AVIVA has completed the sale of its Czech, Hungarian and Romanian life businesses to MetLife Inc's local operating subsidiaries in those countries, as AVIVA announced in a press release in early August.

For the first six months of the current year, the GWP of EUROINS Insurance Group registered a 52.5% growth amounted to EUR 74.81 million compared to EUR 49.1 million for January-June 2011, according to preliminary data recently published by the Group.

On August 1, the Board of Directors of Assicurazioni GENERALI coopted Mario GRECO, and appointed him to the posts of Group CEO and General Manager of the company.

"In 2011, insurance markets of the former soviet region recorded an average growth rate of 25% in terms of gross written premiums for the non-life lines, amounting to EUR 33 billion. In the reported period, the amount of premiums ceded in reinsurance reached EUR 3.1 billion, representing about 2% of the non-life international reinsurance market", declared Dmitriy GARMASH, Deputy CEO, UNITY Re, Russia, at the Azerbaijan International Insurance Forum.

The net profit of the SAVA Re Group for the three months of 2012 totaled EUR 3.69 million, "which is double the amount year-on-year and 35% of the annual target net profit", companies officials say.

SEESAM's consolidated net profit in the Baltics amounted to EUR 1.5 million in 1Q2012, announced the company. Combined ratio during the first three months of 2012 was 98.3%. At the same time, investment portfolio produced profit of EUR 1.2 million while earnings from other operating incomes reached EUR 0.1 million.

In the first quarter of 2012 the TRIGLAV Group earned a net profit of EUR 17.6 million, which was 8% more than in the respective period one year earlier, whilst Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV's net profit rose by 7% to EUR 13.7 million. At the same time, the TRIGLAV Group posted a total of EUR 273.4 million in gross insurance and co-insurance premium and that of Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV amounted to EUR 197.9 million. "In the first quarter of 2012, 83.4% of the consolidated gross written premium was charged in the Slovene insurance market. The share of gross written premium charged in Slovenia increased by 0.5 percentage point compared to the respective period in the previous year", announced the company.

Net profit for the PZU Group amounted to PLN 822.6 million in 1Q2012 (~EUR 198 million), while operating profit was of PLN 1.03 billion (~EUR 249 million), 7.5% higher y-o-y. This is the result of a nearly 9% increase in GWP, an increased discipline in the costs area, as well as of the better investment results. ROE for the period from 1 January to 31 March 2012 was 24.7%, an increase of 0.8 pp compared to the same period last year, according to data published by the Group.

Peter HAGEN will take over from Gunter GEYER as Chairman of the Managing Board with effect from 1 June. Mr. GEYER is stepping down after highly successful 11 years as CEO. In future, in his role as chairman of the Managing Board at WIENER Stadtische Versicherungsverein, the VIENNA Insurance Group's main shareholder, he will be focusing on his key strategic responsibilities, as well as steering the Group's cultural and social activities.

In the first quarter of 2012, ALLIANZ Group earned EUR 30.1 billion in revenues, the second-highest level in its history. In the same period the year before, total revenues reached EUR 29.9 billion. At the same time, the operating profit of EUR 2.3 billion was 40.4% higher than the previous year's value (EUR 1.7 billion). Net income rose 57.9% to EUR 1.4 billion from EUR 0.9 billion in 1Q 2011 which was impacted especially by high claims from natural catastrophes. "ALLIANZ has put in a very good performance this quarter, following 2011 that was tough for the entire insurance industry," said Oliver BATE, CFO, ALLIANZ SE.

For the first three months of the current year, total revenues of AXA Group registered a 1% growth amounted to EUR 28.06 billion compared to EUR 27.57 billion for January-March 2011 according to 1Q 2012 Activity Indicators published by the Group. "In the first quarter of 2012, we continued to focus on the delivery of our Ambition AXA initiatives. Thanks to the quality and diversification of our distribution network, we notably increased our top line in Protection & Health and Property & Casualty, those businesses which are less sensitive to financial markets", commented Denis DUVERNE, Deputy CEO of AXA.

In the first quarter of 2012, GENERALI reported an increase in total gross premiums to EUR 19.8 billion (+6.1%), due to the positive performance in Life premiums and the continued trend of development in the Non-Life business. Life gross premiums written amounted to EUR 12.8 billion (6.9% more compared to 1Q 2011), while in non-life segment premiums rose by 4.7% to EUR 7 billion.

The TALANX Group closed the first quarter of 2012 with an operating profit of EUR 546 million - a gain of 274% compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. At the same time, net income grew by 174% to EUR 211 million. "Having fared already exceptionally well in what was a difficult financial year 2011 for the industry overall, we have now been able to step up things up even more in the first quarter of 2012. The dynamic premium growth in international business is a clear sign that our growth strategy is proving to be effective", commented Herbert K. HAAS, CEO of TALANX AG.

For the first three months of 2012, UNIQA Group reported 20.2% profit growth, to EUR 54.4 million. The consolidated profit totaled EUR 30.4 million, 13.8% more over the previous year. "We have had a good start to 2012. We are on plan. However, the economic environment remains challenging: The economy in the euro zone is still weak and the debt crisis in Europe continues to involve considerable uncertainty for the financial sector", commented Andreas BRANDSTETTER, CEO, UNIQA.

In January-March 2012, VIENNA Insurance Group earned a total of EUR 2.7 billion of premiums written, growing by 5.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the property/casualty insurance segment the volume of premiums grew by 4.1% to EUR 1.5 billion. In the life insurance the Group companies of VIG achieved a volume of premiums of more than EUR 1.1 billion, i.e. a plus of 7.4%. At the same time, in the health insurance, the Austrian Group reported an increase in premiums written by 6.1% to EUR 97.8 million.

For the first three months of 2012, risk and insurance brokerage service provider AON reported 3% revenue growth along with a 3% decline in profit for the first quarter. Net income declined to USD 238 million from USD 246 million reported last year. The profit drop was attributed to unfavorable foreign currency movement and investments.

MARSH & MCLENNAN companies reported consolidated revenue in the first quarter of 2012 of USD 3.1 billion, representing an increase of 6% compared the first quarter of 2011. At the same time, operating income rose 12% to USD 527 million, while the net income was USD 347 million, compared with USD 325 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Today, AVIVA announced that Andrew MOSS, Chief Executive Officer, will be leaving the group and will cease to be Chief Executive with immediate effect. According to the press release, the Board has asked Chairman Designate John McFARLANE to become interim Executive Deputy Chairman with immediate effect and Executive Chairman from 1st July pending the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer.

Austrian insurer UNIQA plans a EUR 500 million euro rights issue this year as an interim step towards expanding in Eastern Europe. The share issue to finance expansion in emerging Europe would be offered to existing shareholders, with core investors RAIFFEISEN Zentralbank and AUSTRIA Privatstiftung taking up their full allotment.

ALLIANZ and GROUPAMA announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the potential acquisition by ALLIANZ of the brokerage-related activities, excluding transport, of GAN EUROCOURTAGE, a 100% subsidiary of GROUPAMA.