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Article 0 Comments This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Liberty Specialty Markets and Westfield Specialty International. A summary of these new hires follows here. Liberty Specialty Markets Promotes Nelson as Active U/W for Syndicate 4472 Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, announced the appointment of Henry Nelson as active underwriter, subject to regulatory approval. Henry Nelson Nelson will be expanding his duties as chief underwriting officer (CUO), UK & MENA, and will be working in the coming weeks alongside current active underwriter Jane Warren, who is set to retire at the end of 2025. Reporting directly to Luis Prato, president of UK & MENA, Nelson will be responsible for managing the underwriting portfolio of LSM’s Lloyd’s Syndicate 4472, continuing his broader capacity as CUO, which he was appointed to in January this year. Prior to this he had served as chief of staff, along with several other key roles over his 11 years at LSM. Prato thanked Warren for her “outstanding service during her six years at Liberty.” “She has been an influential figure in the market: an outstanding sponsor of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Liberty and through her position on...
Article 0 Comments As broader adoption of AI technologies continues to accelerate, companies that implement more advanced Responsible AI (RAI) measures are pulling ahead while others stall. According to the second Responsible AI (RAI) Pulse survey from the EY organization, four in five respondents said their company has improved innovation (81%) and efficiency and productivity gains (79%), while about half report boosts in revenue growth (54%), cost savings (48%), and employee satisfaction (56%). The global survey of large corporations also reveals that nearly all organizations report financial losses and widespread impact from compliance failures, sustainability setbacks, and biased outputs. According to EY, Responsible AI adoption involves defining and communicating principles before advancing to implementation and governance. The transition from principles to practice happens through 10 RAI measures that embed commitments into operations. The survey suggests greater adherence to RAI principles is correlated with positive business performance. For instance, those respondents with real-time monitoring are 34% more likely to see improvements in revenue growth and 65% more likely to see improved cost savings. On average, organizations surveyed have already implemented seven RAI measures, and among those yet to act, the vast majority plan to do so. Across all measures, fewer than...
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Article 0 Comments The number and total aggregate amount of settlements in merger and acquisition (M&A)-related lawsuits in the Delaware Court of Chancery have increased substantially since 2019, with the total aggregate settlement amount exceeding $600 million in 2024, according to a report by Cornerstone Research. The report, M&A Litigation Settlements in the Delaware Court of Chancery—2012–2024 Review & Analysis, examined 118 monetary settlements between 2012 and 2024 in M&A-related litigation filed in the Delaware court. In 2024, 21 such settlements totaled $618.3 million in the aggregate, a significant increase from five settlements totaling $110.1 million in the aggregate in 2019. According to the research, of the 10 settlements within the study period that equaled or exceeded $100 million, four have occurred since 2022. The most common settlement amounts during 2022–2024 ranged between $20 million and $50 million, while the most common settlement amounts in prior periods were below $10 million. Marsh: Transactional Risk Insurance ‘Remained Resilient’ in 2023 Viewpoint: How Transactional Risk Insurance Became Essential for M&A Certainty “Our analysis shows an upward trend in both the number and overall value of settlements, particularly in the past three years,” said Frank Schneider, a vice president at Cornerstone Research and...
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Ready for the Storm: Closing the Extreme Weather Resilience Gap – New report reflects views of 950 risk decision-makers and insurance brokers Johnston, RI (Sept. 18, 2025) – Global businesses are seeing the effects of increasingly frequent extreme weather, but many are missing opportunities to fully protect against it, according to a new report by commercial property insurer FM. The report, “Ready for the Storm: Closing the Extreme Weather Resilience Gap,” found that many companies are not fully adopting cost-effective opportunities to close resilience gaps. And while 95% of risk decision-makers at corporations believe they are fully or mostly aware of the extreme weather exposure of their business, only 67% of brokers believe the same of their clients, according to the report. The survey also found that 62% of risk decision-makers report they have suffered at least one severe disruption due to extreme weather in the past three years. FM’s report included recommendations for businesses to close the resilience gap, including taking a long-term view of risk and evaluating supply chains. In the report’s survey of 150 brokers and 800 risk decision-makers from industrial, manufacturing and technology companies: 78% agree that changing weather systems render past assumptions about their exposure...
Continuous Demand for AI Is Expected to Fuel Investments in IT Infrastructure Stamford, CT (Sept. 17, 2025) – Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to total nearly $1.5 trillion in 2025, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company. “The forecast assumes continued investment in AI infrastructure expansion, as major hyperscalers continue to increase investments in data centers with AI-optimized hardware and GPUs to scale their services,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “The AI investment landscape is also expanding beyond traditional U.S. tech giants, including Chinese companies and new AI cloud providers. Furthermore, venture capital investment in AI providers is providing additional tailwinds for AI spending.” Looking towards 2026, overall global AI spending is forecast to top $2 trillion, led in large part by AI being integrated into products such as smartphones and PCs, as well as infrastructure (see table below). Table 1: AI Spending in IT Markets, Worldwide, 2024-2026 (Millions of U.S. Dollars) Market 2024 2025 2026 AI Services 259,477 282,556 324,669 AI Application Software 83,679 172,029 269,703 AI Infrastructure Software 56,904 126,177 229,825 GenAI Models 5,719 14,200 25,766 AI-optimized Servers (GPU and Non-GPU AI Accelerators) 140,107 267,534 329,528 AI-optimized IaaS 7,447 18,325 37,507...
Aon’s Fall 2025 Canadian Insurance Market Update Toronto, ON (Sept. 15, 2025) – Aon, a leading global professional services firm, has released its Fall 2025 Canadian Insurance Market Update. Published in support of Aon’s ongoing commitment to help Canadian clients make better decisions about risk management and insurance programs, the report finds that the Canadian Property and Casualty (P&C) market is characterized by soft conditions marked by increased capacity, strong underwriting performance and heightened competition. “These factors are driving more favourable terms and broader coverage options, as carriers prioritize client retention and seek to deliver greater value,” said Russell Quilley, head of Commercial Risk and Chief Broking Officer for Canada at Aon. “This environment presents opportunities for organizations to optimize their insurance strategies by aligning them with short- and long-term business objectives to ensure their coverage can support changing priorities and operational needs.” Other key findings include: The property insurance market is resilient despite recent catastrophic losses. Increased underwriting capacity and improved profitability offer broader coverage options, but natural catastrophe-exposed properties still encounter elevated scrutiny and stricter terms. The cyber market continues to evolve rapidly, emphasizing robust cybersecurity and response plans. Organizations demonstrating strong controls gain better coverage and favorable...
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