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Piraeus Bank agrees the sale of Piraeus Bank Romania

Piraeus Bank S.A. ("Piraeus" or the "Group") announces that it has entered into an agreement with J.C. Flowers & Co. ("JCF") for the sale of its entire shareholding stake in its banking subsidiary in Romania, Piraeus Bank Romania S.A. ("PBR"), (the “Transaction”). The Transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of Piraeus Bank and the Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, and is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals by the relevant authorities in Romania. The Transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018.

The impact of the Transaction on the Group's regulatory capital position is expected to be neutral.

“The sale of our banking operations in Romania represents another major step towards the timely execution of the Group's restructuring plan commitments, as those agreed with the Directorate General of Competition of the European Commission, as well as the implementation of the strategic plan of the Group, “Agenda 2020”. I am particularly glad that going forward PBR will be owned and managed by one of the most well-esteemed international private equity firms with significant experience in the financial services space across numerous jurisdictions.”, Mr. Christos Megalou, Group’s Chief Executive Officer, said.

Mr. J. Christopher Flowers, CEO and Managing Director of JCF said:

“Piraeus Bank Romania has a solid solvency, liquidity, and asset quality profile in the fastest-growing economy in the European Union. We look forward to working with Piraeus Bank Romania to complete the acquisition and create a strong independent bank in the dynamic, local banking sector in Romania.”

UBS Limited is acting as exclusive financial advisor of Piraeus Bank for the Transaction. White & Case LLP is acting as international legal counsel of Piraeus Bank and Schoenherr si Asociatii SCA as Romanian legal counsel of Piraeus Bank for the Transaction.

Eurobank Ergasias S.A.: Sale of King George Hotel real estate property

Following the relevant announcement issued on November 21st, 2017, Eurobank Ergasias S.A. (“Eurobank”) announces that on December 21st, 2017 the sale of the real estate property, on which “King George Hotel” operates, of the mobile equipment of the latter and of the relevant trademarks to Lampsa Hellenic Hotels S.A. was conducted for a total consideration of €43,000,000.

The Bank of Greece Interim Report on Monetary Policy 2017

Today, in accordance with its Statute, the Bank of Greece submitted its Interim Report on Monetary Policy 2017 to the Speaker of the Greek Parliament and the Cabinet.

Developments and prospects: halt of the recession – positive forecasts

This Interim Report on Monetary Policy is submitted by the Bank of Greece at a time when a Staff Level Agreement for the completion of the third review of the programme has been reached with the Institutions. Progress in the implementation of the adjustment programme is having a beneficial impact on confidence, liquidity and economic activity.

The positive course of the economy is reflected not only in GDP figures, but also in several key indicators of economic activity, such as industrial production, retail sales, private sector employment flows, exports of goods and services, and foreign direct investment, as well as soft data such as the manufacturing PMI and the economic sentiment indicator. Improvements are also visible in the financial sector: bank deposits of the non-financial private sector have increased, the decline in bank credit to non-financial corporations has slowed, and banks’ dependence on central bank financing has gradually decreased.

In addition, yields of Greek government bonds have fallen and the yield curve has normalised, in line with the gradual improvement of the domestic economic environment. This enabled the Greek government to return to international bond markets, for the first time since 2014, with a new five-year issue and, towards the end of 2017, to conduct an exchange operation of PSI bonds with a view to enhancing the liquidity of the market for Greek debt. Investors’ participation in this operation exceeded 86%.

Faster growth projected for 2018 and 2019

The available data support the assessment that recovery will gain momentum in the coming months. According to Bank of Greece estimates, economic activity is expected to pick up in the medium term, with GDP growing by 1.6%, 2.4% and 2.5% in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The recovery in 2017 is due to higher exports of goods and services, as a result of Greece’s improved international competitiveness, the pick-up of global trade and the relaxation of capital controls. Higher foreign demand boosts industrial production and contributes to job creation.

Growth is projected to accelerate in 2018 and 2019, supported by exports, private consumption and investment. Consumption is expected to recover, primarily on the back of higher household real disposable income as a result of increased employment. The contribution of investment is expected to be positive, mainly due to stronger business investment, reflecting the gradual restoration of confidence and liquidity in the financial system, as well as the acceleration of privatisations. Exports are expected to remain robust, reflecting higher foreign demand and the restoration of international competiveness. These forecasts are based on the assumption that the reform and privatisation programme will be implemented smoothly and according to the agreed time schedule.

Risks and challenges

Developments in the next few months will be crucial, as they will determine the course of the economy for years to come. After eight years of painful adjustment, the current state of the economy allows favourable expectations for the future. For these expectations to materialise, however, plans will have to be made in the months ahead for a smooth conclusion of the successive adjustment programmes and a return to normality. The challenges that need to be addressed in this short period are:

• broadening and consolidating confidence, which will enable Greece to return to the markets on sustainable terms after the end of the programme in August 2018;

• implementing the programme measures without delays;

• preparing for the timely conclusion of the fourth and final review, which will mark the end of the programme;

• negotiating the re-profiling of Greek public debt and the conditions of post-programme surveillance; and

• fully abolishing capital controls as the economy improves and confidence strengthens, which will ameliorate the investment climate and help attract foreign direct investment.

Any delays or setbacks in the above matters would hamper the restoration of confidence, complicate the exit from the crisis and undermine the optimistic outlook. On the other hand, there are also a number of external risks associated with:

• a possible increase in risk aversion due to disturbances in international financial markets;

• mounting uncertainty in the European Union, mainly concerning a possible failure to form a coalition government in Germany, as well as delays in the conclusion of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Commission on the terms of Brexit; and

• broader geopolitical factors, such as the refugee crisis, North Korea, etc.

