
Welcome to the June 2024 issue of Credit Insurance News Digest. Our sponsor this month is Allianz Trade.
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Index
Events & Professional Development
About this month's sponsor: Allianz Trade
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PLUS: 5 tips for turning 2024’s trade challenges into export success. This month's featured article by Allianz Trade.
Credit Insurance News
Trade credit insurers do "all they can to offer crucial support to businesses". Professional Builders Merchant has reported that a survey of Builders Merchants Federation members confirmed that credit insurance is recognised as a valuable business tool in the construction sector, with 45% of respondents using this solution. Despite the impact of bad debts due to insolvency, more than half of the respondents noted that they had not experienced credit limit reductions. In instances when limits were reduced, respondents acknowledged the increased credit risk reported by their insurer and took appropriate action. The survey also noted that the insurance industry is supportive of clients facing credit limit reductions, with 68% of respondents finding that insurers were receptive to appeals. Lucy Fraser, Senior Policy Adviser, General Insurance Policy at ABI, commented: "Amidst challenging conditions, insurers are doing all they can to offer crucial support to businesses, with a 23% surge in claims paid by the close of last year." To read Professional Builders Merchant's article, go to https://professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk/news/bmf-issues-new-guidance-on-trade-credit-insurance/.
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Trade credit insurers saw strong business growth in 2023, despite a notable rise in claims. ICISA has issued a new release advising that demand for trade credit insurance protection in the face of economic headwinds understandably grew throughout 2023, with trade credit insurance exposure reaching EUR 3.2 trillion – a 4.5% increase. Premiums written also increased by 5% compared to 2022, amounting to EUR 8.2 billion. Against this backdrop, trade credit insurance members paid out EUR 3.2 billion in claims across the same period – 11.4% more than in 2022. ICISA President, Benoît des Cressonnières, remarked: "Despite significant macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges over the past year, we can be relied upon to help businesses enhance their resilience." To read ICISA's news release, go to https://icisa.org/news/press-release-enhanced-support-from-trade-credit-insurance-and-surety-for-global-businesses-amid-economic-uncertainty/.
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Trade credit insurers are supporting UK construction. The ABI has published a Trade Credit Insurance Guide for the construction industry that highlights the extent to which trade credit insurers support their customers. The Guide notes that, although 2023 was an elevated year of UK insolvencies for construction companies, the amount of trade credit insurance coverage approved on construction buyers as of the end of 2023 was over £29.6 billion, and the number of claims paid and reserved on construction buyers was £76.5 million (with the impact of the high-profile Buckingham Group insolvency potentially set to add +£30 million). The Guide stresses that no construction contractor can avoid having some contracts that end up losing money, and it is absolutely vital in the current tough economic environment for trade credit insurers to have visibility of companies' latest financial losses. To read the ABI's Guide, go to https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/files/publications/public/trade-credit/the-trade-credit-insurers-guide---construction.pdf.
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Update on the Late Payment Regulation: Progress of draft text in the European Parliament. ICISA has advised that although it agrees that the ongoing issue of late payment negatively impacts European businesses, it believes that the proposals put forward by the European Commission are likely to fail to address the core reasons for this. ICISA stresses that fixing payment terms at thirty days ignores the fact that some sectors need to operate on more extended periods due to the nature of their business. Furthermore, ICISA warns that such an abrupt shift in payment terms "would result in a financing requirement for SMEs of circa EUR 2 trillion." ICISA notes that, while early indications appear to be that member states are concerned about the impact a regulation would have on existing mechanisms and judicial processes, it is not yet clear whether the Council's view will be to amend the proposal in a way that enables more flexibility in payment terms. To read ICISA's article, go to https://icisa.org/news/update-on-the-late-payment-regulation-progress-of-draft-text-in-the-european-parliament/.
