Starwind Specialty names Ashley Orth as COO
Starwind Specialty Insurance Services, a CRC Group company focused on specialty insurance underwriting, has appointed Ashley Orth as its new Chief Operating Officer. The appointment comes as the business continues to develop its specialist underwriting operations and expand its portfolio. Orth joins the senior leadership team with almost two decades of experience across the insurance…
Amwins and Dragoneer confirm due diligence in final stages for Steadfast acquisition
Steadfast Group, an Australian insurance broker, has announced that Amwins Group, Inc. and Dragoneer Investment Group, LLC (collectively, the Consortium) have confirmed that due diligence is in its final stages and that the key commercial terms of the draft Scheme Implementation Deed have been substantially agreed. In June 2026, Steadfast received a conditional, non-binding and…
As The Drought Continues, People Are Asking: What About All The Data Centres?
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Willis Re to acquire BMS Re US, accelerating geographic growth
Specialist international reinsurance broker Willis Re has reached an agreement to acquire BMS Re, US, the US reinsurance arm of independent broker BMS Group for an undisclosed sum, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. The definitive agreement to acquire BMS Re, US includes BMS Intermediaries Inc., BMS Capital Advisory LLC, and the associated…
German non-life insurers maintain underwriting discipline despite strong profitability: Fitch
In 2025, German non-life insurers maintained strong underwriting discipline despite achieving very strong underwriting profitability, according to Fitch Ratings. In a recent report, Fitch said German non-life insurers outperformed expectations in 2025. Nevertheless, the ratings agency is maintaining its forecast for the sector’s net combined ratio at 95% for 2026, up from 92% in 2025,…
Willis Networks names Norledge as MD and Cobham as Deputy MD
Willis Networks, a WTW business, has appointed Lynne Norledge as its Managing Director (MD) and Mark Cobham as Deputy MD. In her new role, Norledge will focus on supporting the growth of independent brokers within the Network, strengthening insurer relationships, and ensuring members continued growth. Since joining the business in 2017, Norledge has established close…
Majesco research finds growing gap between insurer priorities and customer protection needs
Majesco, a provider of AI-native and cloud-native software for the insurance industry, has published its latest research examining the growing gap between insurer priorities and customer protection needs. The findings are detailed in Majesco’s latest thought leadership report, The Insurance Alignment Gap: Where Insurer Priorities and Customer Protection Needs Converge…and Diverge. The report explores how…
Blake Lively Reacts To Hayden Panettiere And Michelle Trachtenberg Deaths: ‘Be Kind’
Blake Lively is calling for people to be more “kind” in the wake of the deaths of actors Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg. On Monday evening, Blake posted a picture of the two late actors – who died in August 2026 and February 2025, respectively – on Instagram, showing them behind the scenes of the…
Hampden Risk Partners Syndicate 2689 appoints James Drew as Senior Underwriter
Hampden Risk Partners’ (HRP) Syndicate 2689 at Lloyd’s has announced the appointment of James Drew as Senior Underwriter. In his new role, Drew will focus on underwriting a diverse portfolio of proportional business for top-quartile syndicates in the Lloyd’s market. His remit will also include a selective appetite for complementary MGA and company market opportunities…
We’re All Eating Strawberries Wrong
Before I start, let me make one thing clear: I do not enjoy a pointless “proper” extra step when it comes to my food. For instance, I am alright eating chocolate digestives the “wrong way” (according to McVitie’s). I will go choccie-up like a non-industry normie, thanks very much. But sometimes, much to my annoyance,…
