Corporate Governance in the European Insurance Industry

Corporate scandals at the beginning of the 2000s and the recent global financial crisis have renewed the attention of academics, regulators and practitioners to agency problems and possible solutions in the financial sector. Since that time, much thought has been given to new regulations and international corporate governance standards, in an attempt to guarantee prudent and sound financial management.

While much of this thought has been focussed on the banking sector, Corporate Governance in the European Insurance Industry provides a unique perspective on the subject, focusing on the insurance industry and asking some important theoretical and practical questions. Are insurance companies systemically relevant, and does the existing regulation provide adequate protection for customers and guarantee financial stability? Is regulatory intervention consistent with economic and financial theories? And crucially, is this intervention consistent with empirical evidence of the behaviour and performance of insurance companies? The first part of this book provides the reader with a comprehensive review of current academic studies on the topic; the second part moves on to examine the regulation of corporate governance and its recent evolution after the global financial crisis.

Within a context of vivid debate in the financial services industry, the issues explored in this book will be of value to anyone with an interest in insurance corporate governance and regulation. It is also a key source of research for academics in insurance and finance, as well as PhD students and post-graduate students in relevant subjects.