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Key trade credit insurers' results indicate that the market cycle continues to normalise. Aon's latest Q1 2024 Market Insights report has reported that, although the largest trade credit carriers 2023 results continued the trend of high levels of business retention and new business activity with claims severity below average historic levels, the situation appears to be shifting. Aon finds that the claims are normalising slowly relative to pre-COVID business cycles, with carriers reporting gross loss ratios between 36% and 55%, which appear to be reverting towards historic norms. Combined ratios from the largest carriers are between 67% and 82% and are also trending towards long-term averages. Overall revenue for these largest carriers increased between 4% and 9%, with a slowdown towards the end of the year reflecting the deceleration of client activity in their books. Premium rate change on Q1 2024 renewals was flat to soft. To read Aon's report, go to https://assets.aon.com/-/media/files/aon/reports/2024/credit-solutions-market-insights-report---h1-2024.pdf.
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Portrait of a credit insurance underwriter at Coface France. Coface has published a portrait of Aboubakr Belhaj, an underwriter working at Coface in France. Aboubak notes that the underwriting department is organised into four sectorial branches, with his branch dealing with claims relating to construction, services and paper. A second branch deals with agri-food, retail, pharmaceuticals and textiles, a third with automotive, metals and chemicals, and a final branch, GS for Global Solutions, handles accounts with a strong international presence. He explains that Coface's underwriters position themselves on requests within an individual delegation ceiling, with some requests processed automatically by Coface's in-house tool. Decisions are communicated to the policyholder and/or his broker (present in around two-thirds of credit insurance cases). To read Coface's article, go to https://www.coface.com/news-economy-and-insights/portrait-aboubakr-belhaj-underwriter-at-the-core-of-coface-s-credit-insurance-activities.
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Trade credit insurers continue to report high levels of risk acceptance at approximately 75% and remain "broadly supportive". Aon's latest Q1 2024 Market Insights report has reported that during 2023, the largest trade credit insurers' appetite and capacity grew by 4% against 2022 and is at an all-time high, having increased by 25% since 2019. Although growth in capacity slowed during 2023 and is expected to continue to slow during 2024, trade credit insurers continue to report high levels of risk acceptance at approximately 75% and remain broadly supportive but with some selectivity, e.g. i) growth in metals, agriculture, and services ii) broadly flat in electronics and consumer durables, and iii) continued close watch on the retail and construction sectors where some notable business failures have occurred. Aon also noted that trade credit limit trends indicate that trade credit insurers' risk appetite in Q1 2024 has been largely static against the same period in 2023. To read Aon's report, go to https://assets.aon.com/-/media/files/aon/reports/2024/credit-solutions-market-insights-report---h1-2024.pdf.
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Nearly 70% of global corporates are paid between 30 and 70 days. For the third edition of its Global Survey, Allianz Trade recently surveyed over 3,000 exporters from China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK, and the US and found that 82% of corporates said they expect business turnover generated through exports to increase in 2024, especially in consumer-related sectors. Nearly 40% expect a significant increase of more than +5% in 2024. However, Allianz Trade also noted that non-payment risk remains a considerable concern, with nearly 70% of corporates globally being paid between 30 and 70 days. Furthermore, in the context of lower growth, trade disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty, 42% of corporates expect the length of export payment terms to increase in the next six to twelve months. "This is in line with our forecast for global business insolvencies to rise by +9% this year", commented Aylin Somersan Coqui, CEO of Allianz Trade. To read Allianz Trade's news release, with a link to the full report, go to https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_GB/insights/economic-research/global-trade-survey-2024.html.
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Nexus is seeing an increased volume of overdue notifications and claims. Nexus has published an interview with Philip Oldfield, Head of Renewals – UK Whole Turnover within Nexus Trade Credit. Describing some of the dynamics within the Trade Credit market at the moment, Philip notes that it is undoubtedly a challenging environment. Nexus is seeing an increased volume of overdue notifications and claims and continues "to implement a case-by-case approach and evaluate each buyer risk on its own merits." On a personal note, Philip suggests one of the best pieces of advice he's been given in his career is to not over-promise and under-deliver. "If you're not sure of being able to deliver, then don't promise – it's one of the biggest mistakes you can make." To read the interview, go to https://www.nexusunderwriting.com/en-gb/news/meet-your-underwriter-philip-oldfield.
