GLOBAL BRIEFS

Rating agency A.M. Best Co. has given an A+ (superior) rating to German reinsurer Hannover Ruckversicherungs A.G. and its subsidiary E+S Ruckversich-erungs A.G., reflecting the reinsurer's underwriting practice, liquidity and geographical spread. The group has conservative reserves, professional management, an efficient operating structure and has been successful in its strategic acquisitions, A.M. Best said. . . .Liberty International, the international arm of Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group, is buying Skandia Seguros Generales S.A. for an undisclosed sum. Skandia writes personal lines auto and life and health insurance in Colombia and has about $40 million in gross written premiums. Liberty International plans to use the company as a platform to launch into the workers comp market in Colombia. . . .Benefit consultant William M. Mercer Ltd. has expanded its U.K. operations by opening an office in Liverpool, England. The office is headed by Senior Investment Consultant Mike Reid. . . .Ken Haddon, chairman and chief executive of AXA Reinsurance (UK) P.L.C. and also chairman of the London International Insurance & Reinsurance Market Assn., has been appointed chairman of the London Processing Centre Ltd. The LPC provides a central claims processing, policy checking and settlement facility for members of LIRMA and the Institute of London Underwriters. . . .Lloyd's of London has reached an agreement with broker J&H Marsh & McLennan to join the broker's Global Broking System, enabling syndicates to electronically connect with J&H Marsh & McLennan. . . .Loss adjuster Crawford-THG has set up a U.K. special investigations branch to help clients fight insurance fraud, which it estimates costs the British insurance industry 600 million pounds ($990.7 million) each year. . . .Letizia Moratti, former chairman of Italian broker Nikols S.R.L., has been named a non-executive board member of Sedgwick Group P.L.C. after the completion of a joint venture between the two brokers. . . .Winterthur International Insurance Co. Ltd. has increased the share capital of its London operations to 120 million pounds ($198.1 million). At the same time, Willi Suter has been appointed chairman of the board, Kees van der Ploeg has been appointed managing director, Malcolm Newman has been appointed finance director and company secretary, and Rene Vuille-dit-Bille and Albert Guntli have been appointed regional managers. Ivo Furrer will be returning to Switzerland from London to head a new global property and casualty underwriting operation. . . .U.K. insurer Guardian Royal Exchange Group acquired PPP Healthcare Group P.L.C. from PPP Healthcare Foundation P.L.C. for 435 million pounds ($718.3 million). PPP Healthcare is the U.K.'s second-largest private medical insurer, with an estimated 28% market share. . . . Sir David Rowland will become president of Templeton College at Oxford University upon his retirement from Lloyd's at the end of this year.