MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in November 2025 appointed Jean-David Bridoux as Regional Manager – Western Europe within its global Business Development (BD) team. He has been promoted from his role as Account Executive, replacing Damian Allepuz who was recently appointed as Regional Director – EMEA. In his new position, Jean-David is responsible for outbound business development across Western Europe and will lead the existing regional BD team,

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in October 2025 published its Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2025. Corporate sustainability means integrating  environmental and social considerations into a company’s strategy, operations and disclosure. According to the OECD, “it fosters sound governance and decision-making, while helping investors better understand a company’s long-term risks and opportunities.” The 97-page document provides insights on how companies are implementing the sustainability-related recommendations of the

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in October 2025 appointed Damian Allepuz as Regional Director – EMEA within its global Business Development (BD) team. Damian has been promoted from his role as Regional Manager for Western Europe, taking over from Aaron Brown who is leaving MAXIS to take on an exciting new opportunity in the E.B. intermediary market. Damian is responsible for all outbound business development across EMEA (Europe,

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced dramatically in recent years, with impacts that are already reshaping society, business, and individual lives. Yet many of these implications remain poorly understood and unevenly shared. Focusing on the economic dimension, the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published in September 2025 a working paper by Erik Brynjolfsson, Anton Korinek, and Ajay K. Agrawal: “A Research Agenda for the Economics of Transformative AI.”

Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in August 2025 published the 2025 edition its annual “2025 Global Benefits Financing Matrix and Poolable Coverages” table. An indispensable tool of the trade for global employee benefits practitioners, it is available for download as a PDF. For the first time, WTW requires prior registration. The matrix “provides a complete listing of the eight global benefits networks, and their affiliated insurers and their offshore (i.e. third-country national

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in September 2025 issued its Economic Outlook Interim Report, subtitled “Finding the Right Balance in Uncertain Times”. According to the report, global growth was more resilient than anticipated in the first half of 2025, particularly in many emerging-market economies. Industrial production and trade benefited from front-loading ahead of higher tariffs. In the United States, strong investment linked to artificial intelligence boosted

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in September 2025 launched MAXIS+, an enhanced suite of health data insights and wellness services for its multinational clients. The MAXIS+ services have been designed to help multinationals drill deeper into their claims and truly understand their employee health. The new range of services includes a sophisticated new medical claims dashboard that has the most up-to-date data, allowing multinationals to generate bespoke reports and create

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in August 2025 announced the appointment of Alexandre Rizk and Nannecy Dulin to Director positions within its global Business Development team. Alexandre Rizk has been promoted to Director – Global Relationship Management, effective 1 August 2025. He moves on from his role as Account Executive in MAXIS GBN’s Western Europe, Middle East and Africa (WEMEA) inbound Business Development team. In his new role, Alexandre will

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in July 2025 announced it is working with Care Plus, the largest premium healthcare provider in Brazil. Care Plus will offer medical coverage to MAXIS GBN’s captive clients across Brazil. Care Plus was founded in 1992 and was later acquired by Bupa in 2016. It provides healthcare solutions to more than 1,000 companies, covering 600,000 members across Brazil. It has more than 15

Generali Employee Benefits (GEB) network in June 2025 announced a new strategic partnership with AI-benefits innovator Euphoric. Euphoric has developed an AI-powered, all-in-one benefits management platform providing cutting-edge global benefits analytics for Global HR leaders and their employees. It is designed to help employees and employers navigate the complexities of corporate benefit plans. For employers, Euphoric has developed a Global Analytics Platform (GAP), providing one centralized view of the

Zurich and Further Group in May 2025 announced they would offer a new employee benefit – called Critical Care – designed to help those needing treatment for serious illnesses. Critical Care can provide life-changing well-being benefits for employees who have cancer, heart or neurological conditions, are in need of organ transplants, or require specialist treatment abroad at leading hospitals. It can be added to any Zurich International Group Life

G20 merchandise trade increased in Q1 2025 with exports and imports rising by 2.0% and 3.1%, respectively, compared with Q4 2024; the latest statistics show a mixed picture in services, with exports decreasing by 0.7% and imports increasing by 1.0%.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), its provisional estimates released in May 2025 show that gross domestic product (GDP) across the OECD area rose by just 0.1 % quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter (Q1) 2025, down markedly from 0.5 % in the previous quarter. This breaks the pattern of relatively strong and stable growth seen in the OECD area over the past two years. G7

Unum joins Generali Employee Benefits Network as its new employee benefits partner in the UK market for Group Risk products. Generali UK branch transfers the renewal rights of its employee benefits (Group Risk) business to Unum and its employee benefits team is to be welcomed to Unum.

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in April 2025 announced that it will be enhancing its MAXIS Global Pool Solution. Its updated solution, designed to support multinational employers at every stage of their pooling journey, includes a multi-employer pool (MEP) methodology, complementing its single-employer pool (SEP) offering. Under this new model, smaller MAXIS pool programmes will become part of the MEP, transitioning to a SEP if and when their

MAXIS Global Benefits Network in April 2025 released its 2025 whitepaper which looks in-depth at the growing impact of rising cancer rates on multinational employers and insurers. The whitepaper uses MAXIS GBN’s global claims data, drawn from standardized, anonymized data from millions of claimants around the world, to provide practical strategies for addressing claims trends. Cancer is a topic that has dominated discussions in the global health space in

As of April 2, 2025, European nationals must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom. This marks the final stage of deployment of the U.K. ETA requirement, after all other already eligible nationals. As of early March 2025, the ETA application system is open for E.U. nationals as well. E.U. travelers must now factor in time and cost (GBP 10 per person) when planning

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in March 2025 announced it is now working with Danish carrier Danica. Danica will offer life, critical illness, disability and medical coverage to MAXIS GBN’s multinational clients in Denmark. Danica, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Danske Bank Group, is a private life insurance company, specializing in pension plans, life insurance and health insurance. It is focused on preventing illness and reducing absenteeism,

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in January 2025 published its November 2024 year-on-year inflation figure of 4.5% globally, with marked differences between countries. Year-on-year inflation in the OECD, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was stable at 4.5% in November 2024 compared with October. At country level the picture was more mixed, with inflation rising in 14 of 38 OECD countries including notable increases

According to a review conducted in the UK, 10% of full-time and part-time employees missed days at work due to financial stress. In the private sector, this meant that more than 2.5 million workers took time off due to financial wellbeing, and 13 million worker days were lost. A 2022 survey conducted in Asia found that those without emergency savings are 60% more likely to have difficulty concentrating at work compared with those who had emergency funds saved. According to Lyra Wellbeing’s 2023 US survey, 48% of employees cited financial stress as the top factor impacting their mental health.

Abelica Global, a network of independent actuarial firms, announces its new Executive Director, Kulin Patel, who has taken over the role from 1 December 2024 as Carl Hansen retires. Kulin Patel brings over 28 years of global pensions and insurance consulting experience including a wealth of knowledge representing, building, and leading strong brands and alliances. Kulin’s dedication to excellence, entrepreneurial style, and innovative spirit align well with Abelica Global’s