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Australia: NCI's Trade Credit Risk Index reached its highest point since Q2 2020. NCI has reported that its Trade Credit Risk Index (TCRI), based on an aggregate of claims data, collection activity, credit limit decisions and overdue accounts, rose 13% in the March quarter of 2024 as business insolvencies in Australia reached a record high. This is its highest point since the June quarter of 2020, which coincided with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the March quarter, the number of collections rose by 52%, and the value of claims lodged rose by 14%, while there was an 11% increase in the number of serious overdues reported. Both the number and value of claims were highest, by a large margin, in Australia's building and construction sector. To read NCI's news release, go to https://www.nci.com.au/news/interest-rates-and-economic-weakness-are-driving-a-jump-in-trade-credit-risks/.
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How trade credit insurance in Belgium is becoming less expensive. In an article in L'Echo, Coface's CEO, Xavier Durand, describes the evolving landscape of credit insurance and risk management and how advancements in data analysis are driving down costs. For more information, go to https://www.linkedin.com/posts/coface_xavier-durand-ceo-de-coface-lassurance-cr%C3%A9dit-activity-7196076248400355328-K8AA?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop.
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Coface unveils new trade credit insurance solution for New Zealand SMEs. Insurance Business has reported that Coface has introduced EasyLiner, a trade credit insurance product specifically designed for New Zealand SMEs. Coface's Commercial Director, David Meys, explained the significant impact of bad debts on SMEs, which amount to around NZ$2 billion annually. He pointed out that, while SMEs are increasingly aware of the risk of buyer defaults, they still need to offer credit terms to stay competitive. EasyLiner aims to provide a transparent and affordable solution. To read Insurance Business' article, go to
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Atradius finds a 10% increase in the number of CEE companies who have turned to trade credit insurance during the past 12 months. The June 2024 edition of the Atradius Payment Practices Barometer for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has found that three in five CEE companies expect a rise in insolvencies among their B2B customers in the upcoming months. As a result, companies are shifting their focus on enhancing credit risk management practices to safeguard their financial health. For example, Atradius' Barometer indicates a 10% increase in businesses in the region that have turned to trade credit insurance during the past 12 months. 56% of companies that insured accounts receivable said this choice would help them reduce bad debt reserves and free up working capital for operations and investment. To read Atradius' news release, go to https://group.atradius.com/press/press-releases/cee-companies-anticipate-a-rise-in-insolvencies.html.
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WICI (Women in Credit Insurance) spotlight on Carley Chaplin. ICISA has published an interview with Carley Chaplin, a founding board member at WICI and former Branch Director and Head of Sales at Aon, who recently set up her own consultancy in Spain. Carley describes her top tips for a successful career in the trade credit insurance industry, the most important lessons she has learnt during her career, and the biggest obstacles to career growth in the industry. Carley suggests that one of the industry's biggest challenges at the moment is the lack of education and knowledge of credit insurance and credit insurance products to anybody who isn't already in the industry or buys the product. "Even now, we have only just over 13% global penetration (according to ICISA), and it still feels like there is a huge misconception of what the key product provides and the value that it actually brings to businesses." To read the interview, go to https://icisa.org/news/wici-spotlight-on-carley-chaplin/.
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Avenue Insurance Partners acquires Ko-bolt. Avenue Insurance Partners has announced that it has acquired boutique specialist commercial debt resolution company, Ko-bolt. Ko-bolt Founder, Karl Hague, has stepped down from the role of CEO and taken the role of Sales and Marketing Director at Avenue. Avenue and Ko-bolt Managing Director, Shaun Purrington, commented: "A key requirement of a credit insurance policy is for the insured to take appropriate action to mitigate loss and therefore offering a debt recovery service is a natural fit with our specialist broking activities, but also serves as an alternative service when credit insurance isn’t viable." Ko-bolt is a specialist debt resolution and credit management agency founded in 2020, which has helped to collect over £2 million in late payments that could have otherwise resulted in bad debt. Click here to read Avenue/Ko-bolt's news release.