The banking system – Liquidity has improved and non-performing loans are being tackled

During the first ten months of 2017, the rate of change in bank credit to both non-financial corporations and households was on average less negative year-on-year. This is partly attributable to a decline in lending rates, while bank lending is also buoyed by the economic upturn.

The return of deposits to the Greek banking system continued, with redeposits of banknotes mainly by non-financial corporations and a repatriation of funds. Specifically, in the period January-October 2017 deposits by the non-financial private sector increased by €2.6 billion to €121 billion. Moreover, banks’ dependence on emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) by the Bank of Greece continued to decline. In October 2017, three banks returned to the international capital markets for the first time since 2014, with covered bond issues.

The expected strengthening of economic recovery and the confidence gains from the completion of the third review, as well as further progress in tackling the problem of non-performing exposures, which will also boost confidence in banks, will improve banks’ funding capacity by enabling them to attract retail deposits, tap the cross-border interbank market and issue debt securities.

These developments, combined with programmes co-funded from the EU budget and managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other organisations, will increase the banking system’s capacity to finance the Greek economy. At the same time, demand for credit can be reasonably expected to rise, reflecting, among other things, an expected decline in borrowing costs largely as a result of narrower intermediation margins.

Banks’ results have improved

Overall, positive developments have been observed in banks’ profitability and asset quality. During the period January-September 2017, Greek banks posted marginal pre-tax profits (€287 million, an improvement relative to the same period of 2016). Loan-loss provisions increased year-on-year, while other impairment losses remained unchanged. Regarding capital adequacy on a consolidated basis, in September 2017 the Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio came to 17.1% (December 2016: 16.9%) and the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) to 17.2% (December 2016: 17%).

Non-performing exposures are declining

As of September 2017, non-performing exposures (NPEs) stood at €100.4 billion or 44.6% of total exposures, having declined by 7.6% (or €8.2 billion) from the March 2016 peak. The improvement during the period January-September 2017 resulted mainly from loan write-offs, with a positive contribution also coming from sales. Sales of loans continued into the fourth quarter of the year. According to the relevant reports published by the Bank of Greece, progress towards the achievement of targets is satisfactory. It should be noted, however, that the NPE reduction targets for the next two years are significantly higher, implying that banks will need to step up their efforts and make full use of the available toolkit for private debt resolution.

Regarding business loans, the NPE ratio is considerably higher for loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With respect to their sectoral breakdown, higher NPE ratios are observed in trade, construction and manufacturing, which are sectors with a high share in overall business loans. In any case, banks’ accumulated provisions cover half of their total NPEs, while the other half is covered by the value of the underlying collateral, resulting in an overall coverage ratio of almost 100%.

A growth-oriented economic policy

Beyond the short-term opportunities and risks, the protracted economic crisis has left a number of stock imbalances that need to be addressed over the medium term if the Greek economy is to return to sustainable growth, most notably:

• high and persistent long-term unemployment;

• the high stock of non-performing loans;

• the investment gap;

• the public debt overhang; and

• tax evasion, which remains high.

These challenges need to be tackled in order to safeguard social cohesion, preserve Greece’s high-quality human capital, facilitate the financing of the Greek economy, entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment inflows, and strengthen the medium- to long-term potential growth of the Greek economy.

Subject to these prerequisites, the end of the adjustment programme could mark a turning point towards a growth-oriented economic policy. This policy must absolutely steer clear of past mistakes and focus on putting the enabling conditions in place for strong sustainable growth, by addressing the major challenges indicated above. This implies that, from now on, the focus of economic policy should be on the following:

1. Speeding up reforms and privatisations. Despite the progress achieved so far, there is still a lot to be done in the areas of privatisation and reforms. Privatisations which are at a mature stage need to be completed quickly. In order to attract both domestic and foreign investment, further emphasis must be placed on reforms that foster competition in the goods and services markets, such as reducing entry barriers into network industries, retail trade and professional services, upgrading the education system, improving public administration and cutting red tape.

2. Adopting a growth-friendly fiscal policy mix. More emphasis must be placed on cutting non-productive expenditure and increasing public sector efficiency, including the management of state property. This is important since, according to OECD estimates, state property in Greece is among the highest as a percentage of GDP in the OECD member states. The improvement of public sector efficiency and tax administration, so as to combat the underground economy and tax evasion and broaden the tax base, will lead to a fairer distribution of the fiscal burden and facilitate the reduction of excessively high tax rates.

3. Tackling the problem of non-performing loans (NPLs) and strategic defaulters, which constrains the banking system’s ability to finance economic growth. Moreover, banks will be facing new challenges in 2018, most notably the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standard 9 (IFRS 9), stricter treatment of loan-loss provisions, as well as the EU-wide stress test to be conducted by the ECB. Thus, in the period immediately ahead, banks need to step up their efforts to attain their operational targets for reducing their NPLs and, ideally, overachieve them now that the economy has returned to positive growth. Banks should also take advantage of the reformed institutional framework (e.g. authorisation of credit servicing firms, operation of an electronic platform for out-of-court settlement, e-auctions of real estate, etc.) and make full use of the available toolbox in order to speed up NPL reduction. In this context, they need to broaden as soon as possible the scope of the workouts they offer to borrowers and make more drastic decisions, in particular with respect to the restructuring of viable businesses, identification of strategic defaulters and implementation of definitive solutions in the case of non-viable businesses.

4. Improving the quality and ensuring the proper functioning and independence of institutions. With regard to independent authorities, it is important to strengthen their administrative and financial autonomy and ensure respect for their independence, as well as accountability towards Parliament. Well-functioning institutions improve structural competitiveness and promote economic growth because they affect incentives for people and businesses to invest in physical and human capital, technology and the organisation of production.

