Insurance

Minneapolis — Wolters Kluwer Financial Services named Mark Coronna executive VP of its Securities Compliance and Insurance groups. In this new role, Coronna will be responsible for the company's overall growth in its securities and insurance businesses, which have operational centers in New York City, Waltham, Mass. and Riverwoods, Ill.

Canton, Mass. — OneBeacon Insurance Group announced the appointment of Terry Thompson as senior VP and chief underwriting officer of the company's U.S. operations. Reporting to CEO Mike Miller, Thompson will be responsible for key underwriting matters across the company, including underwriting guidelines, catastrophe management, corporate insurance and reinsurance and the consideration of new business opportunities.

Atlanta — Crawford & Co. named Brian Flynn senior VP and global CIO.

Cincinnatti — American Financial Group Inc., which sells property/casualty insurance, agreed to purchase Strategic Comp Holdings LLC for an undisclosed sum.

As mortgage lenders struggle to contend with the double-barreled threat of rising defaults and lower origination volume, a third, less discussed source of risk is now starting to emerge.

Schaumburg, Ill. – Zurich named Greg Maguire as director of customer and distribution management for Zurich’s Global Corporate in North America unit, effective Jan. 1, 2008.

New York — New York Life Insurance Co. announced the appointment of Christopher Blunt and Susan Thrope to its Executive Management Committee.

El Segundo, Calif. - Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) announced that the 200th client has licensed its RISKMASTER Business Intelligence Solutions (BIS) component, which incorporates software from Business Objects Inc., San Jose, Calif. CSC and Business Objects met this milestone when Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services Inc., a Chesterfield, Mo.-based industrial services company, licensed RISKMASTER BIS to support its claims and risk management activities.

Atlanta - SunGard Data Systems Inc., Wayne, Pa., has acquired DSPA Software Inc., a Mississauga, Ontario-based supplier of sales compensation and distribution management software to the insurance industry. DSPA Software will become part of SunGard's insurance business.

Despite celebrating its one-year anniversary last week, the popular press is reporting the insurance industry at large still seems to be taking a “wait and see” position on large-scale implementation of Microsoft’s Vista.

Accuracy and visibility are vital in maintaining a motivated sales force and rolling out new products.

Thanks to new technologies, carriers are unearthing fraud such as "rent-a-patient" schemes and physician upcoding.

You can't hop into a cab, step into an elevator or walk down the street without passing someone using a Blackberry, iPhone or other type of mobile device. Business professionals, students, police and even your kids are connected every second of the day. As a result, more and more carriers are recognizing the inherent value of mobile technologies as a productivity tool, and have embraced this technology.

Viewed from afar, the claims process has not changed markedly in many decades. Despite new technologies being leveraged in many aspects of claims, for too many insurers, the claims process as a whole remains a manually intensive, inefficient business process-one in which even experienced adjusters find themselves mired in paperwork.

Fairfax, Va. — The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) announced the appointment of Thomas A. Kirke to the 2008 Executive Committee. Effective Jan. 1, 2008, the NAILBA Executive Committee will be filled as follows:

Boston – Arbella Insurance Group, a Quincy, Mass., regional provider of property and casualty insurance, hopes to celebrate a winning season with the Boston Celtics basketball team, the carrier announced.

Philadelphia — CIGNA Corp. is expanding into the small-group healthcare market with the announcement of its intention to pay $1.5 billion in cash for Great-West Healthcare, a deal that is expected to close during the first half of 2008, subject to regulatory approval. The Philadelphia-based carrier, whose CIGNA HealthCare business is based in Bloomfield, Conn., said it plans to fund the deal through cash and debt, and that it will also inject approximately $400 million of capital into its subsidiaries to support the acquired business.

Philadelphia — CIGNA Corp. is expanding into the small-group healthcare market with the announcement of its intention to pay $1.5 billion in cash for Great-West Healthcare, a deal that is expected to close during the first half of 2008, subject to regulatory approval. The Philadelphia-based carrier, whose CIGNA HealthCare business is based in Bloomfield, Conn., said it plans to fund the deal through cash and debt, and that it will also inject approximately $400 million of capital into its subsidiaries to support the acquired business.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Zurich North America announced it has added 100 monoline workers' comp business classifications to its coverage offerings. Most of the new classes are for light manufacturing, wholesale and service company risks.

Los Angeles – Using the 2006 fatal crash data released by the U. S. Department of Transportation just weeks ago, Farmers Group Inc. has completed a study to determine the most influential factors in drivers’ mortality rate in multi-vehicle accidents.