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The Clear Group has announced its acquisition of the book and assets of Rycroft Associates LLP. Insurance Business has reported that The Clear Group has announced its acquisition of the book and assets of Rycroft Associates LLP. Located in Lichfield and consisting of seven trade credit experts led by director Steve Parsons, Rycroft assists businesses across the UK and Europe in securing trade credit insurance products. The partnership aims to enhance credit solutions for Clear's commercial clients and drive growth in the sector. Rycroft currently manages £6.6 million in gross written premium. To read Insurance Business' news release, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/the-clear-group-swoops-for-trade-credit-insurance-business-492902.aspx.
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Bad debts stand at an average of 7% of all B2B sales in the UK. Atradius' 2024 Payment Practices Barometer survey for the UK (conducted between the end of Q1 and the beginning of Q2 2024) indicates that trading on credit continues to be an important element in the B2B sales strategy of companies in the UK, with nearly two-thirds of all sales currently transacted on credit. The primary motivation is to maintain a competitive edge, particularly in the construction and electronics/ICT sectors. Against this background, there has been a change in payment policies among companies in the UK electronics/ICT and consumer durables sectors, with longer payment terms being offered to B2B customers. These now average a couple of months from invoicing. Overall, late payments currently affect 40% of B2B sales across all sectors in the UK, while bad debts stand at an average of 7% of all B2B sales. To read Atradius' news release, with a link to the full report, go to https://atradius.co.uk/reports/payment-practices-barometer-b2b-payment-practices-trends-united-kingdom-2024.html.
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Allianz Trade to cover exports to Saudi Arabia with Exim deal. Global Trade Review (GTR) has reported that the Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi Exim) and Allianz Trade have struck a tentative deal to provide credit and political risk insurance for exports to Saudi Arabia. Under an initial framework agreement signed in London on May 29, Allianz Trade will act as a fronting insurer for non-oil exports to the Kingdom by covering the non-payment risks borne by international financial institutions and companies. Saudi Exim will act as reinsurer. Allianz Trade says the commercial details of the deal, which Howden brokered, still need to be finalised. To read GTR's article, go to https://www.gtreview.com/news/mena/allianz-trade-to-cover-exports-to-saudi-arabia-with-exim-deal/.
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Atradius reports substantial rises in payment defaults in some UK sectors. Insurance Business has reported that Atradius experienced an overall 18% drop in claims from UK businesses in Q1 2024 as compared to the same period last year. However, despite the overall decline, Atradius' research into payment default trends shows that economic and industry-specific challenges continue to exert significant pressure, leading to substantial rises in payment defaults in some sectors. For example, in Q1, the energy & fuel sector saw a sharp 75% year-on-year increase in payment defaults, while metals industries saw a 55% uptick. In the paper & packaging sector, there was a 400% surge in claims year-on-year, while the food & drinks sector experienced a 44% increase in claims. However, it's not all "gloom and doom"; Atradius reported that retail firms experienced a 46% decrease in payment defaults in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023. To read Insurance Business' article, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/atradius-reports-uk-payment-default-figures-in-q1-486216.aspx.
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Compared to last year, 20% more companies in Western Europe report anxiety about a significant worsening of their Days-Sales-Outstanding (DSO). Atradius has published the key findings of the May 2024 edition of its Payment Practices Barometer for Western Europe, a survey based on feedback from approximately 3,000 domestic and export suppliers in fourteen markets and across eight sectors (agri-food, chemicals, construction, consumer durables, electronics/ICT, machinery, steel/metals, and transport). The survey found that three in five businesses across Western Europe expressed concern about an increase in insolvencies in the year ahead, and around 20% more companies than last year reported anxiety about a significant worsening of their DSO. This is echoed by an upward trend in bad debts, currently accounting for an average of 8% of the total value of B2B sales on credit, up from 6% last year. To read Atradius' news release, go to https://atradius.co.uk/reports/payment-practices-barometer-b2b-payment-practices-trends-western-europe-2024.html.
