German insurer ALLIANZ annoucenced that Peter BORCHERS will join ALLIANZ X management team as CEO as of October 1, 2016. ALLIANZ X is one of the key pillars of the Digital Transformation strategy of ALLIANZ Group and represents the company builder and venturing unit.

Major insurer AXA has revealed its plan to slash 650 jobs in Belgium over the next two years as the industry giant continues to scale back its operations in Europe.

QATAR Re remained on a growth path despite the tough trading conditions in global reinsurance markets. In 1H 2016, the Company increased its GWP to USD 654 million, up 41% y-o-y. The combined ratio improved to 95.8%, from 97.7% in 1H 2015. Supported by a strong investment performance net profit surged by 79% to USD 23.9 million in 1H 2016.

Austrian insurance group UNIQA announced its H1 technical result fell by 14.5% y-o-y to EUR 57.6 million, operating earnings declined by 31.7% to EUR 145.8 million, while the pretax profit decreased by 44.3% to EUR 106.2 million, influenced by the low interest rates and the launched investment program, as the company said in a report.

French insurer GROUPAMA reported 74% y-o-y decrease in its H1 net profit, to EUR 69 million (EUR 266 million in 1H2015). The economic operating income was down in absolute values by EUR 24 million to EUR 92 million, while the non-life combined ratio was 99.9% (vs. 98.7%). At the same time, GROUPAMA's aggregate premium income remained stable at EUR 9.15 billion.

VIENNA Insurance Group acquired the majority of shares in BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (BTA Baltic), which is headquartered in Latvia and has branch offices in Lithuania and Estonia, the Austrian insurer announced on August 24th: Through the acquisition of BTA Baltic VIENNA Insurance Group becomes one of the top 3 insurers in the non-life market of the Baltic States, having the largest sales network in Latvia, states the Group's press release.

TRUST Re achieved Gross Written Premium of USD 290.6 million for the period ended 30 June 2016 (H1 2015: US$ 328.6 million). The Group reported a combined ratio of 93.6% for the period (H1 2015: 92.3%). Net Underwriting profit dropped by 29.2% due to prolonged soft market conditions.

PZU Group generated non-life GWP of PLN 5,335 million, 19.9% up y-o-y, significantly increasing its market share in non-life segment of the Polish market, to 37.3%. Consolidated group's GWP in H1 2016 rose by 8.1% to PLN 9,862 million, while administrative expenses simultaneously fell 7.8% to PLN 758 million (net of Alior Bank).

ERGO companies operating in the Baltic countries ended the first half of 2016 with consolidated GWP amounting to almost EUR 99 million, 10.7% up y-o-y, outperforming the average growth rate recorded in the Baltic markets, of 5.6%. In the same period, claims totalling over EUR 66 million were paid, with the P&C volume claims raising by about 40% y-o-y.

The aim of PZU is to achieve the ambitious growth initiatives in the areas of PZU Health Investment and the construction of a strong and profitable market position in banking, reveals the updated Strategy 2020 recently adopted by the Group's top management. The main focus will be on the area, cost, innovation and growth, with a particular attention to profitability and customer service.

Slovenian SAVA Re Group ended the first half of 2016 with GWP of EUR 280.0 million, 1.5% up y-o-y. Slovenian non-life insurance business (2.4% growth) and non-Slovenian life insurance business (14.8%) contributed most to the GWP growth. Reinsurance premiums declined by 1.3%.

The TRIGLAV Group operated under challenging market conditions and in a record-low interest rate environment on international financial markets in 1H2016, achieving despite the unfavourable economic environment solid business results which entitle Group's management to expect a Group's annual profit before tax in the budgeted range.

VIENNA Insurance Group's half year results for 2016 are right on target, according to Group's latest press release. VIG generated EUR 4.9 billion in consolidated premiums, 0.4% up y-o-y. The restrictive underwriting policy used for single-premium life insurance in many markets continued to have an effect on total premium income. When adjusted for single premium business, total premiums even grew by 4.5% in the first six months of the current year.

"With a Solvency II ratio of 252% and a cash capital position of EUR 2.3 billion, NN Group's capital position remained strong and resilient during the second quarter of 2016, allowing us to weather severe market volatility and pay an interim dividend in line with our dividend policy", said Lard Friese, CEO, NN Group.

German insurer TALANX posted 1H2016 net income of EUR 401 million, substantially higher than previous year when it totaled EUR 311 million and reaffirmed its outlook for 2016 of around EUR 750 million, "despite the impact of natural disasters and currency effects".

The risk and insurance brokerage services provider AON announced that Jin-Yong CAI, a TPG Capital partner and the former CEO of IFC - the World Bank's investment arm, has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors effective August 10, 2016. Jin-Yong CAI will also serve on AON's Finance and Organization and Compensation Committees.

Igor STEBERNAK was appointed today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Company of Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV. The term of office of the former Supervisory Board Chairman and Members has expired following the submission of his resignation letter on 31 May 2016.

Total economic losses from disaster events in 1H2016 rise by 38% to USD 71 billion, primarily due to natural catastrophes, the preliminary sigma estimates show. The global insurance industry covered a total of USD 31 billion, or 44%, of the total losses. Around 6 000 people lost their lives in natural catastrophes and man-made events in the first half of the year, compared to12.000 in 1H2015.

Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) is selling a larger part of its stake in insurance company Uniqa. The bank will part with 17.64 percent of the insurer's shares, thus reducing its stake to 8.64 percent.

Against a background of persisting low interest rates, modest economic growth in Belgium and firmer growth in Central Europe, KBC posted a strong net profit figure  of 721 million euros in the second quarter of 2016, up on the 392 million euros recorded in the preceding quarter and above the 666 million euros returned in the second quarter of 2015.