CaribPR Wire

David Brown appointed as Senior Partner in Bermuda and Regional Insurance Leader and Jessel Mendes named Regional Growth Markets Leader

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Ernst & Young Ltd. today announced two leadership changes. David Brown will become the firm’s Senior Partner in Bermuda and Insurance Leader for the EY Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands region, replacing Pete Cangany, who will retire from EY after 37 years with the organization. This transition will take effect on July 1, 2017, and Cangany will remain in the role until that time. Effective immediately, Jessel Mendes will assume the new role of Regional Growth Markets Leader, in addition to his current responsibilities as Partner of Ernst & Young Ltd. (EY Bermuda).

Brown most recently served as the Insurance Industry leader for the Southwest Region of Ernst & Young LLP in the US and directed the Southwest Region FSO Assurance practice. He has more than 27 years of experience working with large multinational clients, including insurance companies with global operations, US domestic insurance enterprises and Bermuda-based global reinsurance companies. Cangany has served as Senior Bermuda Partner since July 2014, and has been regional Insurance Leader since January 2013.

“Under Pete’s leadership, we have been able to build a high-performing team in Bermuda, enhance our relationships with stakeholders across the market and expand our range of services and expertise,” said Dan Scott, Regional Managing Partner for the EY region including Bahamas, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. “We are very excited to have David assume this role and contribute to our legacy of leadership. His deep insurance and reinsurance experience, coupled with his knowledge of the market, will allow us to bring even more global resources to our Bermuda clients and help them capitalize on new opportunities. We are pleased to have Pete remain in the role through the end of June to provide guidance and assist in the transition process.”

In taking on the new role of Growth Markets Leader for the region, Jessel Mendes will be adding to his current responsibilities as EY Bermuda Partner. In addition to continuing to interact with EY Bermuda clients and other market stakeholders, as Growth Markets Leader he will focus on driving growth for EY firms across the region, maintaining a pulse on the market, overseeing the growth of EY service offerings, programs and initiatives, and determining how resources and capabilities can be best deployed to benefit clients. Mendes, who is a member of the board of the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), will also leverage his extensive network of relationships to uncover new opportunities and help EY Bermuda and the region’s other firms build on their market position.

“We are positioned for the next phase of growth in Bermuda and across the region, so the timing for these changes is ideal,” added Scott. “We have been working diligently with Pete, David and our clients to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition. David has a deep understanding of the challenges organizations are facing and great insurance industry knowledge, so he was a natural choice to lead our Bermuda practice. With Jessel taking on a new role, we now have a great opportunity to serve our clients’ rapidly-evolving needs and accelerate growth.”

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young Ltd., Bermuda, a member of the global EY organization serving clients in Bermuda.

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7.5% Growth in Net Operating Earnings Per Share Over the First Quarter of 2015 (34.4% Growth in Earnings Per Share)

8.4% Growth in E&S Segment and 37.1% Growth in Specialty Admitted Segment Gross Written Premiums Over the First Quarter of 2015

5.2% Increase in Tangible Equity Per Common Share During First Quarter of 2016

Declares $0.20 Per Share Quarterly Dividend

CaribPR Wire, PEMBROKE, Bermuda, May 04, 2016: James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ:JRVR) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Highlights for the quarter include:

• Gross written premiums of $133.1 million, as follows:

• Fully diluted operating earnings per share of $0.43 compared to $0.40 in the first quarter of 2015;
• Fully diluted earnings per share of $0.43 compared to $0.32 in the first quarter of 2015;
• Net operating income of $12.8 million compared to $11.7 million in the first quarter of 2015;
• Net income of $12.8 million compared to $9.4 million in the first quarter of 2015;
• Net written premiums of $106.9 million, down 1.6% from first quarter of 2015;
• A combined ratio of 95.9% compared to 97.5% in the first quarter of 2015;
• A loss ratio of 62.8% compared to 63.7% in the first quarter of 2015;
• A reduction in our expense ratio of 0.6 points from 33.8% in the first quarter of 2015 to 33.2%; and
• A 5.2% increase in tangible equity per common share from $15.88 as of December 31, 2015 to $16.71 as of March 31, 2016.

