Author: completebodyneeds

A Qatari LNG tanker was still stuck off Oman on Wednesday awaiting salvage operations, shipping data showed, a day after it was hit by a projectile, while the U.S. military said two other tankers had been targeted by Iran in recent days. The attacks on the tankers prompted Washington to revoke a license allowing Iran to sell oil and U.S. forces to strike Iranian targets overnight. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was “over,” comments that triggered a 5% jump in global oil prices. The head of the U.N. shipping agency…

This article is part of a sponsored series by OIP Insurtech. Fourteen years of working inside carrier, MGA, and brokerage operations gives you a particular view of how these businesses actually run. It is rarely the same view leadership has. The gap between those two pictures tends to come down to the same thing: accumulated workflow debt. Processes that made sense when the business was smaller were left in place as the operation grew around them, quietly becoming more expensive with every year that passed without a redesign. OIP Insurtech sees this pattern across every engagement, regardless of the client’s…

Allianz SE plans to eliminate hundreds of positions at its assistance and travel insurance subsidiary Allianz Partners as the company pushes forward with implementing artificial intelligence solutions. The cuts, which they expect to take the forms of severance agreements, early retirements and similar options, will amount to between 1,500 to 1,800 positions across Europe, the unit’s chief executive officer Tomas Kunzmann said at an event late Tuesday in Munich. “Over the past six months, we have negotiated with our colleagues on the works councils,” Kunzmann said, adding that voluntary leave offers had been extended in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, as…

New York City officials were racing to stabilize a high-rise building in the heart of Manhattan after cracks developed in multiple columns and floors began to sag, leading to the evacuation of nearby office buildings and a school during the height of the morning rush. Early Tuesday, the Fire Department of New York received reports that bricks were falling near the former headquarters of drugmaker Pfizer Inc. at 235 East 42nd Street. First responders and city building officials evacuated workers from the building and were observing the structure to assess how to make it safe for crews to enter and…

The structural concerns that led New York City officials to shut down a Midtown Manhattan high-rise and evacuate surrounding buildings are “very small,” said Nathan Berman, the chief executive officer of Metro Loft, which is leading the project to convert the historic Pfizer building into apartments. Two columns in the northwest corner of the building at 235 East 42nd Street hadn’t been adequately reinforced, he said, causing the supports to buckle and the floor to sag. By midafternoon, city inspectors and the building’s contractor had entered the building to determine whether it was safe to begin shoring efforts. The events…

The world’s biggest hub for commercial and specialty risk is angling for a much more prominent role in the $140 billion global market for insurance-linked securities. Issuance of ILS products, currently dominated by Bermuda, is witnessing a stunning surge in growth as primary insurers and reinsurers look for ways to transfer their risk to the capital markets. And thanks to rising temperatures, urbanization and inflation, insurers increasingly face natural catastrophe costs that are well above historical norms. London’s dominance in insurance-market infrastructure makes it an obvious destination for issuers of catastrophe bonds and other ILS products, says Caroline Wagstaff, chief…

A fixed fee assessment that benchmarks operational performance, identifies workflow inefficiencies, and produces a roadmap for process improvement and AI adoption Henderson, NV — July 8, 2026 — OIP Insurtech, an insurance technology, operations and AI professional services firm, today announced the launch of its Workflow Intelligence Diagnostic, a fixed fee assessment designed to help carriers, MGAs, brokers, and program administrators identify operational inefficiencies, benchmark performance, and prioritize transformation initiatives before investing in technology or AI programs. Many organizations pursue AI initiatives without first establishing a clear understanding of the operational workflows those technologies are intended to improve. The result…

Erratic weather is forcing private equity investors to scrutinize a new source of financial risk — whether assets in their portfolios can withstand a changing climate. For decades, investment models at the world’s largest funds relied on assumptions of a relatively stable climate based on historical data. But frequent record-breaking weather events triggered by global warming are creating new threats to earnings, asset valuations and exit outcomes for their portfolio companies. “It’s more about identifying any of the risks that would cause an investment to fall over or present a big bill halfway through the investment period,” said Chetan Chhatwal,…

This article is part of a sponsored series by Amwins. The life sciences industry, long known for its innovation and complexity, continues to evolve at a remarkable pace. From AI-powered diagnostics to wearable monitors and at-home genetic testing kits, today’s technologies are changing the way products are developed, distributed and used. This introduces new exposures to an industry that many carriers are still learning how to manage. Technology and emerging risks Pricing and capacity in the life sciences insurance marketplace have remained generally stable. However, carriers are increasingly focused on understanding the nuanced risks that come with new technologies. These…

Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company Names Barnett SVP, CFO John Barnett Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company appointed John Barnett as senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). Barnett brings more than 25 years of financial leadership experience to Chesapeake Employers and will play a key role in strengthening the organization’s financial position and advancing its long-term strategy. As CFO, Barnett will oversee the company’s financial strategy, operations, and capital deployment, ensuring alignment with Chesapeake Employers’ broader business goals. Barnett will lead financial regulatory reporting, tax, audits, internal controls, and reinsurance programs, while managing key relationships with regulators, auditors, and financial partners.…