5. Removing various obstacles to investment. Besides improving the business environment and lowering taxation, it is necessary to decisively and definitively remove the obstacles raised by various small or large organised interests and groups, which deteriorate the business climate and stand in the way of new investment and privatisations, even those already approved.

6. Addressing the public debt overhang. Decisive and concrete actions are needed to ensure the sustainability of Greek public debt, on the basis of the Eurogroup’s decision of June 2017. The Bank of Greece has put forward a mild debt re-profiling proposal, which entails only a negligible cost for our partners and provides for, among other things, extending the weighted average maturity of interest payments on EFSF loans by at least 8.5 years.

7. Supporting the unemployed and enhancing employment and training programmes. With unemployment at very high levels, it is essential to provide immediate support to the unemployed and those marginally attached to the labour market by using active labour market policies and targeted social transfers to counter temporary income loss and shorten job transitions. In the medium term, emphasis should be placed on skill upgrading and retraining policies to get people back into work.

***

Today, it is urgently necessary to implement the reform and privatisation programme smoothly and according to the agreed time schedule; to promptly enact and implement the measures agreed upon in the third review; and to prepare for the timely completion of the fourth and final review, which will mark the end of the programme. These are important steps that will boost confidence and help to improve Greece’s credit rating, thereby ensuring sustainable access to the markets on favourable terms after the end of the programme. To consolidate confidence over the medium term, it is equally important to (a) specify in more detail the medium-term debt re-profiling measures, which will enable Greece’s access to bond markets on sustainable terms and, secondarily, will facilitate the inclusion of Greek government bonds in the ECB’s quantitative easing programme; and (b) clarify the form that post-programme support to the Greek economy will take.

As already known, under the EU legal framework, Greece will be under surveillance at least until it repays 75% of the official loans received from euro area countries, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). However, it remains to be clarified whether and on what conditions there will be a “precautionary support programme”. Such a precautionary support framework should assist the Greek economy by driving down borrowing costs, as it will provide assurance of the Greek government’s access to financing after the end of the programme in August 2018. The confidence of international investors in the medium- to long-term prospects of the Greek economy will thus be strengthened, in the knowledge that economic policy is and will remain prudent, precluding the re-emergence of imbalances.

Clarifying the form of post-programme support would be important for an additional reason, in the event that Greece’s credit rating has not improved by the end of the programme: Greek bonds would (a) continue to be accepted as eligible collateral in the ECB’s monetary policy operations; and (b) be included in the ECB’s quantitative easing programme, whether in its planned duration or during the reinvestment period.

These actions would improve the investment and business climate and attract domestic and foreign direct investment. At the same time, they would facilitate the return to financial normality, the full abolition of capital controls and the sustainable recovery of the economy after eight years of sacrifices, recession and stagnation that have exacerbated social inequalities.

Parents’ Optimism About Kids’ Futures on the Rise Since Decade Began

American parents of children ages 18 and younger are more hopeful about the future of children than they were at the start of the decade, according to a new Ipsos survey released today and sponsored by New York Life.

More than half of parents (54 percent) say children in the United States overall will have a better standard of living than their parents do when they become adults, up from 41 percent in 2011. When asked about their own children, more than two-thirds (67 percent) say their children will have a better standard of living than they do, compared to just over half who said the same thing in 2011 (54 percent).

Parent respondents are also optimistic about their own finances heading into 2018, with 57 percent reporting that their financial situation will improve next year. And two in five (38 percent) will seek professional guidance to manage their finances.

“Despite a growing number of uncertainties in the world around us, parents remain hopeful that the next generation will have it better,” said Brian Madgett, Vice President, New York Life. “Parents report that they plan to address their financial burdens in 2018, reducing debt, saving more and seeking professional help to manage their finances – important steps that bode well for their family’s financial future.”

Even with these upbeat sentiments, one item seems to be looming– almost half (46 percent) expect they will have to increase their responsibility for the care of their own parents in 2018.

“This survey validates what our agents are seeing in homes across the country – more parents find themselves ‘sandwiched,’ responsible for their children and facing a growing responsibility for their parents. Preparing for the implications of the sandwich effect – which may change their financial priorities and derail some of their good 2018 plans will be an important priority for many in the next year,” said Madgett.

Ways to Help Children Succeed

Parents said they find the following practices important to help their children succeed in 2017:


Practices that are needed				2017
Teaching financial responsibility by giving an allowance, a piggybank, a savings acct, and advice regarding smart spending				54%
Encouraging your child(ren) to work toward a well-paying career choice				38%
Putting money aside for college education				31%
Making sure you have a financial plan to take care of your child in case something happens to you				29%
Talking openly about your own personal or family finances				29%
Leaving a financial legacy for your child(ren)				19%

“We applaud parents who are empowering their children with a financial education and at the same time are taking steps, including saving for college and leaving a legacy, to protect the financial future of their children,” added Madgett.

Yoda - “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

When respondents were asked which Star Wars movie character best reflects how they handle their family finances, the majority selected Yoda, who is described as patient and someone who uses past experiences to guide future decisions. Also critical to Yoda’s persona is teaching the next generation.

“We believe the choice of Yoda means more parents are understanding the connection between a bright future for children and financial literacy,” said Madgett.

