E&S/Specialty

Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited is positioning its U.S. specialty insurance operation for an inevitable market turn by hiring experienced professionals, according to CEO John Cavoores. Mario Vitale, an alumnus of Zurich and Willis, joined the Aspen leaderboard as president last week, bearing the battle scars of prior soft markets.

The Broadway production of Spider-Man has had starts and stops, cast and crew injuries, bad reviews prompting rewrites and now its director is being replaced, putting off the already delayed opening night, but in the end, who is paying for all this?

Omega Insurance Holdings Ltd. Chairman John Coldman said he and CEO Richard Pexton got a "baptism by fire" since they joined the company, as the Bermuda-based insurer and reinsurer posted a $42.8 million 2010 loss.

State legislators and regulators "have a ways to go" to ensure that the surplus lines reform law goes into effect as mandated by Congress in July, the head of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices said.

The antics of major Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen have resulted in the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar production and put an entire cast and crew out of work, begging the question: Can this actor still be insured?

In a soft market, excess and surplus-lines executives have managed to identify some growth areas and have found the time ripe for technology investments and recruiting talent. But survival demands innovation.