A new restaurant opening, a conference with a twist and something for all pet lovers – what has the insurance industry been up to of late? You heard it here first…
Marine insurers meet fifty shades of latex
Delegates who arrived in Berlin on 14 September 2024 for the International Union of Marine Insurance’s annual conference were greeted by an array of leather, lace and latex.
This was due to the conference venue – the Intercontinental Berlin – being situated in the same area as a five-day, male fetish street festival called Folsom Europe.
Tales of journeys in hotel lifts with masked, leather clad revellers abounded between insurance professionals as the fetish festival took place ahead of the conference launch on 15 September.
Most important meal
In 2024 so far, insurer Zurich UK has donated 28,000 healthy breakfasts to UK-based primary school children via charity Magic Breakfast – one of the insurer’s three national charity partners which seeks to provide nutritious breakfasts to hungry children.
By the end of the year, the insurer expects to have donated 40,000 breakfasts – it is making a breakfast donation for every SME transactional net promoter score customer survey that is completed, regardless of the submitted feedback.
Its Zurich Municipal division, meanwhile, is also pledging to donate 133 breakfasts every time a charity, club or not for profit organisation buys an online policy and recommends a friend.
Don’t Tell Dad
The husband of former Brolly founder and chief executive Phoebe Chibuzo Hugh, Daniel Land, will be launching a bakery and restaurant in Queen’s Park called Don’t Tell Dad in December 2024.
The eatery’s name comes from an inside joke between Land and his sister, who has now passed away – it’s what they would say to each other when they were “indulging too much or up to no good”, Land explained in a LinkedIn post.
Land has prior experience of the catering industry – he was co-founder and creative director at Italian chain Coco di Mama between 2010 and 2017.
A walk in the park
In September 2024, UK pet insurance provider Animal Friends launched the third season of its podcast, called A walk in the park…with Animal Friends.
The 11-episode series is hosted by Tamika McCrory, consumer and corporate PR lead at Animal Friends and pet parent to a three-year-old Jack Chi dog called Odie.
Listeners can expect to hear from vet experts answering pet-related ponderings, as well as find out about broader topics such as wildlife conservation and animal welfare.
The Speculator
The Insurance Institute of London, part of the Chartered Insurance Institute, confirmed on 30 September 2024 that its newly elected president for the 2024 to 2025 term is Willis Towers Watson (WTW) risk and broking president Lucy Clarke.
Clarke is the first woman to hold this post at the institute in its 177-year history.
Clarke joined WTW in July 2024 after a five-year tenure as president at Marsh JLT Specialty.
Following her election, Clarke said: “These are consequential times for our clients and we must ensure that we are ready to support them as they face increasingly complex risk landscapes.”
What can the industry expect from Clarke during her reign as president?
Interested in all things insurance technology and insurtech.
Writer of the monthly TechTalk section of the magazine and backchat. When not writing can be found doing yoga, at some kind of dance workshop, singing, globetrotting, or baking – not in any specific order.View full Profile
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