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GLOBAL BRIEFS

Posted On: Mar. 30, 1997 12:00 AM CST

Insurance education institutions around the world are creating the Institute for Global Insurance Education to coordinate educational programs they offer in risk management and insurance, especially in developing countries. Founding members are the Insurance Institute of America, Britain's Chartered Insurance Institute and the Insurance Institute of Canada. Affiliate members include insurance institutes in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. J. Chris Rhind, chief executive officer of the Insurance Institute of Canada, will be chairman of the new educational facility. . . .London broker Steel Burrill Jones Ltd. has recruited two brokers from Aon Group Inc.'s recently acquired U.K. subsidiary, rival Bain Hogg Group. Stephen Bottley, who had been at Bain Hogg for the past 14 years, will become managing director of SBJ's new automotive division. Penny Shurmur, also from Bain Hogg, will join him as an assistant director. Meanwhile, SBJ announced a 61% decline in pretax profits to 2.21 million pounds ($3.6 million) in 1996. The sharp drop was attributed to its London market operations, which were hurt by the contraction of SBJ's non-marine reinsurance activities in 1995 and the competitive conditions of 1996. Revenues fell 8% to 39.9 million pounds ($64.6 million). SBJ Chairman Clive Richards warned that the environment for brokers remains "hostile" in 1997, with insurance rates continuing to decline in most markets. . . .The Archer Group, an underwriting agency group, has appointed Stephen Wenman chief executive. Mr. Wenman previously was chairman of Special Risk Services, an international financial risk broker. He replaces Brian Kellett, who remains chairman. . . .Swire Renshaw, the Huddersfield, England-based retail brokerage unit of Lloyd's broker and financial services group, Swire Blanch Ltd., is acquiring commercial insurance broker Charles Stanley & Co., based in Halifax, England. . . .Lloyd's of London members agent Kiln Cotesworth Members Agency Ltd. has acquired the business of Stewart Members Agency from its parent Stewart Underwriting P.L.C.. It will be merged to form Kiln Cotesworth Stewart Ltd. and will become the third-largest members agent in Lloyd's. . . .The Insurance Brokers Registration Council of Britain is proposing a requirement that brokers, possibly even those doing business at Lloyd's of London, establish trust accounts for clients' money. It says the trust accounts it is proposing would be more secure than the existing segregated client accounts, as well as less bureaucratic and cheaper to operate. . . .James F. Dougherty, a Miami lawyer found guilty of overcharging syndicates at Lloyd's, has been sentenced to six and half years in prison and ordered to return $1 million to the syndicates. The syndicates had paid him $9.1 million to fight a disputed $6 million claim from Jordanian coffee trader Munther Bilbeisi (BI, Dec. 23/30, 1996).