RSA Insurance Group

RSA was formed following the merger of Sun Alliance and Royal Insurance in 1996. Sun Alliance was itself a product of the merger in 1959 of The Sun, which was founded in 1710, with The Alliance, which was founded in 1824 by Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Moses Montefiore. Sun Alliance went on to acquire London Assurance in 1965 (becoming Sun Alliance & London) and Phoenix Assurance in 1984.

Royal Insurance was founded in 1845. It acquired Liverpool & London and Globe Insurance Company in 1919. The company formally changed its name from Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group plc to RSA Insurance Group on 20 May 2008.

On 4 February 2014, it was announced that Stephen Hester, former CEO of RBS Group would become CEO of RSA with immediate effect.

In 2014/2015 New CEO Stephen Hester led a major restructure of RSA to bolster its finances and many 'non core' overseas operations were sold and subject to disposals almost halving the size of the group and aligning the strategic focus back to its core markets.

Operations

RSA operates in 28 countries and provides insurance products and services in more than 140 through a global network of local partners. It has over 20 million customers around the world.

RSA is the second-largest general insurer in the United Kingdom. Its global headquarters are in the City of London on 20 Fenchurch Street occupying floors 15-17 of the 'walkie-talkie' building. Its UK registered office is 20 Fenchurch St, London. Other key UK offices are located in Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Chelmsford, Glasgow, Cardiff, Sunderland, Belfast, Peterborough, Halifax, Birmingham, and Horsham. RSA, including its More Th>n brand, announced itself to be the first carbon neutral insurance company in the UK on 2 December 2006.

RSA owns the More Than direct car, home, pet and travel insurance brand in the United Kingdom, recognised widely for its former Lucky The Dog advertisements and its "MORE IS ..." campaign. More Than also sells van, business car, shops and offices and business insurance through its More Than Business operation.

In September 2015, RSA divested all its Latin American insurance operations to the Colombian insurance company Grupo Sura for £403 Million.

Asia & Africa

North America and Caribbean

Asbestos liabilities

In January 2002 Royal & Sun Alliance became involved in litigation over claims for injury arising from asbestosis among workers in Clyde shipyards. The workers alleged that between 1972–1977 R&SA had issued insurance certificates to asbestos manufacturer Turner & Newall but excluded cover for asbestosis, in breach of the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. R&SA responded that asbestos-related injury was excluded from the policy because it was a risk the company was not willing to underwrite, that Turner & Newall was instead self-insured against asbestosis and should therefore be responsible for any compensation.

In February 2002 R&SA set aside £384 million to double its reserves available for asbestos claims which, combined with claims of £215 million arising from the 11 September attacks, wiped out its 2001 profits. R&SA put up seven of its subsidiaries for sale in an attempt to raise a further £800 million to cover liabilities for asbestos insurance claims in the United States. Friends Ivory & Sime subsequently acquired R&SA's UK asset management subsidiary in May 2002 for £240 million. The situation was further compounded by R&SA having to reserve £1.2 billion against liabilities for guaranteed annuities, the product which caused the collapse of Equitable Life, and was also facing a fine from the Financial Services Authority for failure to meet the deadline in the pension mis-selling review. Two months later Friends Provident acquired R&SA's offshore life unit International Financial Services Limited, based on the Isle of Man, for £133 million. In July 2002 R&SA sold its group risk business to Canada Life for £60 million. R&SA was forced to close its life business, with the loss of 1,200 jobs, in August 2002.

In November 2002 Turner & Newall launched a suit against R&SA on behalf of former employees who had suffered asbestos-related disease, claiming that the insurer was liable because it provided employer liability policies to the engineering firm. In an effort to reduce costs, R&SA chairman Sir Patrick Gillam said it would sell its US business RSUI and "float most of its Asia Pacific operations", bringing total job losses in the UK to 4000. The case was heard at the High Court of Justice in January 2003. R&SA argued that a policy clause which excluded cover for pneumoconiosis also excluded other asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis and peritoneal mesothelioma. Colin Edelman QC, representing T&N, told Mr Justice Lawrence Collins that the defence which R&SA had the "temerity" to put forward was "just ridiculous" and that the insurer was trying to "wriggle out of its liability." On 9 May 2003 the court ruled that R&SA was liable for the compensation claims. In September 2003 R&SA cut 1,000 jobs in the UK and asked shareholders for £960 million to cover further asbestos claims.

Inflated repair costs

In September 2011, Judge Platt of the Romford County Court in his judgement attacked the method in which RSA recovered their costs by putting a subsidiary within the motor claims process to inflate profits. Several insurers are now refusing to pay RSA's requests for payment without sight of the original invoice. On 15 June 2012, RSA Insurance was successful in a High Court ruling; the boss of Adrian Brown said the ruling meant "its practices have been deemed legal and its stance vindicated".

Within hours, Allianz Insurance lodged an appeal with two main principles at the heart of the preliminary conclusions which they disagree and could increase claim costs: the first was that the loss in a case would be the reasonable cost of repair rather than what was paid. Secondly, the reasonable cost of repairs would be determined by what an individual would pay if arranged personally rather by an insurer. A number of insurers have agreements whereby they pay lower amounts than an individual would, and this new decision could lead to an increase in costs.

Since then RSA has started to make bilateral agreements, the first announced on 29 June 2012 with Cooperative Insurance.

Hillsborough disaster

A fatal event at an English FA Cup match, widely known as the Hillsborough disaster, implicated RSA. A human crush resulted in 96 fatalities and 766 injured persons. The Royal Sun Alliance Insurance Company (which was the insurer for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in 1989) refused to waive its entitlement to privilege, thus denying the Hillsborough Independent Panel access to its material. Strenuous efforts were made to persuade the company to allow the Panel confidential access to the material, but it maintained its refusal.