Moves & Views (September 01, 2010)

1 Elliott Special Risks LP (a Markel International company) has announced a series of appointments and promotions. They include:

• Isabel Treggia 1[a], senior underwriter;

• Colleen Kenny 1[b], property underwriter; and

• Bob Bousfield 1[c] has been promoted to assistant vice president.

2 Marsh has appointed Gerry Russ 2[a] as its managing director and construction and design practice leader for Canada. Russ most recently held the position of Canada practice leader for construction and surety at Aon. He brings more than 30 years of surety and construction risk management experience to his new role. Also, Jay Sharma 2[b] has accepted the newly created role of multinational client service director. In this role, Sharma will work with specialists in more than 100 countries to deliver solutions and service to Marsh clients. He will initially focus on Marsh’s U.S. and Canada division and will lead initiatives to improve network management operations.

3 Inspection and loss control provider iv3 Solutions has merged with Canadian Underwriting Services (CUS). The merger creates the second-largest provider of unique property information, inspection and loss control services in the Canadian property and casualty industry, with the goal of becoming North America’s largest inspection and property data services company within the next five years, says an iv3 release. CUS/iv3 will provide customers with access to unique property data on up to 6-million properties in Canada by 2011, the release adds.

4 SGI provided $50,000 to the RCMP to outfit two vehicles with Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems. The ALPR equipment checks for unregistered or expired plates, stolen vehicles and whether the vehicle owner was suspended or is wanted for another matter. It automatically scans license plates as the officer drives, enabling police to check a large number of vehicles without having to type the numbers in themselves, increasing efficiency. “We estimate that the ALPR allows our officers to complete the same amount of vehicle checks in one hour as they would normally require 900 hours for. It’s a real time saver for us,” said Inspector Andy Landers of OIC “F” division traffic services.

5 Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) launched a Web application that enables glass repair facilities to register claims on behalf of customers. ‘eGlassClaim’ interfaces with MPI’s claims systems and enables customers to initiate glass claims at the repair shop of their choosing. Under the old system, customers were required to report claims to MPI’s call centre first. Glass repair shops will also be allowed to submit invoices to MPI electronically and get paid automatically. Participation in the new program is open to all glass repairers, but is optional.

6 ACE Canada has appointed Bruce Walker as its chief financial officer. Reporting to CEO David Brosnan, Walker will have overall responsibility for ACE Canada’s finance and information technology groups. He is expected to provide leadership in budget management, financial reporting, in- ternal controls, audit and the strategic direction of its information technology division. Walker’s insurance career spans almost 20 years. He joins ACE from a directorship with a privately-held financial consultancy firm in the United States.

7 Insurance companies can now validate lightning strikes using the lightning strike data archive launched by The Weather Network. In Canada, lightning is responsible for more than $5 billion in total insurance industry losses annually, The Weather Network reports. The archive of data is designed to help companies authenticate lightning strikes as a possible cause for forest fires, power outages or property damage. The service is an extension of the Pelmorex Lightning Detection Network (PLDN). The PLDN uses the timing precision of GPS technology and super-refined triangulation techniques to pinpoint accurately the location of lightning strikes across Canada. This results in a lower false strike rate and increased confidence in strike location relative to important assets, according to The Weather Network. The data provided for each individual lightning strike includes:

• date and time;

• latitude/longitude;

• polarity (positive/negative);

• amplitude (strike strength measured in amperes); and

• type (cloud-to-cloud/cloud-to-ground).

8 Zurich in Canada, as of press time, is poised to launch ZurichBuildersRisk.ca, a new Web-based system designed to rate, quote and issue builders risk policies in less than nine minutes. The new service provides course of construction coverage for new residential and commercial structures, renovation or installation projects. The service will rate, quote and issue policies on a desktop PC. Policy limits are $4 million for frame and $5 million for non-combustible construction. The product is not just for use by Zurich customers. All clients can be insured on ZurichBuildersRisk.ca.

9 RSA has launched a new product designed to protect homeowners and small businesses that sell renewable energy to the Ontario government in the event of lost income. The product covers the actual equipment against all risks of direct physical damage and loss of income up to $5,000 directly resulting from the interruption of power generation and sale of energy caused by an insured loss to the building or equipment. This new product from RSA is intended to allow customers to take advantage of an Ontario government program called microFIT. The program enables customers to sell renewable energy generated through wind turbines or solar panels on their properties back to the electricity grid.

10 Can-Sure Underwriting Ltd. acquired Chutter Underwriting Services’ property division and its book of business. Bruce MacKinnon and John Woodcock, both partners at Chutter, are now members of Can-Sure’s senior management team. As of Sept. 1, 2010 all policy transactions are being processed through Can-Sure. All policies will be transitioned into Can-Sure’s policy management system upon renewal, or will remain in effect with no changes in coverage, premiums or insurers for the current term. “This acquisition further supports Can-Sure’s strategy to become Canada’s leader for underwriting solutions providing innovative products that meet the goals of its brokers and their clients,” a Can-Sure release says.

11 Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. expanded its professional liability business to include an errors and omissions claims management product for professional service organizations. The E&O specialists manage risks, resolve claims and administer settlements for professional service providers facing allegations of inaccuracy or oversight in the performance of their work. “Sedgwick CMS Professional Liability is the ideal partner for organizations such as financial advisors and financial services providers, realtors, property managers, architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys and others whose insurer, captive insurance company or self-insurance arrangements allow for independent expert assistance in the management of E&O claims,” said Tim C. Over, senior vice president and national director of professional liability claims operations.