Here are the Star War characters choices and percent who picked these characters:


Character				Percent
Yoda – patient, will use past experience to guide future decisions (serving them very well), while passing on wisdom and knowledge to future generations is also an important piece of overall goal				23%
Luke Skywalker – family oriented, will build financial goals around needs of family, relying on the expertise of others (though at times reluctantly) to find the way to navigate through the ups and downs				19%
Chewbacca – loyal and committed, will consult partner when making financial decisions and is ready to take on any task for the good of their family				14%
Princess Leia –somewhat adventurous, challenging norms but remaining focused, will seek balance between enjoying achieved successes and continuing to work hard for continued growth/success toward financial goals				13%
Obi-Wan Kenobi – wise and experienced, will apply past knowledge to side step trouble and find success and is actively willing to take on big obstacles (working solo or with others) for the greater good				12%
Han Solo - independent and willing to take risks, has/will experience some financial setbacks but perseveres towards a positive financial goal for self and/or family				9%
C3PO – fretful, will often wind up in a financial bind, sometimes needing help from others but other times surprising even themselves in working out a solution				9%

Athene Holding Ltd. Enters into Reinsurance Agreement with Voya Financial

Athene Holding Ltd. (“Athene”) (NYSE: ATH) today announced it has entered into an agreement with Voya Financial (“Voya”) (NYSE: VOYA) to reinsure approximately $19 billion of fixed and fixed indexed annuity liabilities.

“We are excited to enter into this agreement with Voya, which is highly strategic for Athene and a compelling example of how our association with Apollo enables us to deliver creative solutions to the insurance industry. The large block of fixed annuities we will be reinsuring are products Athene understands well, and they present a meaningful asset redeployment opportunity,” said Jim Belardi, CEO of Athene. “Amid a historically tight credit spread environment, we expect this transaction to achieve our mid-teens return target, leaving us well-positioned for incremental value creation in a more favorable credit spread environment or through enhanced asset management.”

In connection with the transaction being announced today, Athene has secured the rights to reinsure liabilities that will be created from the subsequent annuitization of certain of Venerable’s (as described below) variable annuities to fixed payout annuities which is estimated to total approximately $8 billion over the life of the block, ensuring a significant flow of future liabilities for Athene on an annual basis. In addition, the transaction provides Athene with the opportunity to meaningfully augment its organic distribution by pursuing Voya’s existing annuity distribution relationships.

It was also announced today that a consortium of investors, led by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (NYSE: APO), Crestview Partners and Reverence Capital Partners, has agreed to purchase Voya Insurance and Annuity Company, including its Closed Block Variable Annuity segment, and create a newly formed standalone entity (“Venerable Holdings, Inc.” or “Venerable”) that will administer the fixed and variable annuity blocks. Athene will make a $75 million(1) minority equity investment in Venerable to be held as an alternative investment.

Prior to the closing of this transaction, Athene will evaluate a range of potential debt financing alternatives which may provide an attractive option for the company in the current low rate environment.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2018, is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Barclays is serving as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP is serving as legal counsel to Athene in connection with this transaction. Houlihan Lokey is serving as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal advisor to the special committee of independent directors of the board of directors of Athene in connection with the transaction.

(1) Subject to closing adjustments.

Travelers Appoints Nick Rnjak to Lead Lloyd’s Platform

Travelers Europe today announced it has appointed Nick Rnjak to lead Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, its wholly owned platform in the Lloyd’s insurance market. Rnjak most recently served as Chief Underwriting Officer for Travelers Syndicate, and he will continue to focus on expanding its industry sector expertise and building relationships with brokers at Lloyd’s in his new role. He will report to Travelers Europe Chief Executive Officer Matthew Wilson.

“Nick is a proven leader and respected underwriter who has been instrumental in our Syndicate’s strong performance over the past several years,” said Wilson. “His extensive industry knowledge will help us to continue delivering specialised products in key segments and position us for even greater success.”

Rnjak has more than 40 years of industry experience in the London market. Before joining Travelers in 2007, he held a number of underwriting leadership roles at Ace, Gerling, Cox Syndicate and HSB.

Rnjak said, “It’s an exciting time in our industry, and we have an incredibly talented and experienced team in our Lloyd’s group. I look forward to working with the team in this new capacity as we strengthen our broker relationships and provide comprehensive solutions that meet the sophisticated needs of their clients.”

Travelers has operated in Europe for decades in both the general insurance market and through Lloyd’s. Travelers Insurance Company Limited offers business insurance, bond and specialty insurance and risk management services. Travelers Syndicate at Lloyd’s underwrites specialist and complex business classes, including marine, global property, power and utilities, accident and special risks, aviation and energy. Visit www.travelers.co.uk for more information.

IAT Insurance Group Announces $3,000 ‘Tax Reform’ Bonus for Employees

IAT Insurance Group ownership and management announced today the company will pay a $3,000 bonus to all non-executive employees on January 15, 2018. The additional bonus comes in response to the newly passed tax reform bill – the tax savings will be shared with approximately 700 employees. IAT Insurance Group is a privately held company owned by the Kellogg family.

The tax reform bill promises a lower tax rate for companies like IAT Insurance Group. How companies manage that extra money will go a long way toward determining how well the new tax changes work for our economy. “This plan has the power to grow the economy, but only if we invest in the people who make our company great – our employees and customers. That’s why, as owners, we will invest these savings in our workforce and our business in a way that works for everyone,” said Peter Kellogg, Chairman, IAT Insurance Group. “It’s important to us to do our part to help economic growth by putting this money into the hands of the people who will benefit the most from it.”

