Alliance, NAII Talking Merger Again

Alliance, NAII Talking Merger Again

The Alliance of American Insurers and the National Association of Independent Insurers are once again talking merger.

Statements by the NAII in Des Plaines, Ill., and the Downers Grove, Ill.-based Alliance confirmed that the two are talking about merging, but “a formal proposal for the merger of the two organizations has not yet been developed.”

Any merger, the statement continued, would have to be approved by the membership of both organizations.

Both associations said they have worked closely with one another in the past on issues and that merging would create “a stronger voice for the property-casualty industry.”

Joe Annotti, NAII vice president of public affairs, said talks are serious and ongoing, but could not comment further.

Mr. Annotti and Charles E. Schmidt, assistant vice presidentpublic affairs for the Alliance, said that if talks are successful, a target for the merger is set for Jan. 1, 2004.

The merger is subject to approval of each associations membership.

NAII has 725 members representing 31.2 percent of the property-casualty market. The Alliance numbers more than 340 members representing 9 percent of the p-c market.

The two organizations last discussed merging in 1999, but talks were called off in January of 2000 (see NU, Jan. 24, 2000). Neither association would discuss why the talks failed. However, the heads of both associations said they felt that the two associations would continue to work together on issues. The heads also added that the time was not right.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, July 21, 2003. Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.