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People Moves: TMK Taps Beresford From CNA Hardy as Life Sciences U/W; Hampden Risk Partners Promotes D’Alessandro as Active U/W, Replacing Sharp

Article 0 Comments This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Tokio Marine Kiln and Hampden Risk Partners. A summary of these new hires follows here. Tokio Marine Kiln Taps Beresford From CNA Hardy as Life Sciences U/W Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK), an international specialist Lloyd’s insurer, announced the appointment of Adele Beresford as an underwriter within its Life Sciences team. She takes up her new role with immediate effect and will report to Kirsten Shastri, head of Life Sciences. Adele Beresford Beresford brings a combination of technical underwriting expertise and scientific knowledge to her new role. She joins from CNA Hardy where she most recently served as an underwriter in the Financial Lines division. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology from Curtin University. Beresford’s appointment strengthens TMK’s ability to provide tailored solutions that address the specific needs of life sciences companies, from start-ups bringing innovations to market to established firms advancing critical research. “As the sector continues to innovate, having underwriters who truly understand both the science and the risk landscape is increasingly key. Adele’s background and experience will be invaluable as we continue to develop market-leading solutions that enable Life Sciences...

EY Canada launches FlexiGenAI, a modular platform making agentic AI simple for businesses 0

EY Canada launches FlexiGenAI, a modular platform making agentic AI simple for businesses

FlexiGenAI empowers teams to build, deploy and scale agentic AI agents with no coding required Streamlines complex processes for Canadian and global organizations Enables secure, compliant and collaborative AI innovation across functions Capable of supporting sovereign AI Toronto, ON (Nov. 16, 2025) – EY Canada is proud to announce the launch and general availability of FlexiGenAI, a next-generation agentic AI platform designed to help organizations move from experimentation to enterprise-scale impact in today’s fast-changing business landscape. “Agentic AI is reshaping the way the world works, but enterprise demands can trap organizations between pilot and product,” says Biren Agnihotri, Chief Technology Officer, at EY Canada. “FlexiGenAI is built for businesses that don’t code and developers who want to move faster. Organizations can start small, scale fast and go from idea to impact easily.” Developed in Canada within EY’s Innovation Center, FlexiGenAI enables teams to design, deploy and scale AI agents — without writing a single line of code. With its modular architecture, plug-and-play experience and configurable agentic solutions, FlexiGenAI helps businesses securely connect AI tools and workflows through a unified platform. Built on a robust technical foundation, it incorporates telemetry, observability, auditability, citations, privacy filters and expandability — ensuring enterprise-grade performance,...

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Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Program to Expand Statewide by 2026

Article 0 Comments The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) recently announced the reopening of previously designated zip codes for the pilot launch of the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes (SOH) Program, an initiative aimed at helping Oklahoma homeowners fortify their residences to resist storm, wind, and hail damage. Looking ahead, OID also confirms the program will scale to a full statewide rollout in 2026. All 77 counties of Oklahoma will be eligible under the program. In the initial stage of the SOH program, OID selected specific zip codes for pilot eligibility. Those zip codes were chosen based on factors including storm and paid-loss data, number of active homeowners’ insurance policies, and availability of certified contractors. The pilot now reopens these previously eligible zip codes, allowing homeowners residing in the designated areas to apply for grant funds. This step reflects OID’s commitment to ensuring full take-up and normalization of the program ahead of the statewide launch. Under the SOH Program, approved homeowners may receive up to $10,000 in grant funds to support certified construction projects that strengthen their homes. These projects must meet the standards of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) FORTIFIED Home – Roof™ designation (High Wind + Hail...

Majesco Launches Fall ’25 Release with AI Agents to Transform Intelligent Insurance Operations 0

Majesco Launches Fall ’25 Release with AI Agents to Transform Intelligent Insurance Operations

Morristown, NJ (Nov. 7, 2025) – Majesco, the insurance industry’s foremost innovator in cloud-native, AI-driven software, has announced announced the general availability of its Fall ’25 Release. The update introduces 13 new AI Agents that bring advanced reasoning, human-in-the-loop control, and company-specific guardrails to transform everyday insurance operations. The new agents automate complex processes across P&C and L&AH Intelligent Core Suites and Loss Control, helping insurers speed up quoting and claims, simplify billing, and cut manual work while improving accuracy and customer experience. Alongside the AI advances, the release delivers telemetry, built-in analytics, streamlined upgrades, and user experience, functional and cloud enhancements across Majesco’s entire portfolio. A Breakthrough for Insurance Core Systems 13 AI Agents across P&C, L&AH, and Loss Control to automate quoting, claims, billing, payments, cancellations, and more. Telemetry + analytics everywhere for proactive insights, better quality, and reduced risk. Next-gen document AI (DocScribe): processes 200+ page files with sentence-level citations for full transparency and auditability. Faster upgrades & performance boosts: multi-threading, real-time monitoring, quicker document generation, and batch processing. Refreshed UX & integrations that modernize workflows and improve productivity. Hundreds of functional and technical enhancements “Majesco AI Agents don’t just automate steps. They reason, adapt to uncertainty,...

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Tokio Marine Holdings to Acquire Illinois-Based Commodity & Ingredient Hedging

Article 0 Comments Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Commodity & Ingredient Hedging (“CIH”), a leading provider of risk management solutions for the agricultural and commodity sectors, from Falfurrias Capital Partners (“Falfurrias”). The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of calendar year 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Headquartered in Chicago, CIH helps agricultural producers, grain merchandisers, and other businesses manage commodity price risk through an integrated suite of consulting, brokerage, and insurance services, all powered by a proprietary technology platform. CIH’s unique and proprietary offering combines weekly, education-driven advisory sessions with real-time execution capabilities across both insurance and derivatives markets, allowing clients to view, model, and manage exposure through a single interface. CIH’s integrated approach, deep commodity expertise, and focus on client education have made it a trusted partner across the agricultural value chain and a leading solution in technology-enabled risk management. Tokio Marine, through this acquisition, will add a highly complementary business that will enhance its specialty offerings in the U.S. agricultural sector and expand its non-insurance risk solutions capabilities. The combination will further strengthen the capabilities of Tokio Marine HCC’s agricultural business, diversify the group’s earnings...