The $3,000 bonus will be paid on January 15, and is in addition to the company’s other compensation and benefit programs, which include a 401k with 100% company matching contributions up to 7% with immediate vesting, and an additional 3% profit sharing distribution for all eligible employees. The company’s annual bonus pool is also up from last year and incentive bonuses, of which 100% of IAT employees are eligible, will be issued at the end of first quarter 2018. “Our employees drive the success of IAT and our compensation programs recognize and reward their value to the company,” said Bill Cunningham, CEO, IAT Insurance Group. “The tax savings gives us an extra opportunity to share even more with our team, especially frontline and non-executive employees.”

Lincoln Financial Group’s Michelle DeCarlo Named to “Ones to Watch” by CIO and CIO Executive Council

Lincoln Financial Group announced today that Michelle DeCarlo, vice president, Enterprise Delivery Practices, was named one of 2018’s “Ones to Watch” by CIO and the CIO Executive Council.

The CIO Ones to Watch Awards honor rising stars in IT—senior staff destined to become the Chief Information Officers of the future—as identified and sponsored by the CIOs of today's leading organizations. Each year nominees are judged on their job history, job scope and on-the-job accomplishments by a panel of CIOs – past CIO 100 Award winners and CIO Executive Council members.

“Michelle embraces collaboration across IT teams, inspiring people to think big, act with urgency and keep their eyes on short-term goals without losing sight of long-term value,” said Ken Solon, executive vice president and chief information officer at Lincoln Financial Group.

DeCarlo is a Temple University alumnus, where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management and an MBA from the Fox School of Business and Management. With more than 20 years of experience in IT development, quality assurance and solutions engineering, DeCarlo held leadership positions at JP Morgan Chase and Capitol One prior to joining Lincoln Financial in June of 2016.

Michelle is responsible for enterprise technology delivery and methodology, and quickly made an impact on the enterprise. She was nominated for her commitment to building trust with business partners, her focus on recognizing and empowering talent and her resilience and flexibility to lead in a fast-paced, frequently changing environment.

“Digital businesses need business savvy tech leaders to advance their organization and the 2018 ‘Ones to Watch’ awards recognize these individuals,” said Adam Dennison, senior vice president and general manager, IDG Events and CIO Executive Council, and publisher, CIO. “The winners all demonstrated the kind of innovative spirit, focus and determination that future CIOs will need.”

The Hartford Appoints Carlos Dominguez To Its Board Of Directors

The Hartford today announced the appointment of Carlos Dominguez to the company’s board of directors, effective Feb. 21, 2018. Dominguez will join the board as the company accelerates its digital strategy and investments in technology.

“Carlos is a proven innovator who brings a customer-centric approach to helping companies develop digital strategies to take advantage of disruptive trends,” said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. “We look forward to having Carlos join the board as we focus on our data analytics and digital capabilities to continuously improve the way we operate and deliver value to customers.”

The Hartford is committed to refreshing the board as a means of ensuring that the board has the appropriate mix of skills and expertise necessary to support the company’s strategy. In anticipation of the retirement of two directors in 2018, the company appointed two directors in October, in addition to the appointment of Dominguez, all of whom bring skills that the board had identified as important to support shareholder value creation.

Dominguez, 59, is president and chief operating officer of Sprinklr, a global, social-media-management company. Previously, he spent 22 years in a variety of roles at Cisco Systems, Inc., including establishing the New York office for Cisco and leading the efforts to enter strategic markets such as financial services, media and pharmaceuticals. In addition, he led the Service Provider vertical for Cisco, and for 7 years, he served as a technology representative for the chairman and CEO of Cisco. In this role, Mr. Dominguez engaged with senior executives in the Fortune 500 and government leaders worldwide, sharing insights on how to leverage technology to enhance and transform their business. Dominguez led the creation and implementation of Cisco’s Innovation Academy that delivered innovation content to Cisco employees globally. Before his time at Cisco, he held management positions at Timeplex, Inc., and New Jersey Bell/Bell Atlanticom.

Dominguez serves on the board of directors for Medidata Solutions, Inc., and Sprinklr.

TAP: Αρχές του 2020 παραδίδει τις πρώτες ποσότητες αερίου στην Ιταλία

Στις αρχές του 2020 υπολογίζεται ότι θα παραδώσει η TAP στην Ιταλία τις πρώτες ποσότητες αερίου, προερχόμενου από το Καζακστάν.

Όπως δήλωσε στο πρακτορείο Reuters ο πρόεδρος του Διαδριατικού Αγωγού Φυσικού Αερίου, Βάλτερ Πέρερ, «είμαστε σε καλό δρόμο να παραδώσουμε το αέριο το πρώτο τρίμηνο του 2020».

Ο TAP θα μεταφέρει έως 10 δισ. κυβικά μέτρα αερίου από το αζέρικο κοίτασμα του Shah Deniz II στη μικρή παραθαλάσσια ιταλική πόλη Σαν Φόκα.

AXA: Επενδύει 12 δισ. ευρώ για την καταπολέμηση της κλιματικής αλλαγής

Την πρόθεσή της να τετραπλασιάσει το ποσό των επενδύσεών της σε φιλικά προς το περιβάλλον έργα σε μια προσπάθεια να συνδράμει στη μάχη κατά της κλιματικής αλλαγής, ανακοίνωσε η AXA.

Η γαλλική πολυεθνική ασφαλιστική σκοπεύει να επενδύσει 12 δισ. ευρώ ως το 2020, ενώ, όπως γνωστοποίησε, στα πλάνα της είναι να απευθυνθεί σε εταιρείες που παράγουν πάνω από το 30% των εσόδων τους από τον άνθρακα, έχουν ενεργειακό μείγμα με άνθρακα που υπερβαίνει το 30%, κατασκευάζουν ενεργά νέους σταθμούς ηλεκτροπαραγωγής με καύση άνθρακα ή παράγουν πάνω από 20 εκατομμύρια τόνους άνθρακα ετησίως.