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WICI (Women in Credit Insurance) spotlight on Lisa Humphries. ICISA has published an interview with Lisa Humphries, a Director at Xenia. Lisa recalls that, in 1988, when she started her career, there were only two insurers: Trade Indemnity for UK trade and ECGD for export trade. As there were no online systems, her first job was to telex credit limits to insurers. From there, she was promoted to Account Broker and Account Executive positions, before becoming Account Director/Manager. In 2003, Lisa started Credit Risk Solutions with two others, which, in 2018, was acquired and became part of Xenia. Reflecting on the current industry, Lisa suggests that one of the biggest challenges is a lack of 'new blood' over the last fifteen years, "which means we have an industry where a lot of experience has been lost due to retirement." To read the interview, go to https://icisa.org/news/wici-spotlight-on-lisa-humphries/.
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Asia: Textile sees ultra-long payment delays increase from 14% in 2022 to 40% in 2023. Coface's latest Asia Corporate Payment Survey has found that, although the average payment delay duration dropped from 67 days in 2022 to 65 days in 2023, most markets covered saw a rise. Australia (83 days), Hong Kong and Malaysia saw the highest increase, with the duration of payment delays increasing the most in the textile and agri-food sectors (both by 11 days. Coface also found that the proportion of respondents experiencing ultra-long payment delays (ULPD) over 2% of their annual sales has risen from 26% in 2022 to 29% in 2023. According to Coface's experience, this 2% threshold represents a very high risk of non-payment (Coface estimates that 80% are never paid). Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong lead the increase in the proportion of ULPDs, while textile is the sector with the highest share of respondents reporting ULPDs, with an increase from 14% in 2022 to 40% in 2023. To read Coface's news release, go to https://www.coface.com/news-economy-and-insights/asia-overall-improvement-but-worsening-payment-behavior-in-textile-and-construction.
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Etihad Credit Insurance launches 'Xport Xponential'. Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI) has launched its 'Xport Xponential' initiative, a strategic effort designed to support the exports of UAE-based companies. The announcement was made during the third edition of 'Make it in the Emirates Forum 2024' in Abu Dhabi. The 'Xport Xponential' initiative aims to support UAE-based businesses engaged in the export or re-export of non-oil products, with a special focus on SMEs. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Etihad Credit Insurance, said: "This initiative extends beyond credit and risk management solutions, offering manufacturers and exporters in the UAE consulting and strategic insights to strengthen their export capacities." For more information, go to https://www.eci.gov.ae/en/xponential-program.
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Coface reports €68.4 million net income in Q1 2024. Reinsurance News has reported that Coface's Q1 2024 results indicate that its trade credit insurance premiums decreased by -3.3% due to a decline in inflation and the economic slowdown. Xavier Durand, Coface's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Our credit insurance revenues were affected by the decline in inflation and sluggish client activity, and they were down 3.3%, against a high comparison basis. Negative repricing has eased (-1.3%) in a still competitive market while our new business picked up, on the back of our past investments, in particular in the mid-market segment. Service revenues, which are less cyclical, continued their double-digit rise." He also reported that Coface's net income increased by +11.9% year on year, to €68.4 million, and Coface's client retention remained high at 93.8%. To read Reinsurance News' article, go to https://www.reinsurancene.ws/coface-reports-e68-4m-net-income-in-q1-2024/.
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Atradius highlights shifts in B2B payment practices among Australian businesses. Insurance Business has reported that Atradius' latest Payment Practices Barometer 2024 details significant shifts in business-to-business payment practices among Australian companies. Average payment terms across industries have lengthened by nearly two weeks, now standing at 35 days post-invoicing, and bad debts make up 7% of all B2B invoices. Overall, late payments now affect 45% of credit transactions. Requests for repayment plans have also surged, with 64% of companies noting an increase. Atradius Oceania's Head of Client Services, Joe Lewis, commented: "It's clear that businesses are under increasing pressure to fund their customers' short-term cash flows through extended payment terms and higher credit limits." To read Insurance Business' article, go to https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/breaking-news/atradius-highlights-shifts-in-b2b-payment-practices-among-australian-businesses-489377.aspx
Video: How credit insurance bridges the trade finance gap in emerging economies and facilitates better financing terms for women-led firms. To discuss how trade credit insurers can bridge the trade finance gap in emerging economies, improve access to trade finance, and facilitate better financing terms for women-led firms, Trade Finance Global (TFG) spoke with Azzizza Larsen, Senior Vice President, Lenders Solutions Group Leader and Credit Specialties Growth Leader for North America, and Stephen Kay, Managing Director, Structured Credit and Political Risk at Marsh, at the recent International Finance Corporation’s Global Trade Partners Meeting. To listen to TFG's recording, go to https://www.tradefinanceglobal.com/posts/video-market-to-mobilise-how-can-credit-insurance-bridge-the-trade-finance-gap-in-emerging-economies/.
