News in brief

Fortis partnership

Fortis has announced a three-year partnership with donatesomeback.com, a personal lines insurer that launched this month promising to donate a proportion of its commission to charities chosen by customers.

PHP acquires broker

Private Health Partnership (PHP) has acquired Health Care Matters, a private medical insurance (PMI) broker with a portfolio of £1.2m annual premium income. PHP is one of the largest PMI brokers in the country, managing more than £40m in annual premium income. The cost of the sale has not been disclosed.

Dame Clara steps down

Dame Clara Furse has stepped down as chief executive of the London Stock Exchange but will remain as a director of the group until its annual general meeting in July. Xavier Rolet, formerly a senior executive at Lehman Brothers (Europe), takes over at the LSE.

Skills shortage

The Chartered Insurance Institute’s third annual skills survey has found more than half of employers believe new staff lack necessary skills yet 64% have cut their training budgets – and 20% are about to. The survey also found that 26% of employees fear losing their jobs.

AIG loses goodwill

Troubled insurer AIG has plunged 18 slots to penultimate place in a US ranking of brand reputations. The Reputation Index surveys the corporate reputations of the largest US corporations based on consumers’ trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling. Johnson & Johnson topped this year’s list.