(Re)thinking insurance

In this episode our host, Charlie Samolczyk, is joined by Holly Layton and Joost Wilbers to discuss why there is a need for reserving teams to consider new approaches, as well as some of the recurring challenges they’ve seen in the market.

In this episode, Sina Thieme is joined by Maria Jesus Guitard to discuss the importance of people in an insurers pricing function.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Anand Patel is joined by Paul Higham and Derric Howard to explore the dynamics of the commercial lines and specialty market cycle and how leading insurers are successfully managing the cycle through investments in technical capabilities.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Pardeep Bassi, Global Head of Data Science, talks to Mani Heer about overcoming the challenges in deploying open source effectively.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Suky Mann is joined by James Tanser to discuss their view on how firms have responded to conduct related regulations across pricing, as well as a look to the future and how things may change in this space over the next 12 months. 

Life insurers have built up large blocks of policies that represent in-force business. They want to manage these blocks efficiently and profitably. A number of factors such as low interest rates, expense pressures, aggressive competition and stakeholder expectations have increased company focus on in-force management. Mark Mennemeyer is joined by Mary Bahna-Nolan, Nik Godon, Nathan Hardiman and Sam Keller to discuss the opportunities for improving performance of in-force portfolios.

In this episode of the (Re)thinking Insurance podcast, Scott Gibson is joined by Laura Doddington and Lauren Finnis to explore advanced analytics in the insurance industry. They discuss findings from WTW’s recent advanced analytics survey, highlighting how nearly 50 North American P&C insurers are leveraging analytics. Despite strong leadership commitment, progress has stagnated since 2021 due to IT bottlenecks and data challenges. The discussion covers practical applications of machine learning in document processing and risk assessment, and identifies areas where analytics can enhance operations, such as claims management and distribution strategies. The speakers emphasize the need for a clear roadmap, robust data infrastructure, and collaboration between analytics and business teams, underscoring the importance of sustained effort and strategic planning to fully integrate analytics into organizational culture.

In this episode of (Re)thinking Insurance, Mark Mennemeyer is joined by Gerard Anderson and Muhammad Amjad to take a fresh look at capital risk appetite and internal model calibrations. They examine the challenges and implications of recent dramatic shifts in interest and swap rates, highlighting the importance of robust internal model calibrations and scenario testing to manage potential volatility.

In the second of two special episodes focused on WTW’s global IFRS 17 study, Kunj Maheshwari is joined by Kamran Foroughi and Anshul Garg to examine the results of WTW’s recent insurance analyst survey. They explore the responses from analysts - both sell and buy side, equity and debt – on aspects of IFRS 17 the analysts liked, did not like and wanted to improve; as well as how IFRS 17 affected their decision making. This episode also discusses the differences seen across various regions and geographies and finally shares some key takeaways for those insurers adopting later on the implementation of IFRS 17.

In the first of two special episodes focused on WTW’s global IFRS 17 study, Kamran Foroughi is joined by Teresa Murphy and Urvi Nagda to examine key findings from the global disclosure analysis for the full year 2023. In addition to sharing how the analysis of the disclosures for 89 insurers and reinsurers globally was conducted, they explore key takeaways, and provide their perspectives of what actions organisations should be taking moving forwards.