Dino Caroussis News

Alan Olivier was elected Chairman and President of the UK P&I Club at their board meeting in Bermuda on October 28. He succeeds Dino Caroussis who has retired from the board. Mr. Olivier, 53, Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Limited, became a Director of the UK Club in 2000 and a Deputy Chairman in 2006. Mr. Caroussis, 61, of Chios Navigation, had been the Club’s Chairman for the past five years, having joined the board in 1996 in the shipping division. He held senior treasury and financial positions before his appointment as chief executive of Unicorn Shipping in 1995.

The UK P&I Club, one of the largest and oldest providers of mutual liability insurance to ship owners, announced its financial results for the year ended February 20, 2013. Dino Caroussis, Chairman of the UK P&I Club, said, “In the year under review, the Club has strengthened financially, increasing its free reserves and capital to $494 million, a new high. Further, in evidence that the Club's strategy of disciplined underwriting is being recognized as achieving results, S&P has upgraded the Club to A- (positive outlook). “This last renewal season was one of our strongest in recent years, with mutual owned tonnage growing to 120 million gross tons, maintaining our position at the top of the P&I market.

It also noted the Club’s improved operating performance as evidenced by the combined ratio, strength of management strategy, and the improvement in its competitive position. Dino Caroussis, Chairman of the UK P&I Club, said: “This is a welcome endorsement by S&P of the UK Club’s efforts to maintain balanced underwriting and a strong capital position in an environment of rising claims costs and volatile investments. Hugo Wynn-Williams, chief executive of Club managers Thomas Miller P&I Ltd…

At its annual board meeting on 29 October 2012, the board of the UK P&I Club (the Club), one of the oldest shipping protection and indemnity insurance mutuals, agreed that the general increase for 2013 renewal will be 7.5 percent. The premium rating increase is in addition to any increase in the cost of the International Group reinsurance premium for 2013 for the mutual members, which will be determined in the New Year. Recognizing the challenges faced by its members and the Club’s strong capital position, the Board has separately declared a Mutual Premium Discount of 2.5 per cent on the total mutual call for the 2011 policy year. The discount will amount to a 10 per cent deduction for all mutual members for the final instalment of the 2011 call due in December this year.

UK P&I Club announces 3 per cent general increase for 2012. The premium rating of all UK P&I Club Members will be increased by three per cent from 20th February 2012. This was agreed by the UK Club’s Directors at their meeting in Athens on 17th October. This decision was taken in response to continuing underlying claims inflation. Although the frequency of claims had reduced significantly in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the average cost per claim has continued to increase over this period.

In its Review of the Year 2011, published this week, the UK Club posted total assets of $1.6 billion. “We have achieved our goal of balanced underwriting so that all the $69 million investment return of the year is transferred to the reserves. The Club’s $478 million free reserves and capital are the highest they have ever been; our Members can be confident that the process of rebuilding the Club’s reserves has been successful. The Club’s total assets exceed its claims liabilities by 159%, one of the strongest ratios among the clubs of the International Group.