Ο διευθύνων σύμβουλος της AXA, Thomas Buberl, δήλωσε σχετικά:

«Έχουμε κάνει μερικές πρωτοποριακές κινήσεις από το 2015, θέτοντας έναν φιλόδοξο στόχο για πράσινες επενδύσεις και περιορίζοντας τις ασφαλιστικές μας δραστηριότητες με τη βιομηχανία άνθρακα.

Σήμερα, στο πνεύμα της Συμφωνίας του Παρισιού, θέλουμε να επιταχύνουμε τη δέσμευσή μας και να επιβεβαιώσουμε την ηγεσία μας στην καταπολέμηση της υπερθέρμανσης του πλανήτη».

Η Affidea Ευρωιατρική εξαγόρασε τα διαγνωστικά κέντρα του ΥΓΕΙΑ

Η Affidea Ευρωϊατρική, μέλος του μεγαλύτερου Ευρωπαϊκού Ομίλου στις υπηρεσίες Εξωνοσοκομειακής Φροντίδας και ιδιαίτερα Διαγνωστικής Απεικόνισης και Ακτινοθεραπείας, ανακοίνωσε την εξαγορά των μονάδων Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας Υγείας του θεραπευτηρίου ΥΓΕΙΑ, που αποτελείται από δύο πλήρως εξοπλισμένα διαγνωστικά κέντρα στο Περιστέρι και στην Aθήνα (περιοχή Hilton).

Επιπλέον, υπογράφηκε Μνημόνιο Συνεργασίας για την ιδιωτική ασφαλιστική αγορά της Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας Υγείας. Η συμφωνία αυτή εδραιώνει και εξελίσσει τη σχέση μεταξύ των δύο Ομίλων, η οποία εγκαινιάστηκε με τη συνεργασία τους στην εξυπηρέτηση των ασφαλισμένων της Εθνικής Ασφαλιστικής, τον Ιανουάριο του 2017.

Τόσο ο Όμιλος Affidea όσο και ο Όμιλος ΥΓΕΙΑ αποτελούν, ο καθένας στον τομέα του, ιδιαίτερα σημαντικές δυνάμεις στο χώρο της υγείας.

Ο Όμιλος ΥΓΕΙΑ πρωτοστατεί εδώ και δεκαετίες στη νοσοκομειακή φροντίδα, ενώ η Affidea αποτελεί το μεγαλύτερο πάροχο Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας Υγείας σε Πανευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, με εδραιωμένη παρουσία σε 16 χώρες.

Με την ολοκλήρωση της εξαγοράς, διευρύνεται η συνεργασία μεταξύ των δύο πρωτοπόρων Ομίλων και τους δίνεται η δυνατότητα να εστιάσουν ο καθένας αποκλειστικά στο πεδίο εξειδίκευσής του, που είναι η Πρωτοβάθμια Φροντίδα Υγείας για την Affidea Ευρωιατρική και η Δευτεροβάθμια Περίθαλψη για τον Όμιλο ΥΓΕΙΑ.

Παράλληλα, οι ασθενείς και οι ασφαλισμένοι των ασφαλιστικών εταιρειών αποκτούν ακόμη ευκολότερη πρόσβαση σε υπηρεσίες πρόληψης, διατήρησης της υγείας και διάγνωσης που πληρούν τα υψηλότερα πρότυπα και διαδικασίες ασφάλειας. Τέλος, το εγνωσμένης αξίας ιατρικό δυναμικό του Ομίλου ΥΓΕΙΑ αποκτά τη δυνατότητα μέσω της Affidea να προσφέρει τις υπηρεσίες του και σε εξωνοσοκομειακό επίπεδο.

Ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος της Affidea Ευρωιατρική, κ. Θεόδωρος Καρούτζος, δήλωσε με την ευκαιρία της ανακοίνωσης: «Η εξέλιξη αυτή μας γεμίζει υπερηφάνεια και χαρά. Η συνεργασία μας με τον Όμιλο ΥΓΕΙΑ είναι μέρος του στρατηγικού μας σχεδιασμού και σηματοδοτεί μια νέα εποχή για την Affidea, καθώς διευρύνει το πεδίο δράσης της και αλλάζει τη δυναμική της. Μέσα από στρατηγικά επιλεγμένες, υψηλού επιπέδου συνεργασίες, στοχεύουμε να γίνουμε ο πλέον αξιόπιστος πάροχος υπηρεσιών Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας Υγείας. Ο Όμιλος Affidea λειτουργεί με γνώμονες τον σεβασμό στον άνθρωπο και στη ζωή, και την πρωτοπορία και την αξιοπιστία που τον έχουν καταστήσει κέντρο αναφοράς στην Ευρώπη».

Από την πλευρά του, ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος του Ομίλου ΥΓΕΙΑ, κ. Ανδρέας Καρταπάνης, σημείωσε: «Η σύμπραξη με την Affidea Ευρωιατρική, έναν αξιόπιστο και σύγχρονο πάροχο υπηρεσιών Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας Υγείας, μάς παρέχει αφενός τη βεβαιότητα ότι οι ασθενείς που μας εμπιστεύονταν “βρίσκονται σε καλά χέρια” και θα συνεχίσουν να απολαμβάνουν υψηλοτάτου επιπέδου υπηρεσίες, και αφετέρου τη δυνατότητα να αφοσιωθούμε στον κατεξοχήν τομέα δραστηριοποίησής μας, αυτόν της δευτεροβάθμιας περίθαλψης».

