Sherrie Clevenger, vice president, product management at Zywave, has written a piece in Insurance Journal about how the rise of embedded insurance is great news for consumers, but considers if it is a threat or an opportunity for insurance agents.

The piece discusses how embedded insurance, as a distribution channel, doesn’t necessarily take insurers out of the value chain, and it provides some great advantages for brokers, such as valuable leads to consumers when they are right at the point of purchase. Clevenger goes on to stress that brokers will need to have the right technology to accept and process these leads and generate quotes.

Xceedance has appointed Gavin Lillywhite as SVP, Operating Leader UKI and Europe. Gavin brings over 30 years of international experience across the London, Lloyd’s, and Company Insurance Market,

“We are delighted to welcome Gavin to our team,” said Amit Tiwari, President – EMEA & APAC at Xceedance.” His extensive experience and proven leadership in the insurance industry will be invaluable as we continue to expand our services and deliver exceptional value to our clients across the UKI & Europe region.”

Gavin added: “I am passionate about leveraging my expertise to make a meaningful impact as Operating Leader UKI and Europe at Xceedance. My goal is to enhance client satisfaction through exemplary service delivery and innovative solutions. I look forward to collaborating with

SiriusPoint has announced a new partnership with Irwin Siegel Agency, a managing general underwriter based in New York, to launch a new casualty and excess insurance programme targeting human and social services providers.

Patrick Charles, SiriusPoint’s head of North America Insurance, said: “The launch of a new Casualty and Excess programme will not only deliver innovative insurance and risk management solutions to a gap in the market but will fill a distinct need in the human and social services space.”

SiriusPoint will provide paper for the programme, which will be distributed exclusively through the wholesale market.

Broker Insights, a provider of insurance data analytics and market intelligence, has updated its insurance decision intelligence platform, Broker Insights VISION. This latest version introduces enhanced functionality to improve connections between brokers and insurers.

Broker Insights Chief Executive Officer, Peter Scott, commented: “This evolution marks a foundational shift in how insurers and brokers engage with their data, reinforcing our commitment to empowering our partners with the tools they need to succeed in an evolving market.”

Rohan Pai has been appointed Ariel Re chief financial officer, overseeing the company’s continued development and commitment to being the “premier manager of reinsurance risk”, the company said.

Ryan Mather, Ariel Re chief executive, said: “We are excited to welcome Rohan to the team. His deep expertise in financial management and the reinsurance sector will be instrumental as we continue to grow and strengthen our market position.”

SiriusPoint has announced a strategic partnership with Balance Partners, a North American managing general underwriter, to provide capacity for the company’s new Excess Construction Liability program, Vertical, which underwrites lead and following excess layers of up to $5 million.

Patrick Charles, Head of North America Insurance at SiriusPoint, added, “We look forward to working with John and the Balance Partners team and supporting them with capital and expertise to meet the growing demand for Excess Construction risk in New York.”

The Fidelis Partnership has promoted Nadia Beckert to Chief Underwriting Officer at its Bermuda office, highlighting her dedication and ongoing contributions to the growth of the firm’s reinsurance business in the region.

The Fidelis Partnership’s Insurance CEO, Richard Coulson, said, “Over the past four years, Nadia has proven to be an exceptional colleague and leader.

“Nadia’s ability to excel across each of these roles embodies TFP’s ambition and commitment to excellence- she is a true ambassador of our business and brand.”

Stephen Young, CEO of IQUW Bermuda, spoke to Insurance Business about the assignment of an A- rating from AM Best, and what this means for the company’s Bermuda Platform.

Young said: “This A- rating will allow us to fully leverage the Bermuda balance sheet by focusing on property, specialty and casualty reinsurance products. It’ll also allow us to launch new products in the future,” said Young. “We’re continuing to build franchise value through the new platform, and to achieve additional scale and diversification.”