ILC Breakfast News – Wednesday 19 April 2023

New Generation in Claims to take centre stage

ILC’s inaugural New Generation in Claims 2023 is set to take centre stage next week with a host of leading organisations and individuals providing their support for the initiative.

Headline sponsored by Wiser Academy, along with sponsors Carpenters, Enterprise and Zurich, the first of its kind event takes place at etc.venues, Manchester on Wednesday 26 April bringing together many of the brightest minds involved in people management to shine a light on retaining talent and attracting new, diverse skillsets to the insurance claims sector.

ClaimsTech – The Pitch hots up as experts come onboard

Hot on the heels of last week’s launch, ILC is delighted to announce the first of its experts to come onboard for ClaimsTech – The Pitch special start-up/scale-up session.

The five experts already confirmed are:

• Waqar Ahmed, Claims Chief Operating Officer, Aviva
• Stuart Ballantyne, Claims Director, SAGA
• Greg Cole, Claims Director, ANDE
• Steven Cross, Group Head of Claims, Markerstudy Insurance Services Ltd
• Martin Milliner, Claims Director, LV=

Collaboration key to combat economic crime

A new white paper has been released examining how data sharing can help to prevent economic crime in the UK, which has now risen to epidemic levels.

The paper, ‘Data Sharing to prevent Economic Crime: Why you can now share data with confidence’, has been published by The Payments Association and suggests that collaboration between regulated entities and the public and private sector is key to further progress.

ARC360 event to explore EV impact on claims

ARC360 will host a specialist electric vehicle (EV) event in July to discuss how the motor claims sector is transitioning towards an electric future.

The event which takes place on Tuesday 4 July at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry will canvass insights from across the sector and beyond in a bid to provide a more rounded view of just how EVs are starting to, and will ultimately, change the sector.

Ford brings hands-free driving to UK

Hands-free driving is now legal on UK motorways after Ford received regulatory approval from the Department for Transport to launch its ‘BlueCruise’ assisted driving system.

This is the first approval in Europe for a ‘hands-off, eyes-on’ system and means that drivers of an enabled Mustang Mach-E can use the Level 2 technology on more than 2,300 miles of the UK’s road network.

Gemini sites secure new repair standard

Two Gemini ARC sites have achieved the new vehicle repair standard, with all other sites set to follow suit shortly.

Gemini Macclesfield and Chesterfield became the group’s first locations to achieve the newly-revised BS10125:2022 standard after undergoing two-day audits, while all other Gemini sites also have audit dates scheduled.

AkzoNobel unveils next generation of fillers

AkzoNobel has launched a new generation of fillers through its Sikkens and Lesonal brands to significantly improve productivity while lowering energy costs.

Known as Sikkens Autosurfacer Optima and Lesonal 2K Ultimate Filler, the one-stop, fast-drying filler systems have been developed to help save time and money, without compromising on quality.

Carpenters Group to help bridge gender gap

Carpenters Group attended the Lead5050 Gender Pay Gap summit in Westminster on 18 April.

The summit is dedicated to addressing the gender pay gap in the UK and identifying strategies to promote gender equality within the workplace.

Marshmallow tackles claims delays

Marshmallow has adopted a number of strategies to help streamline the motor claims process for its customers.

It has increased the number of repairer partners it works with to improve capacity, while supporting those repairers with continued investment. It is also putting customers affected by delays on priority lists.

Ask the experts

The benefits of involving experts at an early stage in subsidence claims was underpinned during a panel discussion at the ILC Subsidence Claims specialist event headline sponsored by Optera Structural Solutions.

Among the key issues addressed was the sometimes complicated involvement of third parties during a claim, such as local authorities, especially when claims are more complex or out of the norm.

Allied Universal joins ILC as Corporate Partner

Allied Universal Compliance and Investigations (Allied Universal) has joined ILC as a Home & Property Corporate Partner.

Allied Universal, previously known as The Cotswold Group, is a leading specialist insurance claims services provider. As part of a truly global insurance services group, Allied Universal operate from key ‘hubs’ in the UK, Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific.

Stress management

Stress UK has published its latest brochure lifting the lid on the wide range of projects it has managed recently, from subsidence-related structural repairs to listed building restoration.

Words matter

Sedgwick has warned of mounting customer confusion as policy wordings and cover can no longer be considered generic.

It says policy wording is constantly evolving around issues such as index linking, liability, and property damage caused by the climate change crisis, and has urged insurers to ensure customers are clear about the type and level of cover they have.

LexisNexis develops underwriting data

Data and analytics provider LexisNexis Risk Solutions has launched a new suite of geospatial intelligence datasets for basements, trees and windstorms.

LexisNexis Basements Indicator, Bluesky International’s National Tree Mapping and LexisNexis Windstorm Model help insurers identify customers at risk from basement flooding, as well as tree- and wind-related storm damage and subsidence.

Building Safety Regulations now live

The Building Safety Regulations 2023 have now been introduced, meaning owners have six months to register higher-risk buildings with the Building Safety Regulator.

Buildings are defined as higher-risk if they have at least two residential units, and the building is at least 18m high or has at least seven storeys.

Double Dutch

Ardonagh Europe has announced two key acquisitions. It has acquired Dutch-based specialist commercial lines insurance broker Klap and high net worth broker Classicus, which is also based in The Netherlands.

GRP acquires Thompson and Co

Global Risk Partners (GRP) has acquired Solihull-based commercial insurance broker Thompson and Co (Risk Solutions). Thompson and Co will become part of GRP’s Retail North division.

CVC supports KKR’s April acquisition

CVC Credit has committed senior facilities to support KKR’s acquisition of APRIL Group, the second largest insurance broker-distributor in France.

CVC’s Private Equity business acquired April in June 2019 and then sold it to KKR in November 2022.

Clear way forward

London-based independent broker The Clear Group has acquired Irish commercial broker McAuliffe Barry & Collins, which trades as MBC Insurance and Techinsure.ie.

DAC Beachcroft unveils online learning schedule

DAC Beachcroft has announced its virtual Motor Claims Education Programme.

The free 45-minute sessions will take place online on Wednesdays, with the first – OIC Claims and how they run – scheduled for 10 May.

Cyber crime risk rising

Towergate Insurance Brokers has identified a number of factors likely to impact the insurance market this year.

Its in-depth research revealed that inflation in the property market is expected to remain above 10% for the year, while natural catastrophies, which cost insurers £106bn last year, will continue at record levels. It also predicted the increase in the rate of cyber crime will accelerate.

DiVA delivers on the big stage

UK loss adjusters QuestGates has adopted Digilog’s Digital intelligent Voice Analysis (DiVA) technology to help mitigate the risk of fraud.

Lior Koskas, CEO of Digilog, said, “We are confident that working with the team at QuestGates will contribute to their fraud detection capabilities, as well as the overall customer journey and experience of their genuine customers.”

ACSO anxious ahead of PIDR review

ACSO has warned that next year’s review of the Personal Injury Discount Rate could have significant consequences for seriously injured people.

The Ministry of Justice has launched public consultation ahead of the review, with ACSO suggesting that vulnerable consumers could be denied the support they need if ‘the right calls’ are not made.   

People

Verisk has promoted Carrie Barr to President of Casualty Solutions and Aaron Brunko to President of Property Estimating Solutions.

Allianz Commercial has appointed Mark Ashwood as Head of Property Insurance and Olivia Baker as Head of Motor Trade Insurance.

Max Ali has been named Global Head of Motor & Property Engineering at Tractable.