Ο κ. Θανάσης Λοπατατζίδης, Group Director Outpatient Solutions Development του Ομίλου Affidea, σχολίασε σχετικά: «Στη συνεργασία αυτή βλέπουμε και συμβολικά να συνδέεται στην πράξη το παρελθόν με το μέλλον της Πρωτοβάθμιας Φροντίδας και η παράδοση να συναντά τη σύγχρονη τεχνολογία αιχμής, καθώς το διαγνωστικό κέντρο που βρίσκεται στην περιοχή Hilton, αποτελεί ένα από τα πρώτα διαγνωστικά κέντρα που λειτούργησαν στην Ελλάδα. Και αυτός είναι ένας ακόμη λόγος που κάνει τη σύμπραξη αυτή τόσο σημαντική, καθώς οι διεθνώς καινοτόμες πρακτικές της Affidea συναντώνται με την εμπειρία και τις καταξιωμένες υπηρεσίες ενός επίσης πολύ μεγάλου Ομίλου».

Δ.Σ.Α.: Αναστέλλονται ως τις 5 Ιανουαρίου οι εργασίες του Εφετείου

Την αναστολή εργασιών του Δικαστηρίου αποφάσισε η διοίκηση του Εφετείου Αθηνών, όπως ανακοίνωσε ο Δικηγορικός Σύλλογος Αθηνών.

Η αναστολή οφείλεται στην επίθεση που σημειώθηκε τα ξημερώματα και την έκρηξη βόμβας στην είσοδο του κτηρίου, που προκάλεσε εκτεταμένες υλικές ζημιές.

Δύο άτομα, τα οποία πιστεύεται ότι είχαν και τουλάχιστον έναν συνεργό, σταμάτησαν έξω από το Εφετείο, άφησαν μια μαύρη τσάντα στην είσοδο και πριν τραπούν σε φυγή, ο ένας εξ αυτών πυροβόλησε με καλάσνικοφ τον φύλακα του κτηρίου, χωρίς ευτυχώς να τον τραυματίσει.

Αθανασίου: Ρεκόρ όλων των εποχών για τις ελληνικές εξαγωγές

Πολύ σημαντική χρονιά για την Ελλάδα ήταν το 2017, καθώς οι εξαγωγές της χώρας θα καταγράψουν ιστορικό υψηλό, την ώρα που για το 2018 οι προβλέψεις είναι ακόμα πιο αισιόδοξες.

Μιλώντας στο CNN Greece, ο Διευθύνων σύμβουλος του Enterprize Greece, κ. Ηλίας Αθανασίου, είπε ότι οι εξαγωγές το 2017 είναι κατά 12%-13% πάνω σε σχέση με πέρυσι, που επίσης παρατηρήθηκε έντονη κινητικότητα.

Τρόφιμα και αγροτοδιατροφικός τομέας συνεισφέρουν στο ελληνικό ΑΕΠ με ένα ποσοστό σχεδόν 18% και αντιστοιχούν στο 20% των εξαγωγών της χώρας.

Ο κ. Αθανασίου τόνισε ότι το Enterprise Greece προσπαθεί να βοηθήσει τις ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις για το branding των προϊόντων και στο πλαίσιο αυτό πρόκειται να εγκριθεί ένα σημαντικό ευρωπαϊκό κονδύλι.

Όπως, τέλος, αποκάλυψε, το 2018 η Ελλάδα θα είναι η τιμώμενη χώρα στο Summer Fancy Foods, μια από τις μεγαλύτερες εκθέσεις στον κόσμο που γίνεται στις ΗΠΑ και εκεί οι ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις θα έχουν τη δυνατότητα να κλείσουν μεγάλες συμφωνίες.

Πουτζδεμόν: Έτοιμος για συνάντηση με τον Ραχόι αλλά εκτός Ισπανίας

Έτοιμος και θετικός στο ενδεχόμενο να καθίσει στο ίδιο τραπέζι με τον Μαριάνο Ραχόι δήλωσε ο Κάρλες Πουτζδεμόν, αρκεί η όποια συνάντηση να γίνει εκτός Ισπανίας.

«Eίμαι έτοιμος για συνομιλίες με τον Ραχόι σε ουδέτερο έδαφος», δήλωσε ο έκπτωτος ηγέτης της Καταλονίας από τις Βρυξέλλες, γνωρίζοντας πως το αποτέλεσμα των χθεσινών εκλογών τον καθιστά πλέον πιο ισχυρό από ό,τι στο πρόσφατο παρελθόν.

ΝΗΡΕΥΣ: Απέσπασε Βραβείο και Έπαινο στα “Made in Greece Awards 2017”

Δύο σημαντικές διακρίσεις στα φετινά “Made in Greece Awards 2017” απέσπασε η εταιρεία ΝΗΡΕΥΣ.

Συγκεκριμένα έλαβε Βραβείο στην κατηγορία «Εξαγωγική Αριστεία Καταναλωτικού Προϊόντος» και Έπαινο στην κατηγορία «Επιχειρηματική Αριστεία».

Οι νέες αυτές βραβεύσεις αποτελούν σημαντική αναγνώριση της εξαγωγικής της δραστηριότητας και επιβεβαιώνουν την ηγετική θέση και διακεκριμένη παρουσία της ΝΗΡΕΥΣ σε εθνικό και διεθνές επίπεδο.

Η τελετή απονομής πραγματοποιήθηκε στις 11 Δεκεμβρίου στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών και τις διακρίσεις παρέλαβαν ο κ. Θοδωρής Αλεξάκος, Εμπορικός Διευθυντής, και ο κ. Βασίλης Καραμπάγιας, Διευθυντής Πωλήσεων της Ελληνικής Αγοράς της ΝΗΡΕΥΣ.

