Content

News Releases

[ Published 2010-06-28 ]

Inter Hannover and Ascot form Underwriting Alliance for Power Generation

LONDON, 28th June 2010 – Inter Hannover and Ascot Underwriting are pleased to announce that they have formed a dedicated technical underwriting vehicle for the power and utilities industry. The alliance will write insurance and facultative reinsurance and have one of the largest underwriting capacities for power insurance, capable of deploying up to a specific limit of US$150m on any one risk.

The alliance will use the Sciemus developed PowerRAT system, risk analysis model that quantifies risks associated with operational power. The model was developed in partnership with QinetiQ and contains the largest normalised reliability dataset in the world through a partnership with Strategic Power Systems.

The Inter Hannover – Ascot Power Alliance (to be known as the “Sciemus Power Alliance”) will be able to offer flexible and tailored solutions to clients and brokers.

All existing technical specialists will continue to be engaged in the new venture and aligned to the various entities as required to strengthen both the underwriting competence and service delivery.

Ulrich Wallin, Chairman of Hannover Re said, “We are delighted to be working with Ascot and Sciemus. Combining Inter Hannover’s first class underwriting capital, fully backed by Hannover Re, with Ascot’s additional quality capacity, underwriting strength and global reach will develop a market leading product for this sector that will certainly attract new business to the London marketplace.”

“We are looking to become a true market leader in this sector, combining first class capital with commercial underwriting, world-class engineering analytics and unparalleled service standards,” said Andrew Brooks, Chief Executive Officer of Ascot Underwriting.

Andre Finn, CEO of Sciemus Limited said “The combination of Inter Hannover, Ascot and Sciemus provides unparalleled skills working together to deliver a world class service in the sector.

The Sciemus Power Alliance will begin writing business on 1st July 2010, and can be accessed either via Inter Hannover or Ascot.

For more information please contact:
Nick Parr, Managing Director, International Insurance Company of Hannover Limited: Tel +44 20 74807300.
Jenny Love, Corporate Communications Manager, Ascot Underwriting Ltd: Tel +44 20 77439599.

Notes to Editors:

International Insurance Company of Hannover Limited, ‘Inter Hannover’ (www.inter-hannover.com) is wholly owned by Hannover Re (www.hannover-re.com), one of the leading reinsurance groups in the world. We are registered in the UK and are run by a small, streamlined team of insurance experts.

We specialise in writing direct insurance business via agents or similar organisations in Europe and Australia, usually for our own account. Extending our interests steadily in our chosen markets we know and understand our business intimately and believe in building close individual working relationships with our underwriting agents and other partners, who can trust our strong capital base and 'AA-' rating to provide excellent security.

Established in 1979 Inter Hannover have been successfully writing direct insurance and single risk business for 30 years.

The rating agencies most relevant to the industry have awarded Inter Hannover very strong insurer financial strength ratings (Standard & Poor’s AA- “Very Strong” and A.M. Best A “Excellent”).

Ascot Underwriting Ltd. – Syndicate 1414 - commenced trading in 2001 and has grown very quickly to become one of the leading businesses operating at Lloyd’s.

Main Syndicate classes are Property, Energy, Specie & Fine Art, Cargo, Terrorism, War & Political Risks, Marine Hull/War/Liabilities, Natural Resources and Excess of Loss Reinsurance. Ascot leads in most of these classes and leads over 40% of the slips we write.

 

[ Published 2010-01-15 ]

Workshop: The Insurance Industry listens to SMEs

On 9th and 10th February 2010, Inter Hannover and Hannover Re are hosting a unique workshop entitled ‘The Insurance Industry listens to SMEs’, which will bring together SMEs, Insurance Agents, Industry Experts, and Inter Hannover and Hannover Re staff.

The aim is to investigate the key challenges and risks facing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), look at how the insurance industry currently helps their businesses, and then explore how insurance products, methods of supply, and customer service provided can be re-invented to better help SMEs survive and grow through difficult economic times ahead.

