After 45 years under the name The Plateau Group, the Tennessee-based multi-line insurer now has a new name: Lumos Insurance. The rebranding is the culmination of a multi-year modernization effort on corporate governance and capitalization, the company said in a news release this week. The firm, one of the few carriers to offer property insurance as well as life and health products, has focused for years on specialty property-casualty programs, credit protection, warranty programs, and senior-oriented life and supplemental health products, across the country. Lumos is now poised to expand its reach into other areas. “Lumos is a new name…
Author: Awais
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at AXA XL, Aon Reinsurance, and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI). A summary of these new hires follows here. AXA XL Taps QBE’s Weaver as Head of Energy, UK & Lloyd’s AXA XL has appointed Sebastian Weaver as head of Energy, UK & Lloyd’s. Based in London, he starts his role in the third quarter of 2026. Weaver will be responsible for developing, executing and managing the underwriting strategies for AXA XL’s UK & Lloyd’s energy business, focusing on profitable growth, effective risk management and market development. Weaver joins AXA XL from…
“For freight brokers, that often includes thorough carrier vetting and, in some cases, verification of the individual driver assigned to a shipment,” she said. “For warehouses and distribution facilities, insurers want to understand pickup protocols. Facilities should confirm the identity of drivers and companies collecting cargo rather than relying solely on shipping documents, which could potentially be altered.”
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is rattling businesses worldwide, driving up energy prices, squeezing supplies of critical raw materials and raising questions about the reliability of trade routes critical to the flow of goods from food to car parts. Below are the main disruptions so far: Travel Chaos The war has closed much of the region’s airspace and crippled Dubai and Doha airports, two of the world’s busiest transit hubs, stranded tens of thousands of passengers and forced airlines to cancel about 40,000 flights–the travel industry’s biggest disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more: Travelers Stranded by War Learn Insurance…
A construction worker who was permanently disabled on the job has been denied workers’ compensation coverage for cannabis-infused edibles prescribed by his doctor. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the denial on the grounds that marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) means that the edibles have “no accepted medical use” under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Federal law “categorically bars marijuana from being deemed a reasonable and necessary medical expense for purposes of the LHWCA,” the Second Circuit court ruled. Luis Peña Garcia, a resident of Puerto Rico,…
The parent company of Southern California Edison won the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging it defrauded shareholders prior to the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires by assuring it had significantly reduced the risk of losses from such catastrophes. Shareholders accused Edison International of being “structurally unable” to address extreme weather events and safely implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff program, a last-resort measure to shut down power lines when fire risks grow too high. Related: State Farm’s 17% California Homeowners Rate Hike to Remain Under New Agreement The shareholders also said Edison falsely promised that the program, together with hardening…
Prasad’s planned departure, expected at the end of April, culminates a tumultuous term in which he reworked vaccine guidelines and was criticized for his office’s stance on several rare disease drugs.
Mosaic Insurance, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, made leadership hires to finpro lines across North America. John Soular In New York City, John Soular joined the company as senior vice president, miscellaneous professional liability. With more than 20 years of experience in professional lines and cyber underwriting, he’ll focus on managing complex risks and developing partner relationships. Soular previously worked at Liberty Mutual/Ironshore, overseeing its professional liability group. Michael Rossiter In Chicago, Illinois, Michael Rossiter has been hired as assistant vice president, financial institutions, focused on building Mosaic’s FI portfolio across the U.S. and growing its broker network. Previously, he worked…
With building pressure and stresses in private credit investment markets in the headlines, the insurance-linked securities community should remember that a closely interlinked investor base means any fallout can have ramifications for the ILS asset class as well, Brad Corbett of Shuriken Capital Management told us.Corbett, the investment committee lead at recently formed insurance-linked securities investment manager Shuriken Capital Management LLC, which is backed by insurer SafePoint, is well-known for his expertise across fixed income, including public and private credit. While Shuriken Capital Management is currently focused on the catastrophe bond market for its investments, with a plan to also…
Section 1115 waivers generally reflect priorities identified by states as well as changing priorities from one presidential administration to another. Key Biden administration 1115 initiatives included waivers addressing enrollee health-related social needs (HRSN), pre-release coverage for individuals who are incarcerated, and multi-year continuous eligibility for children. In March 2025, the Trump administration rescinded HRSN guidance issued by the Biden administration. CMS indicates this does not nullify existing HRSN 1115 approvals but going forward they will consider HRSN / SDOH requests on a case-by-case basis. In April 2025, the Trump administration announced it would be phasing out federal funding for “Designated State Health Programs” (DSHP)…
The California Department of Insurance, State Farm, Consumer Watchdog agreed on rate request from the carrier to raise homeowners rates. The interim rate of 17% will remain in place, meaning there will be no additional impact to policyholders beyond the currently approved interim rate, according to the CDI. State Farm, California’s largest homeowners insurer, got approval for a 17% rate increase following billions of dollars in losses from the L.A. wildfires and a pullback on writing new policies in the state. State Farm upped its rate request in May. The three-party settlement agreement in the rate hearing proceeding underway to…
A prominent Miami real estate developer could face years in prison after he was indicted last week on charges of leading a massive fraud scheme that allegedly diverted investor funding, deceived lenders and evaded taxes. Rishi Kapoor, 42, who until recently was head of Location Ventures and multiple other businesses, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, according to news reports and a statement from the U.S. Attorney for southern Florida. “The indictment alleges an $85 million fraud scheme in which investor funds intended for real estate development were diverted for luxury purchases, including a 68-foot yacht,” said U.S. Attorney…
On March 5, 2026, the Delaware Supreme Court unanimously affirmed two Superior Court rulings and a final judgment in favor of Genworth and its life insurance subsidiaries. The case, originally filed on May 9, 2022, involved eight professional liability insurers across an approximately $80 million coverage tower with a $25 million self-insured retention. Four of the original defendants – Freedom Specialty, Continental Casualty, Atlantic Specialty, and Argonaut – settled with Genworth before the case reached the Supreme Court.
“The 2026 Elite Women are powerhouses; they’re adaptable, they’ve been around, and they have grown up in the industry,” says Handel.Aarons-Martin cited NAAIA’s research on the well-publicized underrepresentation in management and executive roles. “It underscores what many women already know from lived experience: talent alone doesn’t guarantee advancement. What makes a measurable difference is intentional sponsorship by industry leadership, not just at their present organization, and growing visibility as a subject matter expert and thought leader as a speaker at conferences or serving on boards.”A number of IBA’s Elite Women 2026 have taken on this mantle, not only by…