People Moves: XPT Specialty Adds Ornce to Workers’ Comp Division
XPT Specialty, headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, appointed Chris Ornce as a senior vice president in its workers’ compensation division. With over 15 years in the industry, Ornce has a reputation for building and growing agency distribution channels. Most recently, …
The Hartford CEO Takes Lead in Shaping the City of Hartford’s Future
The Hartford Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift has convened a group of corporate and community leaders in greater Hartford to develop a unifying vision for the city. According to the announcement from the namesake insurer based in the city, the …
World Insurance Acquires Van Syckel Insurance of New Jersey
World Insurance Associates announced that it acquired the business of Van Syckel Insurance of Bound Brook, New Jersey on August 1, 2025. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Van Syckel Insurance, which was started in 1865, is managed by …
People Moves: Skyward Specialty Promotes Burkhart to President, U.S. Property & Casualty
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, promoted John Burkhart to president, U.S. property & casualty, Skyward Specialty Insurance. In this expanded role, Burkhart will assume oversight of the Company’s captives & specialty programs divisions in addition to …
People Moves: Encova Insurance Adds Palumbo to Board of Directors
Encova Insurance, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, named Corey Palumbo to their board of directors. Palumbo is an attorney with Bowles Rice in Charleston, West Virginia, where his primary practice areas include energy litigation, deliberate intent and general civil litigation. Palumbo …
State Farm Files for 6.2% Auto Rate Reduction in California
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. submitted a rate filing to reduce personal auto insurance rates by 6.2%. The filing has a targeted effective date of Feb. 23, 2026, and is pending approval from the California Department of Insurance. State …
Another Fire Ignites at Ford Aluminum Supplier Novelis in New York
Another fire ignited on Thursday at Novelis’ aluminum plant in Oswego, New York, that supplies Ford’s lucrative F-150 truck line, about two months after a blaze halted much of the facility’s production. Ford in October cut its profit forecast, citing …
Florida Congresswoman Indicted on Charges of Misusing $5M in FEMA Funds
A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and others, charging that they used federal disaster relief funds for her 2021 Congressional campaign. Federal prosecutors said Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, 51, of Miramar, …
People Moves: IQUW Taps Munich Re’s Gregory as Reinsurance Underwriter; The Fidelis Partnership Names Dlugosch From Swiss Re as Group Head of Aviation
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at IQUW and The Fidelis Partnership. A summary of these new hires follows here. IQUW Taps Gregory From Munich Re as Underwriter in London Reinsurance Team Specialty insurer and reinsurer IQUW announced …
Starbucks Must Face Shareholder Lawsuit Over Surprise Sales Decline
Starbucks must face a lawsuit claiming it defrauded shareholders by concealing declining sales in the United States and China, its largest markets, leading to a 16% drop in its stock price after the coffee chain revealed the unexpected weakness. In …
Trucordia Acquires Eberle Insurance in Arkansas
Trucordia acquired Eberle Insurance in Arkansas. Eberle Insurance is an independent insurance agency serving Sherwood and the greater Central Arkansas region, including nearby Little Rock. Trucordia is the group name for an insurance brokerage headquartered in Lindon, Utah. The firm …
Insurance IPOs Hit 20-Year High on Wall Street
Insurance companies’ first-time share sales on Wall Street hit a 20-year high this year as investors flocked to firms that were insulated from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Predictable cash flows and resilient business model gave private equity firms …
Florida Takes Steps to Put Recreational Marijuana on the Ballot Next Year
Florida elections officials have taken early steps under pressure from activists to advance a proposed initiative to legalize recreational marijuana to next year’s ballot, legal filings show. The procedural move comes after the campaign behind the issue, Smart & Safe …
Belgian Farmer Sues French Energy Giant for Damage Caused by Climate Change
A Belgian farmer is facing off against oil giant TotalEnergies in court on Wednesday, arguing the French company should pay for damage caused by climate change, in the latest lawsuit by environmental activists against big energy companies. Ahead of the …
Zurich, Arrowsight Camera-Coaching Pilot Slashes NYC Workers’ Compensation Claims
A three-year pilot program using video surveillance and coaching at New York City construction sites led to enhanced job safety and a more than 50% drop in workers’ compensation claims frequency. According to insurer Zurich North America, Zurich Resilience Solutions …
Court Pauses California Law Requiring Companies to Report Climate-Related Financial Risk
A U.S. appeals court paused a California law set to take effect in January requiring large companies to report every two years on how climate change could hurt them financially. Another new law requiring major companies to annually disclose their …
Europe’s Cold Snap Puts Thousands of New Heat Pumps to the Test
The Arctic cold snap hitting Europe this week will be a test for thousands of Polish families that in recent years replaced coal furnaces with solar panels and heat pumps to heat their homes. Temperatures are expected to drop to …
Major Music Labels Strike Deals With New AI Streaming Service
The world’s largest music companies have licensed their works to a music startup called Klay, which is building a streaming service that will allow users to remake songs using artificial intelligence tools. Klay is the first music AI service to …
Karen Read Claims ‘Gross Misconduct’ by State Police Shielded Real Killers
Karen Read, who was found not guilty of charges in the death of her boyfriend, has filed a lawsuit accusing members of the Massachusetts State Police and several others of targeting her and shielding the real killers. Read walked out …
Australia Banking Regulator Warns on Elevated Risks From Abroad
Risks to Australia’s financial system from overseas are heightened and current geopolitical volatility will remain for some time, according to the nation’s banking regulator. While the country is well-placed to absorb potential shocks, the resilience could be eroded if institutions …