Τα Made in Greece Awards διοργανώνονται κάθε 2 χρόνια από την Ελληνική Ακαδημία Μάρκετινγκ (ΕΛΑΜ). Σκοπός του θεσμού είναι η ανάδειξη και επιβράβευση των επιχειρήσεων και οργανισμών που επιτυγχάνουν εξαιρετικές επιδόσεις στη δημιουργία και διάθεση προϊόντων με σημαντική προστιθέμενη αξία για την Ελληνική Οικονομία.

Βασικά κριτήρια αξιολόγησης, αριστείας και επιβράβευσης ήταν η ποιότητα, η καινοτομία, η διαφοροποίηση, οι στοχευμένες αγορές, τα διεθνή δίκτυα διανομών και τα ισχυρά brand names.

Μοσκοβισί: Έχουμε λόγους να είμαστε αισιόδοξοι για πλήρη επιστροφή της Ελλάδας στις αγορές

Την άποψη ότι η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται σε πολύ καλό δρόμο ώστε να επιστρέψει στην «κανονικότητα», εξέφρασε ο Πιέρ Μοσκοβισί και έστειλε μήνυμα για τη ρύθμιση του χρέους λέγοντας ότι «η κυβέρνηση θα πρέπει να συνεχίσει και τους επόμενους μήνες να υλοποιεί πλήρως τις δεσμεύσεις που έχει αναλάβει». Δεν έκρυψε, δε, την αισιοδοξία του για γρήγορη επιστροφή της Ελλάδας στις διεθνείς αγορές.

Σε συνέντευξη που έδωσε στα «Νέα» ο Ευρωπαίος Επίτροπος εξηγεί ότι προτεραιότητα για την Ελλάδα θα πρέπει να είναι η έγκαιρη θεσμοθέτηση όλων των προαπαιτούμενων, έως το προγραμματισμένο για τις 22 Ιανουαρίου, Eurogroup. Αυτό θα επιτρέψει την άμεση έναρξη των προπαρασκευαστικών εργασιών για τα επόμενα στάδια της διαδικασίας, όπως τη συζήτηση για το χρέος και τη μεταμνημονιακή εποχή.

«Όλα αυτά θα πρέπει να έχουν ολοκληρωθεί μέχρι τον Ιούνιο. Θα ήθελα να τονίσω πως όλα εξαρτώνται από το πόσο γρήγορα η Ελλάδα θα αποκτήσει και πάλι πλήρη πρόσβαση στις διεθνείς αγορές, με λογικά επιτόκια. Και εδώ έχουμε λόγους να είμαστε αισιόδοξοι.

Οι δανειακές ανάγκες της χώρας για την περίοδο αμέσως μετά την ολοκλήρωση του Προγράμματος είναι πλήρως διαχειρίσιμες, καθώς η Ελλάδα έκανε στις αρχές του τρέχοντος έτους κάποια επιτυχή πρώτα βήματα επιστροφής στο διεθνές δανειακό περιβάλλον.

Επίσης, τα βραχυπρόθεσμα μέτρα για το χρέος που έλαβε ο Ευρωπαϊκός Οργανισμός Σταθερότητας φέτος, συνέβαλαν και αυτά θετικά στη βελτίωση της βιωσιμότητας του χρέους. Όλα τα παραπάνω έχουν ενισχύσει την εμπιστοσύνη των επενδυτών», ανέφερε χαρακτηριστικά ο Πιέρ Μοσκοβισί και συνέχισε περιγράφοντας τη σχέση της χώρας μας με τους δανειστές μετά την έξοδο από το πρόγραμμα.

«Αυτή είναι μια συζήτηση που θα ανοίξει τους επόμενους μήνες μεταξύ της Ελλάδας, των θεσμών και των υπολοίπων μελών της ζώνης του ευρώ. Στόχος όλων είναι να επιτύχει η χώρα βιώσιμη ανάπτυξη μακροπρόθεσμα, καθώς και να επανασυγκλίνουν η αγορά εργασίας και τα εισοδήματα στην Ελλάδα με εκείνα στην υπόλοιπη ευρωζώνη.

Αν η Ελλάδα καταφέρει να ολοκληρώσει το πρόγραμμα στήριξης με επιτυχία, θα επανενταχθεί στον υπάρχοντα μηχανισμό οικονομικής επιτήρησης της μεταμνημονιακής εποχής, στον οποίο υπάγονται και άλλα κράτη-μέλη. Αυτό θα σημαίνει ότι η χώρα επιστρέφει στην ομαλότητα».

Enterprise Insurance: Νέα στοιχεία επικοινωνίας του εκκαθαριστή

Για τα νέα στοιχεία τηλεφωνικής επικοινωνίας με το γραφείο υποστήριξης του εκκαθαριστή ενημέρωσε με δελτίο Τύπου η Enterprise Insurance.

Στο δελτίο Τύπου αναφέρεται:

Σε συνέχεια του από 28 Ioυνίου 2017 Δελτίου Τύπου, συμπληρωματικά ενημερώνουμε ότι τα στοιχεία του αντικλήτου της υπό εκκαθάρισης εταιρείας «Enterprise Insurance Company plc», προς κοινοποίηση αγωγών και δικαστικών εγγραφών, είναι τα κάτωθι:

Θεόδωρος Παναγιώτου (Δικηγόρος)

Τηλ: 0030 210 94 299 27

T.Θ.: PR 79102, Π. Φάληρο.

E-mail: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.

Διεύθυνση: Μομφεράτου 125, Αθήνα ΤΚ 11475

Ωράριο κοινοποιήσεων: 15:00 με 19:00.