Ecclesiastical restructures Australasian business


Ecclesiastical acts following earthquake T


here are some wonderful venues uncovered when industry providers host annual hospitality gatherings for their key partners. The events organised by heritage insurer


Ecclesiastical have an extra special ingredient because it usually turns out that they insure the venue itself. So whether it’s Wellington Arch, Apsley House, or the former Royal Naval College at Greenwich there’s always the sub-conscious


nightmare of making a ring stain on an antique table, or knocking over a glass of red wine.


Unfortunately Ecclesiastical had


considerably more than that level of damage to contend with this year following events on the other side of the world in New Zealand. The major difficulty in the aftermath of the earthquakes is the impossibility of gaining access to the sites. Building structures are so precarious as to pose a serious threat to life and limb on anyone attempting to enter the sites of the worst damage.


In late September


Ecclesiastical announced it had restructured its Australasian business following the devastating earthquakes in Christchurch, and was ceasing to write earthquake cover in New Zealand.


Group chief executive


Michael Tripp said the New Zealand catastrophe produced the Group’s biggest ever series of losses. “Although we are well protected by our reinsurance programmes, we have nevertheless experienced gross claims of over £330m. We have therefore taken the decision to cease writing any new business from our Ansvar subsidiary in New Zealand, and plan to offer new business and renewals through our Australian operation (which also trades under the Ansvar brand). Policies underwritten from Australia will not include earthquake cover.


“This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone in New Zealand. We remain committed to helping our customers recover,


Michael Tripp


particularly those who have been directly affected by the earthquakes. We are also exploring whether it might be possible to provide future protection, either by offering earthquake cover as a standalone product. Or, potentially as part of a broader cover, through an underwriting agency.


“The ones that gotaway”


The majority of insurance people freely admit that insurance was never their first thought for a future career. Chance always played a large part, and having tested the water, there was no thought of going anywhere else. But what of those who did make a break for it? How many insurance people have there been who later became more widely known in other endeavours?


D


esmond Michael “Des” Lynam, OBE, the former Cornhill Insurance inspector got away from the insurance industry in 1968 to become considerably more well- known as a radio and television presenter. It was he who


famously dug out his ACII qualification certificate to wave at the audience at an insurance awards evening a few years ago. “The first time this b***** thing has ever come in useful!” he cried.


On leaving Cornhill he became a freelance radio journalist on BBC Radio Brighton, and then joined national BBC radio in London, specialising in


n the now largely forgotten world of inspectors (‘Inspectors of Agents’ - to give them their original rather pompous title) promotion mainly depended on getting onto that ladder, with the ultimate goal of becoming a branch manager.


I


Needless to say, with a finite number of branches with their respective patches, and a healthy number of people already on the ladder - and many applicants waiting to climb on - there was always a great deal of speculation and gossip when someone up the line vacated their slot.


So who could possibly take over from Des Lynam on the Brighton patch? It was none other than Cornhill’s Sharon Curd, who later moved into the Cornhill PR area and still works in Guildford for Allianz today.


NOVEMBER 2011 insurancepeople 7


commentating on boxing, and later going on to anchor Sport on Two and Sports Report on BBC Radio 2, and co-presenting the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. His TV CV is equally


impressive, Grandstand, Match of the Day, Holiday, How Do They Do That? and Countdown.


Born in 1942 in County Clare, Ireland, he moved with his family to Brighton at the age of six. He eventually lost his strong Irish accent, passed the eleven-plus exam, and went to Varndean Grammar School in 1954. After sitting his A-levels, he joined Cornhill where he remained until “getting over the wire” for a home-run in 1968.


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