Archives for July 2011

London, Luxembourg,  Singapore & Vancouver, 25^th July, 2011

As part of its on-going drive to increase both customer focus and operational efficiency, the Shipowners’ Club, which specialises in the provision of P&I insurance cover for small and specialist vessels worldwide, has restructured the key departmental functions at its London branch. 

The claims and underwriting teams will now be organised according to three distinct areas of responsibility, called syndicates.  Within each syndicate underwriters and claims handlers will work alongside each other, bringing a greater degree of synergy to the Club’s service delivery to Members.

One syndicate will handle European business; another will manage the “rest of the world” accounts, which fall within the London branch’s realm of responsibility* and a third syndicate will focus on the offshore sector.  The latter is an area already prominent in the Club’s portfolio and within which Shipowners plans to develop its service offering further.

In announcing the changes Shipowners’ CEO, Charles Hume, said, “We believe that the Club’s new operational approach will provide Members and their brokers with a rounded overall service, more attuned to their needs and will help to develop customers’ relations with a broader range of the Club’s staff, putting a larger degree of their skills at the Members’ disposal.”

The London branch’s loss prevention team will sit alongside the syndicates and continue to assist Members in minimising their exposure to risk.   The syndicate concept is one that the Club’s managers believe will ensure that service levels are enhanced and in every case will confirm with Members and their brokers that they are comfortable with the arrangements going forward.

The re-organisation at the London branch of the Club forms part of a continuing programme to re-energise customer relations, stabilise existing business and engender growth through closer links with all its customers, Members and brokers alike.  This growth will be underpinned by a systematic, focussed development of simplified insurance products; this process of simplification is in specific response to customer demands. 

Announcements by Shipowners covering expansion at its Singapore branch, the details of its new offshore syndicate in London and the terms of a number of simplified forms of cover aimed at specialised small vessel sectors will be made over the coming months.

In addressing potential concerns of Members over the consequences of the changes, Hume concluded, “Inevitably there will be some re-allocation of responsibilities and as such it is possible that an individual underwriter or claims handler, who previously looked after a particular Member’s affairs, may change.  We plan to limit this disruption as we recognise the importance of existing relationships.  Such potential changes will be discussed individually with Members.”

*The Club’s other two branches in Singapore and Vancouver are responsible for the Asia-Pacific and the Americas regions respectively

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The Shipowners’ Club is a mutual marine liability insurer, providing Protection & Indemnity insurance to small vessels since 1855. The Club currently insurers almost 29,000 vessels from 5,624 Members worldwide and is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs.

The Club has branches located in Luxembourg, London, Singapore and Vancouver.

London 8 July, 2011

The Shipowners’ Club, the specialist P&I insurer to the smaller vessel sector, announced a strong financial performance for the year-end February 2011, with an impressive increase of 39% in free reserves and a combined ratio of 85%.

Excellent financial results have been reported by the Shipowners’ Club for the trading year ending February 2011.  Positive growth or improvements across almost all parameters have been recorded from increased tonnage and numbers of vessels entered to an up-lift on gross earned premiums to US$196.8 million (up 13% on last year) and an underwriting surplus of US$25.2 million.

Chairman of the Club, Donald MacLeod puts the recent success of the Club down to the diversity of its Members and the results of organisational changes over the last two years that are now coming to fruition.  “Our strong performance coincides with the culmination of a period of change for the Club. The most significant of which was the process of rationalising activities between our London, Singapore and Vancouver branch offices, which has brought us closer to more of our Members and their brokers,” he said in his Chairman’s Statement.  Additionally, the volatile trading environment did not affect Shipowners as dramatically as it did others.  “The Club is uniquely suited to volatile conditions. Our Members, by and large, are not dependent on freight rates or commodity pricing.  Club vessels can be found throughout the world, engaged in a broad spectrum of activities from fishing to offshore to passenger carriage, dredging and towage. Such geographic and sectoral diversification acts as a natural hedge for the Club against regional, industry-specific trading volatility,” said MacLeod.

The Club’s good operational performance, resulting in the underwriting surplus, contrasted with a small deficit in the previous year and, together with a 6.8% return on investments producing an income of US$27.6 million, returned an overall surplus of US$52.9 million.  This addition to free reserves brought an increase of 39% to US$187.9 million and combined ratio for the 2011 year of 85%; total funds under management rose by 17% to US$431.0 million.  Claims reduced by 9% compared with the previous year and totalled US$107.2 million, while operating expense increased by just over US$6 million to US$40.5 million.

The Club’s strength in diversity was emphasised by a 9.5% increase in tonnage entered to 17.8 million GRT, an advance of 8.4% in vessel numbers to two short of 29,000 and 7% more Members than last year. Commenting on the very encouraging results, the Club’s Chief Executive Charles Hume said, “After a positive year of growth, coupled with organisational change, the Club looks forward to a period of consolidation as the three branch offices look to establish themselves in their regions.  Looking forward, the Club primarily recognises the need to develop closer ties with its customers – the six hundred plus insurance brokers who place business with the Club and ultimately its worldwide membership.  We need to demonstrate the benefits of mutuality, the benefits of Member ownership, the benefits of belonging to, and of being insured within, an environment where the insurer seeks to find solutions.  We look forward, in particular to innovating;  to launching simplified products; to delivering peace of mind to our customers and to assuring owners of small and specialised ships, of all shapes and sizes, that they may go about their tasks safe in the knowledge that their P&I insurer is working alongside them in partnership.”

ENDS

Financial Highlights as at 20^th February 2011 (vs 2010)

• Net result:  Overall Surplus of US$52.9 million (US$39.5 million)
• Gross Premiums Earned: US$196.8 million (US$174.2 million)
• Claims Incurred, net of reinsurance:  US$107.2 million (US$117.8 million)
• Combined ratio:  85.0% (101.5%)
• Operating expenses: US$40.5 million (US$34.4 million)
• Investment return:  US$27.6 million gain (US$41.6 million  gain)
• Free Reserves: US$187.9 million (US$135.0 million)

 A pdf of the full Annual Report 2010 is available for download at www.shipownersclub.com

Notes for Editors:

The Shipowners’ Club is a mutual marine liability insurer, providing Protection & Indemnity insurance to small vessels since 1855. The Club currently insurers almost 29,000 vessels from 5,624 Members worldwide and is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs.

The Club has regional offices located in Luxembourg, London, Singapore and Vancouver.