Emergency EV charging, a chief executive fashionista of high heels and more insurtech-born babies. What has the insurance industry been up to of late? You heard it here first… 

Jump-start

Need an electric boost? If you have recently called Recharge Rescue (RR), then you may have been greeted by its managing director Bruce Compton, who got behind the wheel to help the RR team get UK electric vehicle drivers back on the road after running out of power.

On 28 February 2022, RR launched a roadside assistance insurance policy with its first vehicle leasing partner, DreamLease. 

Bruce Compton, Recharge Rescue

Bruce Compton

Photo credit: Bruce Compton 

This enables vehicles to have 30 minutes of roadside charging, which provides a range of around 10 to 15 miles.

RR’s recharge vans are provided by delivery partner AFF Holdings.

Amanda’s Shoes

It’s a known fact that Amanda Blanc, Aviva’s chief executive, has a love of shoes - one could even dub her the Carrie Bradshaw of insurance.

On 21 March 2022, Amanda Blanc was one of the speakers at the Business of Resilience conference at London’s Guildhall. She graced the stage in some striking orange heels, which matched her Fitbit.

Amanda Blanc BoR conference orange shoes and fitbit

Amanda Blanc at the Business of Resilience conference 

Photo credit: Clare Ruel 

Her plethora of pumps even have their own Twitter account, appropriately named Amandas_Shoes. It has amassed a following of 3,355 and encourages heel lovers everywhere to photograph their own shoes. But what heels will Blanc be wearing at 2022’s Biba conference?

Chicago Bears 

FloodFlash chief executive Adam Rimmer has become a father to twin sons, Otto and Felix. He welcomed the duo to the world weighing 5lb 8oz and 5lb 7oz with his wife, Hetty, on 22 November 2021.

Otto and Felix_Adam Rimmer FloodFlash_Bears

Otto and Felix Rimmer

Photo credit: Adam Rimmer 

In this photo, the twins are sporting hats supporting American football team the Chicago Bears, in tribute to FloodFlash’s series A funding round lead investors Buoyant Ventures, which is based in Chicago.

Son of Bearman

March 2022 also saw Aventum sponsored motorsports racing driver, Oliver ‘Ollie’ Bearman, who is the son of the global reinsurance group’s owner, David Bearman, and a Ferrari Driver Academy member, make his debut Formula 3 race during the 2022 Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit. 

Bahrain Grand Prix_Aventum_Ollie Bearman

Ollie Bearman 

Photo credit: Aventum 

To celebrate the occasion and Aventum’s application to the Central Bank of Bahrain to open a new office in the region, the group hosted a glittering red carpet reception at the luxury Manama Wyndham Grand hotel, as well as a three-day networking event, which included a trackside day at the Grand Prix.

The Speculator 

gossip

Insurer Zurich has removed its ‘Z’ logo from social media after the letter became a signal of support in Russia for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to Reuters, Zurich said that it was temporarily removing the logo - which is a white letter ‘Z’ on a blue background - because it did not want to be misinterpreted as supporting Russia in the ongoing conflict.

The letter ‘Z’ has been used to mark Russian military vehicles actively involved in the conflict. It has also been a prominent icon on flags at pro-Kremlin rallies, as well as being adopted generally by individuals supporting the war.

Will Zurich be able to reclaim its logo upon the conclusion of the war, or will the sign then be too synonymous with the conflict?