Reinsurance News
Willis Re
Willis Re appoints Andrew Vince as Head of Global Engineering practice
4th May 2018
Willis Re has announced the appointment of Andrew Vince as Head of its Global Engineering practice. Vince joins Willis Re from Trans Re, where he has served since 2008, most recently as Manager of Engineering Treaty and Onshore Energy. Tony Melia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Willis Re International, said: "Andrew is ... Read the full article
Willis Re appoints Guy Carpenter’s Pinette as head of EMEA Life & Health
30th April 2018
Willis Re has appointed Guy Carpenter’s Franck Pinette as Managing Director of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Life & Health practice. Pinette, who was most recently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of European Life Reinsurance operations at Guy Carpenter, will now lead Willis Re’s development in the rapidly growing life ... Read the full article
Reinsurers continue to boost poor returns with reserve releases: Willis Re
27th April 2018
Reinsurance broker Willis Re has reported that reserve releases remained substantial over 2017, as reinsurers attempted to buoy net income and offset 2017 natural catastrophe losses with high prior year releases. The company’s April 2018 Reinsurance Market Report found that SUBSET constituents – companies it tracks that disclose catastrophe losses and ... Read the full article
RoEs & combined ratios weaken after a challenging year: Willis Re
24th April 2018
The reported return on equity (RoE) for the Willis Reinsurance Index declined from 8% at the end of 2016 to 3.4% at year-end 2017, as higher natural catastrophe losses and a rising expense ratio contributed to diminished profitability, underlined by a combined ratio of 104.8%, according to Willis Re. The reinsurance ... Read the full article
More reinsurance capital to deploy in spite of losses, reports Willis Re
23rd April 2018
Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of international broker Willis Towers Watson, has reported that shareholders' equity in 34 reinsurance firms tracked via the Willis Reinsurance Index increased to $371 billion at the end of 2017, with alternative capital increasing also, to $88 billion. The year-on-year growth in shareholders' equity of 7.8% ... Read the full article
Property capacity remained strong at April 1st renewals: Willis Re
11th April 2018
Broker Willis Re has reported that capacity for the property sector remained strong, both in the U.S and globally, despite April 1st renewal price increases being lower than anticipated. In its latest reinsurance renewals report, Willis Re found that April 1st renewal price increases were tempered by weak increases at January ... Read the full article
Dramatic shift in reinsurance M&A trends, says Willis Re CEO Kent
5th April 2018
In the company’s latest reinsurance renewals report, Willis Re’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), James Kent, observed a dynamic change in reinsurance mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity as large primary carriers re-enter the reinsurance market. He suggested that new distribution models are causing the greatest disruption to major non-life primary companies with ... Read the full article
Modest market hardening across global specialty lines at 1/1: Willis Re
15th January 2018
Across multiple global specialty lines, a modest hardening of rates is expected in 2018, however, new capacity has entered the market in anticipation of the hardening market and will thus reduce the impact on rate growth, according to Willis Re's viewpoint report on January renewals. In the global specialty markets signs of ... Read the full article
Casualty market calms after HIM but reinsurers push for improved T&Cs: Willis Re
10th January 2018
The global casualty market remains orderly and has calmed down somewhat from the initial impacts of third-quarter hurricanes, however, the trend of improved terms and conditions (T&C) for reinsurance buyers is now slowing, and even reversing in some instances, according to Willis Re. In its recent 1st View report, reinsurance broker ... Read the full article
Willis Re’s PRISM-Re tool upgraded to include silent cyber
8th January 2018
PRISM-Re, the cyber risk portfolio modelling tool from reinsurance broker Willis Re, has been upgraded to now include silent cyber, providing insurers and reinsurers with a more comprehensive view of cyber exposures. Willis Re, the global reinsurance arm of insurance and reinsurance brokerage Willis Towers Watson, first launched PRISM-Re in February ... Read the full article
Headwinds limit significant pricing corrections for reinsurers: Willis Re
2nd January 2018
On the back of one of the worst loss years on record for the global insurance and reinsurance market, pricing corrections have not been as significant as many in the market had hoped for, driven by a number of factors, according to Willis Re's 1st View renewals report. Recent catastrophe ... Read the full article
TigerRisk & Willis Re partner to develop reinsurance placement platform
6th October 2017
Two global reinsurance brokerages are joining forces to advance the development of a reinsurance placement platform. Willis Re is joining with TigerRisk Partners LLC to further develop the globalREmarket (formerly named X-gRm) technology. The pair have formed a new third-party company, RePlace Holding LLC, which will advance the development of the ... Read the full article
Willis Re in senior hires of Wafer & Livingston for North America
20th September 2017
Global reinsurance broker Willis Re has made two senior hires in its North America unit, with the appointment of Tom Wafer as Chairman, Willis Re, North America, and Jeffrey Livingston as Vice-Chair. Tom Wafer joins Willis Re from hedge fund strategy reinsurer Third Point Re (USA) Ltd., where he held the ... Read the full article
Willis Re survey highlights uncertainty of silent cyber exposures
10th September 2017
A recent survey by the reinsurance arm of brokerage Willis Towers Watson, Willis Re, reveals that over the coming year the risk of "silent cyber" exposure has the potential to increase, although uncertainty remains across the risk transfer industry. Silent cyber refers to potential cyber-related losses from an insurance policy not ... Read the full article
Willis Re’s Reinsurance Index sees reinsurer profits plummet in HY 2017
6th September 2017
According to Willis Re’s latest Reinsurance Market Report, aggregate net income for shareholders’ funds in the Willis Reinsurance Index in HY 2017 plummetted to U.S. $8.3 billion from U.S. $14.5 billion at HY 2016 after what's been a below-average year for losses and a market still characterised by surplus capital ... Read the full article