J. Adam Abram, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to have a solid start to the year, and we remain on track to achieve our guidance of a 12.0% or better operating return on average tangible equity and a combined ratio of between 92% and 95% for 2016.  Our Excess and Surplus Lines segment, which is our largest and most profitable segment, continued to achieve growth in its premium and saw increases in exposure adjusted rates.  Additionally, our Specialty Admitted and Casualty Reinsurance segments had profitable underwriting results and lower combined ratios than a year ago.”

“Our tangible equity grew by 5.4% during the first quarter of 2016 from $459.7 million at December 31, 2015 to $484.4 million at March 31, 2016. This growth in tangible equity reflects $12.8 million of net income and a $15.6 million increase in other comprehensive income offset by the payment of $5.8 million of dividends.”

“The growth rate in our E&S Segment was 8.4% for the quarter. We bound more policies in the first quarter of 2016 than in the first quarter of the prior year, but with smaller average premiums per account.  Our strategy allowed us to increase rates by nine tenths of one percent for the quarter in this segment. We are very satisfied with that outcome.”

“We also found opportunities for profitable growth in our Specialty Admitted Segment, where our gross written premiums grew 37.1% for the quarter.  Our fee business in this segment continues to grow, and the expense ratio continues to decline as both earned premiums and fees increase.”

“Our Casualty Reinsurance Segment was affected by premium adjustments for prior year contracts. These adjustments reduced premiums by $10.0 million in the first quarter; while in the prior year, these adjustments increased premiums by $7.3 million.  For both periods, these adjustments had a negligible impact on our underwriting profits.”

“In keeping with our Board’s emphasis on capital management and efficiency, the Directors voted to declare a dividend of $0.20 per share to be paid on June 30, 2016.”

Results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 include favorable reserve development on prior accident years of $4.7 million. In the prior year, this favorable reserve development was $2.5 million.  On an after-tax basis, favorable reserve development for the quarter is $4.2 million ($2.0 million in the prior year). The pre-tax development by segment was as follows:

Net investment income for the first quarter of 2016 was $11.3 million. This amount compares to $12.0 million for the same period in 2015. The primary cause for the decline in net investment income was a reduction in income from our investments in renewable energy from $2.5 million to $682,000 for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Absent this item, our net investment income increased by $1.1 million (11.1%) over the first quarter of the prior year to $10.6 million (from $9.5 million) principally due to a reallocation of over $140 million of our portfolio from short-term investments to longer duration fixed maturity securities from March 31, 2015 to March 31, 2016. This increase in net investment income was also due to a 3.4% increase in our average cash and invested assets in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015. Our annualized gross investment yield on average cash and invested assets for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was 3.6%, and the average duration of our portfolio was 3.6 years.

During the first quarter of 2016, we also recognized $547,000 in net realized investment gains. These realized investment gains included $842,000 of realized investment gains related to sale of fixed maturities, partially offset by $352,000 in impairment losses primarily related to our investment exposure in certain oil and gas loans in the energy sector. At March 31, 2016 the total oil and gas exposure in this bank loan portfolio was in seven loans with a carrying value of $15.8 million and a market value of $11.9 million.

Dividend

The Company also announced that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per common share on May 3, 2016. This dividend is payable on Thursday, June 30, 2016 to all shareholders of record at the close of business on Monday, June 13, 2016.

Conference Call

James River Group Holdings will hold a conference call to discuss this press release tomorrow, May 5, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Investors may access the conference call by dialing (877) 930-8055 Conference ID#:79290889 or via the internet by going to www.jrgh.net and clicking on the “Investor Relations” link. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay will be available shortly after the call and through the end of business on June 4, 2016 at the number and website referenced above.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, such forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as believe, expect, seek, may, will, intend, project, plan, estimate or similar words. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.  Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, the following: losses exceeding reserves; loss of key members of our management or employees; adverse economic factors; a decline in our financial strength; loss of a group of brokers or agents that generate significant portions of our business; loss of a significant customer; losses in our investment portfolio; additional government or market regulation; failure of any loss limitation or the effect on our business of emerging claims and coverage issues; loss settlements made by ceding companies and fronting carriers; the Company or its non-United States based subsidiaries becoming subject to United States taxation and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In presenting James River Group Holding’s results, management has included financial measures that are not calculated under standards or rules that comprise accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Such measures, including underwriting profit, net operating income and tangible equity are referred to as non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures may be defined or calculated differently by other companies. These measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such measures to the most comparable GAAP figures are included at the end of this press release.