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Bondaval launches a new reinsurance vehicle to enable future growth. Reinsurance News has reported that Bondaval is establishing a reinsurance vehicle, Bondaval Re, which will allow it to partner directly with reinsurers as well as insurers, including those within their existing global reinsurance treaty. The move will also reportedly align Bondaval's underwriting interests even more strongly with those of their insurance and reinsurance partners as they take reinsured risk onto their balance sheet for the first time. Ewa Rose, Chief Underwriting Officer, Bondaval, commented, "Launching Bondaval Re will provide a scalable solution with which to support the company’s continued growth, as well as to prepare for further planned expansion." To read Reinsurance News' article, go to https://www.reinsurancene.ws/bondaval-launches-new-reinsurance-vehicle-to-enable-future-growth/.
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Congratulations
Congratulations to Allianz Trade, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Hong Kong, its regional headquarters in Asia Pacific.
Congratulations to Tokio Marine HCC on its 50th birthday.
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Congratulations to Nexus on its 10th anniversary in the Netherlands.
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And Finally . . .
Good luck to Derek Barnett, Director of W. Denis Credit Risks Ltd, who, despite vowing never to attempt it again, will be cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Derek writes: "The event starts from Lands’ End on Saturday 7th September 2024 and takes in 969 miles over nine days of cliff tops, moorlands, hidden roads and soaring mountains across 23 Counties of England, Wales and Scotland. By the time I reach John O'Groats on Sunday, 15th September, I will have cycled twice the height of Everest, averaged over 100 miles a day, burnt over 50,000 calories and been eaten alive by midges in the Highlands."
If you are able to help Derek make a difference, please consider a donation to his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/derek-barnett-1691055751586.
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New Appointments
Allianz Trade in North America has appointed Jenny Lezon Norris to the position of Risk Management Consultant. Jenny joins Allianz from Meridian Finance.
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Aon has welcomed Kyriacos Paphitis as a Client Manager, based in Birmingham. Kyriacos joins from Howden Insurance Brokers Limited, where he was a Trade Credit Account Handler.
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Coface is announcing two changes in the Mediterranean and Africa region management: Ernesto de Martinis as Managing Director for the region and Pietro Vargiu as Country Manager in Italy. Ernesto is based in Milan and replaces Cécile Paillard. Ernesto joined Coface in 2000 and was appointed Country Manager of Coface Italy in 2012. Pietro has held various positions within Coface and was most recently Chief Commercial Officer (Mediterranean & Africa Region).
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Coface UK & Ireland has announced three new appointments:
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Scott Morrison has been appointed Coface's new Head of Financial Institutions UKI. Scott was previously Business Development Director at WTW, and, prior to that, was Co-Head of Excess of Loss Trade Credit at Canopius.
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Jamie Lindsay has been appointed as Business Development Manager. Jamie joins Coface from Atradius, where he was an Account Manager.
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Sam Ashdown has been promoted to Head of Risk Underwriting – Light Industries and Services. Sam joined Coface from Atradius in June last year as Programme Risk Manager.
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Lockton has welcomed Brian Gray as Head of Business Development. Brian joins from Coface, where he was National Business Development Manager – Direct Sales.
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Marsh has promoted Michael Kornblau as Marsh's new US and Canada Credit Specialties Leader. Michael has been with Marsh since 2010, most recently as US Trade Credit Practice Leader.
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Mercury Trade Credit has announced that Ian Watts has joined their commercial team. Ian previously worked for Marsh, which he joined in 2004, moving to lead their South African practice in Johannesburg between 2013 and 2015, and, more recently, leading the Marsh UK business. Ian will continue to be based in the UK.
