coronavirus: Ten Reasons Not to Panic – Ignacio López-Goñi How to Model A Pandemic – Christian Yates Coronavirus Might Make Buildings Sick – Caitlin R. Proctor, Andrew J. Whelton, William Rhoads Life After COVID-19: Dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? – Manuel Géa, François Iris, Athanasios Beopoulos

EIOPA, the EU’s insurance and pensions regulatory body, is urging insurance companies to halt dividends, buybacks and bonuses in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. A statement released on 17 March 2020 stated: “Against this background of uncertainty, EIOPA urges that at the current juncture (re)insurers temporarily suspend all discretionary dividend distributions and share buy backs aimed at remunerating shareholders. This suspension should be reviewed as the financial and

Employee Benefits Propositions (EVP) are gaining in importance now that employers are more focused on offering a bespoke employee experience, and the Aon UK Benefits and Trends 2020 Survey shows that although the number of employers who have or are working towards an Employee Value Proposition remain similar (76%), there has been a significant increase in the number of employers who now communicate that EVP to staff. The survey shows

In the interest of fostering a more stable work environment for trans and non-binary workers, Lloyd’s of London in December 2019 published a guide for the insurance sector that helps managers understand how to make trans and non-binary employees feel included in the workplace. The proportion of colleagues who identify as trans or non-binary could rise from about 4% to as high as 20%, as younger people, many of

MAXIS Global Benefits Network announced in January 2020 the appointment of Damian Allepuz Lemmens to the role of Regional Manager, Western Europe. Lemmens is based in Paris, and reports to David Schupak, Regional Director for Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Lemmens leads a team of four employee benefits experts who work with MAXIS GBN’s strategic partners (brokers, consultants, and local member insurers) to develop employee benefits solutions

A team of Israeli scientists in December 2019 announced it had discovered a new treatment that reduces pancreatic cancer cells in mice by up to 90%. The survival rate for pancreatic cancer is fewer than 5 years, and current options for treatment require chemotherapy, which stops cell division in the whole body. This affects the whole body as there is no discriminatory targeting – causing, for example, hair loss,

The size of the global international private medical insurance (iPMI) market will reach an estimated US$17bn (£12.7bn) by the end of 2020, according to iPMI advisers from the McGrigor Group. McGrigor’s research reveals that Cigna in particular is number one in global iPMI, ever since its acquisition of Vanbreda in 2012, and advisers see the big regional winners as Sub Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. They noted that countries

Aon in January 2020 announced the completion of its acquisition of SMB insurtech broker CoverWallet. Aon aims to increase its presence in the rapidly growing commercial insurance market for smaller businesses. The acquisition will allow Aon to utilise CoverWallet’s technology and data & analytics capabilities. CoverWallet joins the portfolio of Aon’s New Ventures Group, which functions as a growth-stage capability focused on delivering new sources of value to clients

To maintain a “stable corporate structure and capital flexibility” within the European Union, Aon has moved its parent company’s domicile to Ireland, effective April 1, 2020. The New York-listed company had announced its intent to move after the UK’s decision to leave the European Union in October 2019 and was awaiting approval from the Central Bank of Ireland, even though the company would not be a regulated entity. Aon

Since the beginning of the 2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic, a great wealth of information has been made available to the general public as well as to human resources professionals. GBV has no particular expertise in epidemiology, the treatment of people affected by COVID-19, or the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic, and therefore refrains from adding to the noise component of what is now on offer. Nevertheless, the editorial team here

Danilo Lima in February 2019 founded and now leads employee benefits consulting firm 360 Beneficios, located in Sao Paolo, Brazil. 360 Benefícios is an HR Tech firm that focuses on employee benefits integration in Brazil; its software and services simplify selecting, implementing, and managing corporate benefits. Prior to 360 Beneficios, Danilo was a Business Manager with startup acceleration program InovAtiva Brazil and with Aliança Empreendedora (Entrepreneurial Alliance); a Regional

In the March 2020 issue Growing-the-pie is not pie-in-the-sky – Alex Edmans Reduce Stress at Work and Prevent Burnout – Sarah Tottle Five Things to Do for A Healthier Microbiome – Connie Rogers, Darrell Cockburn Ecotherapy to Improve Wellbeing – Carly Wood Hate Exercise? – Libby Richards For Mental Health, Team Sports or Solo Exercise? – Laura Healy

Due to the coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak, the International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA) postponed its 2020 International Conference from March to September, 2020. The event had been slated to take place on March 11-12, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. IEBA announced on March 5 that the conference will be held on September 22 and 23, 2020. The venue remains the same: The Hotel in Brussels, Belgium.

One year after having announced, then cancelled plans to merge with Willis Towers Watson (WTW), Aon in March 2020 announced an agreement to acquire WTW in what will be the industry’s largest ever merger. The purchase price is $30bn, paid in Aon shares, and the combined firm is valued at around $80b. Regulatory requirements may make a comprehensive takeover of WTW by Aon difficult, given that Aon and WTW

Due to the coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak, the Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA) cancelled its 2020 International Conference. The event had been slated to take place on March 8-10, 2020 in California, USA. No new date has been announced at the time of publication.

Aon named Eric Andersen as president of the company in February 2020, reporting to Chief Executive Greg Case. Andersen will continue to be based in New York City. Andersen first joined Aon in 1997 via the acquisition of Minet. Prior to that, Andersen also worked in London at Alexander Howden. He has been in the C-suite since 2010, when he was named CEO for ARS Americas. Andersen was named