The Prudential has named its new chairman as Harvey McGrath, previously the chairman at leading hedge fund company Man Group. Mr McGrath retired from that position late last year but has clearly felt the need to return back into the financial services sector with this new appointment.
The role will be a non-executive one for which he will receive a fee of GBP500,000 annually. Mr McGrath felt that the Prudential combined a very strong history with an exciting future and as such seemed the perfect choice for him. He also meets the requirements of investors who wanted to see a chairman who was based in the UK but also brought experience of the international arena.
Mr McGrath has plenty of experience to draw upon and is looking forward to the challenge, with lots of background and hands on knowledge of many things the Prudential are currently dealing with.
Zurich Insurance has named Theo Bouts the new Chief Operating Officer of Global Life, an arm of the Zurich group.
Mr Bouts is currently the CEO of the Zurich Insurance unit dealing with direct European business and partnerships, a role he will give up on 1 August to take up his new position. Having been with Zurich for only three years Mr Bouts has already taken a couple of key roles within the organisation, being seen as a key player in senior management.
His existing role is seen as critical to maintaining and developing a strong multi channel distribution policy, something Zurich Insurance do not want to lose. For this reason Mr Bouts will take a little time to fully hand over the reins of his existing role until a suitable successor is found.
The view of AA Insurance is that the simple step of taking a motorbike awareness course can help cut motorcycle insurance premiums as well as making them safer road users.
A spokesman from AA Insurance pointed out that motorbikes are a more risky form of transport than any other, primarily because of the chances of the rider being injured when involved in any sort of accident. He added that, if bikers take the correct precautions then they can greatly reduce the chances of being involved in an accident.
On the subject of the motorcycle awareness course the AA Insurance representative went on to say that having an awareness and a sense of caution when on a bike is a good thing. It helps riders focus on issues that may arise and can help avoid accidents that would otherwise happen.