About James River Group Holdings, Ltd.

James River Group Holdings, Ltd. is a Bermuda-based insurance holding company which owns and operates a group of specialty insurance and reinsurance companies founded by members of our management team. The Company operates in three specialty property-casualty insurance and reinsurance segments: Excess and Surplus Lines, Specialty Admitted Insurance and Casualty Reinsurance. The Company tends to focus on accounts associated with small or medium-sized businesses in each of its segments. Each of the Company’s regulated insurance subsidiaries are rated “A-” (Excellent) with a “positive outlook” by A.M. Best Company.

Visit James River Group Holdings, Ltd. on the web at www.jrgh.net.

SPECIALTY ADMITTED INSURANCE

CASUALTY REINSURANCE

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

Underwriting Profit (Loss)

The following table reconciles the underwriting profit (loss) by individual operating segment and of the whole Company to consolidated income before taxes. We believe that these measures are useful to investors in evaluating the performance of our Company and its operating segments because our objective is to consistently earn underwriting profits.  We evaluate the performance of our operating segments and allocate resources based primarily on underwriting profit (loss) of operating segments.  Our definition of underwriting profit (loss) of operating segments and underwriting profit (loss) may not be comparable to that of other companies.

Net Operating Income

We define net operating income as net income excluding net realized investment gains and losses, as well as non-operating expenses including those that relate to due diligence costs for various merger and acquisition activities, professional fees related to the filing of a registration statement for the sale of our securities, and severance costs associated with terminated employees. We use net operating income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance.  Net operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and our definition of net operating income may not be comparable to that of other companies.

Our income before taxes and net income for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, reconciles to our net operating income as follows:

Tangible Equity

We define tangible equity as the sum of shareholders’ equity less goodwill and intangible assets (net of amortization).  Our definition of tangible equity may not be comparable to that of other companies, and it should not be viewed as a substitute for shareholders’ equity calculated in accordance with GAAP.  We use tangible equity internally to evaluate the strength of our balance sheet and to compare returns relative to this measure.  The following table reconciles shareholders’ equity to tangible equity for both March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

For more information contact:

Robert Myron
President and Chief Operating Officer
1-441-278-4583
[email protected]

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HOUSTON, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Viking Cold Solutions has completed another energy efficiency installation, helping Bermuda’s largest food distributor, Butterfield & Vallis, reduce refrigeration storage costs by 40 percent.

Viking Cold’s thermal energy storage system uses phase change material that absorbs heat as it melts, allowing chillers to run less frequently and still keep the Butterfield & Vallis warehouse within a few degrees of -18° Celsius.  The system is among 20 built and installed by Viking in cold storage warehouses in Bermuda, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, California, New Mexico and Texas.

A detailed case study of the project may be found at: http://www.puretemp.com/pcmatters/bermuda-food-distributor-tes

Viking Cold Solutions is an energy storage company focused on making the world’s cold storage systems smarter and more efficient. Viking Cold’s thermal energy storage systems have saved clients over 5330 MW of energy and have removed over 3676 metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere. The Viking Cold team has deep expertise in cold storage energy management, supermarket energy management, and thermal energy storage systems.

For more information see:  www.vikingcold.com

Case Study Courtesy of Phase Change Matters-a publication produced by Entropy Solutions LLC, a biobased specialty chemical company based in Plymouth, Minnesota.

CONTACT: Collin Coker, [email protected], +1-832-497-5205

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — APR Energy plc (the “Company”) (LSE: APR), a global leader in fast-track power solutions, announces today that an offer by a consortium of investors (the “Consortium”) to acquire the Company was declared unconditionally successful on 5 January. The Consortium comprises Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, ACON Equity Management and Albright Capital Management, and brings substantial financial backing to support the Company’s business initiatives, including committing more than $200 million in fresh equity capital to reduce debt and increase working capital.

