From Editor-in-Chief

Smile. You are in a noble profession

India: To soar with fast growth

An exciting vision for 2013

Kiln: Fifty years on

Kiln celebrated its 50 years of operations last year. As it moves forward, Mr Charles Franks, CEO, Kiln Group Ltd, and Mr Neil Wray, Regional Managing Director, Kiln Asia Singapore Pte Ltd, share with Asia Insurance Review what has changed, what...

Echo Re: Growing without haste

While it may be tempting for newer entrants to grow market share by undercutting prices, Dr Peter Hugger, CEO of Echo Reinsurance Ltd, says he is focussed on doing it solidly through a good portfolio mix, and it helps that the shareholding company...

Rising customer debt and lending a draw for Genworth

A sub-plot in Asia's growth story is its growing customer debt and personal lending, a development that has brought Genworth Lifestyle Protection to the region. Mr Peter Barrett, the company's Global Managing Director, expects customers' need to...

Industry to lead instead of waiting for Mr Regulator?

Pockets of change are afoot in Asia as industry players put lessons from 2011 to practice. But 10 insurers and reinsurers said at the AIR Roundtable, held along the corridors of the 26th EAIC and hosted by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority, that...

Customer Focus: Treating Customers Fairly - Not a simple task!

Mr Stephen Rosling of TCF Matters explains why some financial services companies are still not treating their customers fairly, though not for want of trying.

Customer Focus: Change your game with customer analytics

Success lies in a variety of factors. Mr Primo B Aguas from IBM looks at the key factors and explains how analytics tools can boost profits.

The Deal Makers - M&As heat up

Just when one thought the year of M&A rush had come to a close, news of HSBC's US$9.4-billion sale of its stake in Ping An Insurance to a Thai conglomerate broke a few weeks before 2012 ended, making it Asia's largest insurance acquisition of the...

Regulations for a prospective future

Regulatory changes dominated play in the Indian market in the last few years. Some were welcome while others were questioned. Through all these changes, insurers agree that long-term prospects remain promising, and they are confident that growth...

Great expectations

India's insurance business was full of promise when it was liberalised in 2000, but in 2012 the industry was besotted by losses as a result of regulatory changes and a sharp slowdown in economic growth. Despite these hiccups, both life and non-life...

Indian life insurance industry: Ready for consolidation?

It has been over two years since the IRDA issued guidelines restricting the design and pricing of unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs). This was just the beginning of a series of regulatory changes. Milliman's Mr Sanket Kawatkar and Mr Richard...

P&C: A look back at 2012 and prospects for 2013 - Hope blossoms

With the New Year comes new hope. For insurers, there is hope for another benign year in terms of losses, for underwriting discipline to hold, and for lessons to be learnt. Regulators, insurers and a consultant share about these hopes.

P&C: A look back at 2012 and prospects for 2013 - Industry hopes to stay on right track

An excellent year for the industry, 2012 was also a time for insurers in Asia to reflect on and learn from the lessons of 2011. Most hope the industry will continue to be on the right track as they expect another year of good business. By Manuelita...

P&C: A look back at 2012 and prospects for 2013 - Market transformation pressures continue in 2013

Asian property and casualty (P&C) insurers that have grown accustomed to adapting to change should not expect any let-up in the next few years, says Mr Peter Lee of Towers Watson.

The Geneve Association: Building up capital buffers and recognising judgement risk

In this extract from the Geneva Association's recent newsletter, Mr Shigeyuki Goto of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings advises that insurers need to build up company-specific counter-cyclical capital buffers and look at risks inherent in...

Insurance opportunities in the Asian century

Have you checked out "Australia in the Asian Century White Paper"? Colleagues from Clyde & Co in Sydney look at the opportunities for both Australian and Asian insurers alike.

The data tsunami

Data production is expanding at a truly staggering pace. Mr Stuart Selden of FM Global explores some of the property risk management challenges that data centre owners and operators face.

All hands on deck

The shipping industry is forecast to face a challenging year, and as a result so will the P&I clubs. As they brace themselves for the challenges globally, clubs nonetheless look to win in Asia with hope.

Impact of IAIS - 2013 will be a year of significant regulatory change

The IAIS is sparking a raft of regulatory change across the region. Mr Martin Noble from KPMG explores how you can expect regulatory reform to impact you and the markets you operate in.

Leveraging technologies through the visionary CIO

The role of the CIO is evolving. Speakers at the Asia Insurance CIO Summit discussed this need for a visionary CIO.

Asia to make up 45% of global premium growth in next 8 years

Asia-Pacific is estimated to account for about 45% of worldwide gross written premium growth in the next eight years, according to Munich Re. However, it will need to further develop its risk management, solvency and Nat CAT capabilities as it...

ASEAN: YAMA joy for AIA's Thai actuarial head

Mr Pichet Jiaramaneetaveesin, 35, Head of Corporate Actuarial at AIA, was named the Young ASEAN Manager of the Year at the joint dinner of the ASEAN Insurance Regulators and ASEAN Insurance Council (AIC) in Bangkok in December.

Australia: IAG sells UK operations

Insurance Australia Group Ltd (IAG) has sold its specialist UK commercial broking business Independent Commercial Brokers (ICB), which includes Barnett & Barnett and NBJ to the existing management team for approximately GBP10 million (US$16.2...

Careful optimism for both global life and non-life - Swiss Re

Swiss Re's latest study, "Global re/insurance review 2012 and outlook 2013/14" provides a mildly optimistic view of the future of the global economy and insurance markets.

Americans adopting new mindset for funding their retirement

While the US economy has accelerated in the last year, Americans 55 and older - many of whom saw their retirements stung by the financial crisis - are course-correcting their lifestyle plans, work/leisure expectations and investing strategies,...

Low take-up rates plague terrorism risk insurance

Despite improved insurance conditions, increased capacity and progress in loss projections, terrorism risk insurance remains confronted by several challenges.

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