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The Texel Group has announced the appointment of Michaela du Toit as a broker. Michaela will work specifically within Texel's SBS team, which focuses on developing new and bespoke credit insurance applications for existing and new clients.
WTW has welcomed several new employees and made some promotions:
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Claudia Rost joins WTW's Financial Solutions team as Head of Alternative Credit Insurance, Financial Solutions – a newly formed role. Claudia previously worked as Head of Portfolio Management Americas DivisionHead of Portfolio Management Americas Division for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
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Todd Lynady has embarked on a new role as Regional Head of Financial Solutions – North America. Todd joined WTW in May 2023 as Multinational Trade Credit Leader. He is based in New York. Joining Todd, Salvatore Garry has been promoted to Head of Trade Credit. Salvatore was formerly Head of East Region – USA.
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Alexandra Low has joined WTW as Head of Trade Credit, Hong Kong. Alexandra brings extensive experience from Standard Chartered.
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Jeena Prasad has been appointed Senior Broker, Trade Credit & Political Risks, based in Cardiff. Jeena previously worked for Allianz in India as an Expert – Business Development and managed new business opportunities for Allianz Trade North American region.
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Xenia Broking has promoted Katie Wright to Account Handler. Katie joined Xenia in September 2020 and previously worked as an Account Broker.
Job Vacancies
June's Featured Role
Account Executive
Trade Credit and Surety
We have a fantastic opportunity to join our business as an Account Executive within the Trade Credit and Surety Team.
You will be focused on developing and growing a book of Credit and surety insurance business.
This is a perfect role for an experienced insurance professional with good knowledge and experience within the Credit and Surety market.
You would be working within an established and experienced team that offers an unrivalled back-office support function that will allow you the time and focus to organically grow and develop your existing book of business.
It is an incredibly exciting time to be joining the business with lots of positive changes made to the growing team.
All the tools and support to ensure you succeed will be given and you would be part of our journey as we grow through acquisition and strong organic growth.
Responsibilities:
You will be able to…
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Demonstrate your self-motivated, hardworking nature to meet and exceed growth targets.
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Drive quality, consistency and accuracy in all aspects of your role.
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Achieve and maintain a high level of client service whilst always promoting exceptional customer care standards.
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Develop and maintain professional working relationships with your client base and ensure expert advice is given in all areas of business.
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Demonstrate excellent client retention skills.
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Ensure accuracy, efficiency and professionalism when dealing with both client and insurer.
Experience:
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Experience in building portfolios of existing clients to maximise the income opportunities for the business.
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A strong commercial insurance background with a bias towards Trade Credit and Surety is important including exposure to manging and retaining a portfolio of insurance clients
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Articulate with strong client facing and stakeholder management abilities.
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Strong Market and Insurer knowledge with good market relationships.
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Experience & a strong understanding of FCA compliance & the ability to work to regulatory processes.
Further information:
As well as a competitive salary we offer the following benefits -
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Competitive holiday allowance with the annual option to buy additional days
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Death in Service benefit of x4 salary
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Company pension scheme
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Enhanced maternity and paternity leave packages
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A flexible benefits package which allows you to add additional benefits to your overall package
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Our benefits portal offers discounts on technology & electronics, cinemas, restaurants, days out, mortgage advice, travel and many more
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Referral schemes
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Discounted rates on PIB products
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We offer a first-class employee benefits and welfare package to support our employees with financial management, cycle to work scheme, counselling support, health screening, will writing, menopause support, books, stopping smoking and much more
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If supporting the local community, engaging with charities and having the opportunity to ‘give something back’ interests you, you have the opportunity to take an extra day to support this with a Volunteering Day.
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We also offer a wide range of discounts including a kids pass – giving you discount to over 4500 attractions and activities, discounts at hairdressers and beauticians, climate change projects with lots of other options to choose
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PIB has a comprehensive learning & development framework, including professional study options and apprenticeships which are available to all employees, and which will support your career development
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Being a part of our PIB Community Trust, we support fundraising where you can apply for grants from PIB Group towards your chosen charity
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PIB Group are committed to improving their environmental impact in a responsible way. From the individual actions that our colleagues take every day through to installing the right facilities across our premises, there are many measures in place to help reduce PIB’s carbon footprint.