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“This is a significant milestone in the evolution of APR Energy,” said Executive Chairman John Campion. “We are pleased to be working alongside a group that truly understands our business and our market – and that shares our longer-term vision. Our new investors bring significant strategic value to our business, including global relationships, a sophisticated understanding of international finance and extensive experience investing in global power markets. Their significant investment reflects a strong belief in our business, our market and our management team, and we expect them to be great partners as we grow the Company and continue to serve our expanding base of global customers.

“This transaction clearly makes us stronger, and will pay down debt, increase working capital and enable us to approach the longer term with renewed confidence.”

Chief Executive Officer Laurence Anderson said, “With these new partners, we will have greater flexibility to manage through the short-term variations in our business cycle while staying focused on our longer-term growth objectives. We also will have access to additional capital to fund growth initiatives.”

Anderson said that during the transition process, and afterward, “Our customers, partners and suppliers can expect us to continue to build upon our already high level of customer service, driving operational excellence and delivering reliable, essential electricity around the world.”

About APR Energy

APR Energy is the world’s leading provider of fast-track mobile turbine power. Our fast, flexible and full-service power solutions provide customers with rapid access to reliable electricity when and where they need it, for as long as they need it. Combining state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient technology with industry-leading expertise, our scalable turnkey plants help run cities, countries and industries around the world, in both developed and developing markets. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.aprenergy.com.

Press Photo Gallery

CONTACT: For more information contact: Alan Chapple (Media), Phone: +1 (904) 223-2277, Email: [email protected]

Beechwood Bermuda, Ltd. Acquires Offshore Writer of Investment and Annuity Products

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Beechwood Bermuda, Ltd. (”Beechwood”) today announced the completion of its acquisition of Old Mutual (Bermuda), Ltd. (”OMB”), a Bermuda based provider of insurance and investment products with over $1 billion in assets, which closed for new business in 2009. Beechwood, one of the largest providers of international investment plans, now has over $2 billion in total assets and is featured on the platforms of over 100 banks and brokerage firms around the world.

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The transaction, which closed on December 31, 2015, provides for the continuation of service support by Old Mutual for the OMB products over the next three years, supplemented by additional support from Beechwood’s growing wealth management business. As part of the arrangement, Old Mutual will reinsure certain policy guarantees until they mature in 2017 and 2018. Given the continuity of resources, no disruption to client service is anticipated.

“This transaction offers a unique opportunity to strengthen our position as a global leader and demonstrates our dedication to providing innovative financial solutions for international investors,” said Mark Feuer, Chief Executive Officer of Beechwood. “Our scale and resources will allow us to continue to meet and further develop client demand for our products for years to come.”

Over the next several weeks, Beechwood will be contacting OMB’s distribution partners to discuss the transition and introduce Beechwood’s Accumulator Plus and Escalator Plus investment plans, which offer attractive rates and unique investment features such as principal protection guarantees. David Lessing, Executive Vice President of Products and Services at Beechwood, noted, “The growing client demand for the Beechwood products reinforces our decision to make a significant commitment to this business in support of our distribution partners and their financial advisors.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Certain regulatory approvals for the transfer of future policy administration arrangements are expected by the end of Q1 2016.

About Beechwood Bermuda Ltd. and Beechwood Re, Ltd.
The Beechwood family of companies includes Beechwood Bermuda Ltd., a licensed long-term insurer located in Hamilton, Bermuda and regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) — and Beechwood Re, a reinsurer domiciled in Grand Cayman and regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA). The companies were formed to provide solutions that address significant demand from: (1) non-U.S. high net worth investors seeking innovative, guaranteed investment products; and (2) U.S. and international insurers in need of attractive capacity in the life insurance and annuity reinsurance market.

More information is available by contacting Julianne Classey, Head of Media Relations at [email protected] or (646) 356-1629.

RELATED LINKS:
http://www.beechwoodbermuda.com
http://www.beechwoodre.com