Data and information management

New York — Execution is taking precedence over profit and top-line growth as a focus for CEOs around the world, according to a survey of 769 global CEOs from 40 countries from The Conference Board report, CEO Challenge 2007: Top 10 Challenges. The annual report, conducted during the first quarter of 2007, details specific challenges that CEOs face across regions, as well as by the company’s size, industry, and level of success—all factors affecting the concerns of CEOs.

Regulators advise the public to become aware of ID theft vulnerabilities, while carriers are using technology and third-party help to thwart the bad guys and bolster customer services levels.

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.

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

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.

Arson Registry Act Passes House

New York — In the actuarial world, process inefficiencies, increased business complexity, regulatory demands and data volume are leaving little time for crucial analysis, driving a growing trend toward automation, according to a roundtable hosted by The Insurance and Actuarial Advisory Services (IAAS) practice of Ernst & Young LLP, (E&Y) New York.

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.

Two teams of conferees headed by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D.-Conn.) and House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank (D.-Mass.) are meeting this week in an attempt to reconcile their differing visions on the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.

Washington – Owing in part to an association with senior insurance company executives who desire improvements in the agency distribution system for insurance products, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA National) released an online planning tool for its members.

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.

Seattle - SOA Software, an Integrated SOA governance automation vendor, has joined Microsoft's Business Process Alliance. The Business Process Alliance will propel mainstream adoption of people-ready processes by offering customers a set of end-to-end solutions for automating business processes. SOA Software's Workbench and Service Manager products provide integrated SOA governance automation capabilities for Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 and Internet Information Services (IIS).

Chicago — Aon eSolutions Group, a unit of Aon Corp., announced that 18-year insurance technology veteran Paul Holden has joined Aon eSolutions as CIO.

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

Agencies that have not begun to embrace enterprise content management and workflow may have already missed the boat.

A routine, "fit-for-purpose" data assessment helps carriers plan wisely.

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.