The workshop will be led by Dr Reinhold Rapp (Visiting Professor for Relationship Marketing at Cranfield University), and will make use of the relationship model ‘Rule of 20’ (developed by Dr Rapp) and the ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ model (put forward by INSEAD professors Chan-Kim and Reneé Mauborgne).

NB: the workshop will be held at The Savill Court Hotel, near Windsor, and is funded by Inter Hannover and Hannover Re. If you are interested in attending please email alison.smith@inter-hannover.com

 

[ Published 2009-08-25 ]

Inter-Hannover announced as new title insurance provider for London & European

London & European announces Hannover Re subsidiary Inter Hannover as its exclusive provider of title insurance in a deal that will enable London & European to maintain its position as the leading provider of title insurance solutions in the UK today.

Following an MBO of London & European earlier in the year, CEO Christopher Taylor has looked to the market for a new partner to underwrite its title insurance business and is delighted to have signed the four-year rolling contract with Inter Hannover. Under the terms of the agreement London & European has been granted a comprehensive delegated authority.

London & European has negotiated several improvements to the cover provided over and above its unique six-month ‘cure or pay’ guarantee. This has resulted in an easy-to-understand title insurance policy that provides clarity of cover and the enhanced protection that mortgage lenders are demanding as risk management dominates their board agendas.

Hannover Re is one of the leading reinsurance groups in the world.  Its wholly owned subsidiary, Inter Hannover, is registered in the UK and specialises in writing primary insurance business via MGAs, and provides the security and protection of an S&P 'AA-' and A.M. Best ‘A’ rated global insurance provider.

Nick Parr, Managing Director, Inter Hannover is excited about the deal: “This agreement adds another rich seam of specialist business to our portfolio.  Our strategy is always to look for lines of business outside the mainstream where we feel there is a market opportunity, and title insurance fits perfectly.  In London & European we have a partner which is an established authority in the field and has a solid book of existing clients as well as a healthy appetite to grow profitably.  We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with them.”

Christopher Taylor believes there are real synergies between the two companies: “Inter Hannover is an entrepreneurial business which has the ability to spot an opportunity in a specialist sector and the vision to realise its potential.  It’s no secret that the property market is depressed at the moment, but title insurance is an important tool in mitigating risk and can actually help ease lenders capital adequacy requirements.  Inter Hannover takes a non-conservative attitude to recognise the potential in the current climate and appreciates the benefits that a longer term approach to the sector can bring.  We are delighted to be working with Inter Hannover and to bringing their stability and security to our clients.”

 

[ Published 2009-03-02 ]

Inter Hannover's new Chief Financial Officer

Inter Hannover has recruited Paul Webster as Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee, starting March 2009.

Paul was formerly Head of the General Insurance Financial Management Practice at KPMG, where his career spanned 11 years, before very recently joining Deloitte as a Director of their Financial Services Advisory Unit. He is well known in the UK Insurance Market and has gained the benefit of working with many different financial teams in an advisory capacity.

He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a Chartered Insurer (Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute).

 

[ Published 2009-02-20 ]

Inter Hannover's new Managing Director

Hannover Re Group has appointed Nick Parr as Managing Director of its UK insurance subsidiary Inter Hannover effective 1 January 2009. He assumes responsibility from Michael Wennin. After four years with Inter Hannover Michael returns to Head Office to head up a new Facultative Department and will act in this position as a conduit to further develop Inter Hannover’s business within the Group.

Nick, who joined Inter Hannover in September 2008, was formerly CEO of Munich Re subsidiary Great Lakes UK and with over 33 years industry experience looks to develop this special purpose vehicle to further enhance the Group strategy.

The recent Standard and Poor’s upgrade to the Group AA- financial rating further strengthens Inter Hannover’s position as a core Group company. Reaffirming it as a stable and secure partner for its clients.