‘Shadow AI’ Use Surges as Canadian Workers Outpace Employers in AI Adoption: IBM Study 0

‘Shadow AI’ Use Surges as Canadian Workers Outpace Employers in AI Adoption: IBM Study

79% of Canadian office workers use AI tools, but only 1 in 4 use enterprise-grade AI solutions 97% said AI improves productivity; nearly 80% said it enhances strategic or creative work 46% of employees would leave their job for a company that uses AI more effectively Markham, ON (Nov. 3, 2025) – A new study commissioned by IBM reveals that Shadow AI – the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications in the workplace without formal approval or oversight from a company’s IT department – is becoming increasingly common across Canada. While 79% of full-time office workers said they use AI at work, only 25% rely on enterprise grade AI tools, signaling a widening disconnect between employee expectations and enterprise readiness. The rest rely on a mix of personal and employer tools (33%) or entirely on personal apps (21%). The growing reliance on using personal AI tools in the workplace introduces serious risks to Canadian businesses, from potential data leaks and compliance issues to losing control of sensitive business information. “AI adoption in the workplace is no longer theoretical – it’s happening, and it’s being led by employees,” said Deb Pimentel, President, IBM Canada and General Manager, Technology, IBM Canada....

Louvre Password Leak Highlights Cyber Risks for Heritage Institutions 0

Louvre Password Leak Highlights Cyber Risks for Heritage Institutions

Toronto, ON (Nov. 21, 2025) – Ecclesiastical Insurance is urging museums, galleries, and heritage sites across Canada to strengthen their cybersecurity and data protection measures following reports that the password to the Louvre’s video surveillance system was, at one point, simply “Louvre.” The revelation follows last month’s audacious seven-minute heist, in which thieves stole an estimated $102 million in jewels from the museum’s Apollo Gallery. It’s a striking reminder that even the most prestigious institutions can be compromised by a single digital vulnerability. A Wake-Up Call for the Heritage Sector As the Louvre incident shows, a weak password can be as dangerous as an unlocked door. When attackers gain access to systems such as cameras, alarms, or collection databases, the consequences can extend far beyond theft, potentially disabling security infrastructure or exposing sensitive information. “The lesson from Paris is stark: sophisticated systems can be defeated by simple weaknesses,” said John Del Grande, SVP Business Innovation (& Cyber), Ecclesiastical Insurance. “Canadian institutions steward irreplaceable cultural assets. Protecting them means treating cyber risk with the same rigour as physical security, every day, in every workflow.” With operations, collections management, and visitor engagement increasingly reliant on digital systems, heritage organizations are now as...

Canadians would rather build furniture, sit in traffic, or do their taxes than check insurance policies for savings 0

Canadians would rather build furniture, sit in traffic, or do their taxes than check insurance policies for savings

“Would You Rather…?” TD Insurance survey reveals three-quarters of Gen Z and Millennial Canadians avoid reviewing their policies, overlooking possible savings Toronto, ON (Nov. 21, 2025) – Canadians are hustling harder than ever to stretch their budgets, but when it comes to saving smarter, many are missing out. A new survey from TD Insurance reveals a surprising blind spot: only one-in-four Canadians (24 per cent) have reviewed their home and auto insurance policies for potential savings this year, though many could be eligible for discounts or savings. The poll found that not only are Canadians overlooking opportunities to save on their insurance, they often turn to a host of other unpleasant options rather than review their policies. More than half (52 per cent) say they would rather assemble furniture than review their home or auto policies, while others would sooner delete their favourite social app or mobile game (57 per cent), call their boss “Mom” (45 per cent), do their taxes (43 per cent) or even sit in traffic (37 per cent). Younger Canadians are particularly likely to avoid reviewing their insurance coverage, with three-quarters of Gen Z (76 per cent) and Millennials (74 per cent) respondents saying they avoid reviewing their home or auto policies, compared to 57 per cent of Canadians. Nearly all Gen Z (93 per cent) participants said they hesitate to contact their insurance...

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12 Most Expensive States for a College Education

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Manulife Vitality Expands with New Partners and Personalized Health Tools 0

Manulife Vitality Expands with New Partners and Personalized Health Tools

Program evolution reinforces Manulife’s leadership in proactive health with more inclusive features, proactive support, and a stronger focus on long-term well-being Toronto, ON (Nov. 20 , 2025) – Manulife Canada is pleased to announce it is evolving its Vitality program in Canada to better support how Canadians engage with their health. With new prevention partners, expanded activity recognition, and more inclusive ways to earn points, the program is entering a new chapter – reinforcing Manulife’s leadership in longevity and making it easier than ever to turn healthy actions into meaningful rewards. Manulife Vitality is Canada’s only program of its kind, helping members take simple, everyday steps toward better health. As Manulife advances its commitment to longevity, Vitality continues to lead the way in empowering healthier lives, informed by behavioural science and a vision for a longer, better future. A broader commitment to health Lifestyle-related chronic diseases account for 67 per cent of all deaths in Canada,[1] yet many are preventable through healthier lifestyle choices. Manulife is committed to doing their part to address trends in lifespan and healthspan by transforming the insurance experience – from one that simply pays claims to one that actively promotes health, prevention, and longevity. The recently launched...