We are proud of our success and growth and have been recognised for many industry awards across our business. If you wish to work for a company that truly puts people at the heart of their organisation, then we would love to hear from you. PIB operates a flexible working policy, and our management teams will talk to you about how that would meet both your flexible working needs and those of the business and role you are applying for. We would love to hear from you if you want to hear more about opportunities in PIB. We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.
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TO APPLY: Please send your CV and covering letter to
Jayne Moss​​​​, Senior Recruitment Business Partner, Jayne.Moss@pib-insurance.com.
Events & Professional Development
SCHUMANN CONNECT, 26 June. London.
We are pleased to invite you to the SCHUMANN CONNECT event on June 26, 2024 from 5:00 pm. Registration is open from 4:30 pm. The event offers exciting information from the field of brokerage, trade credit and surety insurance solutions and the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from the insurance industry.
Speakers from the following companies have already confirmed their participation:
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Howden
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TMHCC
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TigerRisk Partners
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Bondaval
Topics covered at the event include broker solutions and better conditions for gaining additional reinsurance capacity through software-based best practice solutions.
You can register here: https://info.prof-schumann.com/en/registration-schumann-connect.
Participation in the event is free of charge.
Date and time:
Wednesday, June 26, 2024, starting at 5 p.m.
Venue:
Cavendish Venue
1 America Square, 17 Crosswall
London EC3N 2LB
Become part of our unique SCHUMANN community and don´t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
We look forward to your participation!
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SCHUMANN Conference on Digital Credit Risk Management, 12 September. online via live stream.
Our SCHUMANN Conference on Digital Credit Risk Management will take place online on 12 September. Experts from our customer and partner base will present their use cases and report on current challenges and the best strategies.
We are not limiting ourselves to one industry, because we are convinced that valuable insights and inspiration for you lie in cross-industry dialogue. That's why, in addition to financial service providers, industrial and wholesale companies, credit and surety insurers will also have their say!
Don't miss the keynote speeches by Janet Henry, Global Chief Economist at HSBC and Christiane von Berg, Head of Economic Research BeNeLux & DACH at Coface.
Register now! Participation is free of charge.
We look forward to seeing you!
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Professional Development
STECIS, the Trade Credit Insurance & Surety Academy endorsed by ICISA, offers a range of
webinars and classroom training courses.
Classroom training courses are organised once or twice per year or on demand, while webinars
are organised multiple times per year or on demand for groups of participants.
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The following courses have been planned for Q3/4 2024:
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11 September: Fundamentals of Trade Credit Insurance*
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24 & 25 September: The Trade Credit Insurance Advanced Course**
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8 & 9 October: The Surety Bonds Foundation Course**
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10 & 11 October: The Surety Bonds Advanced Course**
* Webinar
** Classroom
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The courses are hosted by very experienced experts from the industry and there is plenty of opportunity for asking questions, discussion and networking. There is also the possibility of arranging in-house training (at your own offices or at a venue of choice) with a tailor-made program based on the training needs of your company.
Detailed information about the webinar and classroom training courses is available on Stecis’ website: www.stecis.org. Also, further information can be obtained by sending an e-mail to info@stecis.org.
About this month's Sponsor: Allianz Trade
As the global leader in trade credit insurance, Allianz Trade specialises in surety, collections, structured trade credit, and political risk. Our intelligence network tracks daily solvency changes in over 80 million companies worldwide, empowering businesses to trade securely and avoid bad debts.
We give companies the confidence to trade by securing their payments. Whilst we compensate businesses for bad debts, our primary goal is to help them avoid these debts altogether.
Our trade credit insurance and other financial solutions focus on predictive protection. And when the unexpected happens, first class service and AA credit rating, backed by Allianz, ensures we have the resources to provide compensation and keep your business running smoothly.
Discover insights for global export growth
To help businesses thrive globally, we polled over 3,000 exporters from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, China, and the US for the third edition of our Global Survey. These insights into trade risks and trends guide businesses through challenges and unlock growth opportunities.