This week, Conning highlighted changes in the US reinsurance market, and Willis Re, in new research with Columbia University, indicated that the risk to US property from thunderstorms is as high as from hurricanes.

Last night saw the inaugural Insurance Investment Exchange Awards shine a spotlight on the vital work that internal investment teams and asset managers undertake on behalf of the insurance industry to help successfully manage the trillions of pounds under their collective stewardship.

Volatility remains the top concern of insurance CIOs, according to a poll taken at the recent Insurance Investment Exchange seminar on 7th March entitled ‘Quo Vadis: understanding and managing the macroeconomic environment for insurers’.

This week, information technology was in the spotlight. A Fitch report highlighted that harnessing "big data" is proving essential for insurers seeking to maintain and increase market share and profitability.

Phoenix Group is eyeing further acquisitions after Abbey Life and Axa Wealth added £22bn ($27.3bn, €25.4bn) in assets under management and more than 1.6 million policies to the life company consolidator’s books in 2016.

Italian insurer Generali Group described its 2016 results as “excellent”, benefitting from “very strong net inflows” in its Life segment, an earlier cost cutting exercise, and a change in the product mix of its domestic business.