The Voice of Insurance

In this engaging discussion, Christopher Croft, Chief Executive of LIIBA, shares his insights on the pivotal role Lloyd's brokers play in fostering innovation, often overlooked by regulators. He explores how the Market Reform Programme has shaped the London Market and advocates for better recognition of brokers' risk expertise in trade policy. Croft emphasizes the need for data sharing and collaboration in InsurTech, while also highlighting LIIBA's initiatives in diversity and inclusion. His down-to-earth humor makes complex regulatory topics accessible and entertaining.

Tim Ronda, CEO of Howden Re, is a dynamic leader in the reinsurance industry, emphasizing talent and client-first strategies for growth. In their engaging discussion, he tackles pressing topics like M&A trends, competitive dynamics, and the evolving role of AI in underwriting. Tim also explores Howden Re's expansion into Latin America and the U.S. mortgage market, and shares insights on navigating changing pricing landscapes and the increasing demand for innovative reinsurance products. His cheerful outlook on a resilient market is both refreshing and inspiring.

In this lively discussion, Andrew Robinson, CEO of Skyward Specialty, and David Ibeson, CEO of Apollo Underwriting, dive into the recent acquisition of Apollo by Skyward. They share insights on the cultural fit that motivated the friendly sale, emphasizing long-term benefits for stakeholders. The duo explores innovative hybrid capital models, upcoming distribution opportunities, and how AI can enhance underwriting and claims. Their infectious energy highlights the synergy between their companies, promising a bright future in the Lloyd's market.

Tony Ursano, an experienced insurance advisor, teams up with industry legend Joe Plumeri, former CEO of Willis, in a lively discussion. They explore the cautious optimism in investor sentiment amidst rising risks like social inflation and climate change. The duo delves into trends in M&A, highlighting ongoing consolidation in carriers and the dynamics of private equity in brokerage buyouts. Joe also shares insights on breaking into the US retail market, while Tony raises alarms about the bifurcation in the MGA sector and the future of insurtech investments.

The growth in Hybrid Fronting carriers has been explosive in the past seven years and this growth has both been fuelled by, and has helped feed, a parallel explosion in the formation of MGAs and the rise in commercial insurance distribution outside the Admitted Lines market. Today’s guest is one of the first movers in this relatively novel insurance carrier type and co-founded the business that is now MS Transverse. As such Dave Paulsson is a guest with a unique perspective. Now that the sector is beginning to mature and MS Transverse itself is part of a top 10 global insurance group, this podcast examines what is going to come next in this remarkable growth and transformation story. Unlike most of us, who just one day found ourselves doing insurance in one way or another, Dave came to the sector by looking at it from the outside, spotting a golden opportunity and executing a plan to make the most of that opportunity. That’s what makes him such a refreshing insurance entrepreneur and this podcast a little out of the ordinary. Dave is very smart and is laser-focused on the job in hand, so if you want a clear idea of where the multi-billion-dollar Hybrid carrier boom is heading, then listen on, one of the industry’s best-qualified executives is on hand to guide the way. LINKS: We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: https://www.advantagego.com

I often wonder if we in the insurance industry have any idea how lucky we are that there are so many smart people out there looking to help make the way we do business easier, more efficient, more productive and ultimately, more profitable. Today’s guest, Matt Hicks, is one of these people. Matt is the co-founder of Recorder, a next-generation broker management system that connects producers directly with underwriters and gives those underwriters instant quote and bind capabilities. Matt is a serial entrepreneur who has already been involved in two successful fintech ventures and now has some very well-known insurance investors on board this one. The product Matt and his team have produced is laser-focused on what adds the most value in the commercial insurance value chain. It’s all about reducing admin and freeing producers, whether they are brokers, coverholders or frontline underwriters, up to do what they do best. The initial productivity gains claimed are eye-opening. The term serial entrepreneur may give you a misleading impression, so I’d say the best way of describing Matt would be that he would always be the most investable guest on an episode of Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank. By the time he had finished with them, he would have all the investors fighting to be involved. The key I think is that special humility and empathy you get with really successful entrepreneurs. In my time as an insurance journalist I have lost count of the number of entrepreneurs I have met with who have undoubtedly superb technology, but who ultimately failed because they had zero empathy or understanding of how insurance professionals actually work and therefore what help they really need. Matt and his team are in insurance for the long run and know that the sort of API-lead revolution they are proposing will take time. But at the same time they know that history is on their side if they are patient enough. So I can highly recommend a listen. Matt is incredibly easy to talk to and his experienced and down-to-earth approach means he knows exactly how to go about making Recorder the sort of tool that over time the best producers are going to be clamouring for.   LINKS:  https://www.recorder.tech/ https://www.recorder.tech/contact  

Alex Maloney, CEO of Lancashire Insurance, shares insights on the reinvigorated confidence in the reinsurance market, emphasizing cautious growth after recent successes. David Flandreau of Howden Re discusses the cooling pricing cycle, noting it has peaked but still maintains economic value. They tackle critical questions around profitable growth, capital deployment, and market dynamics. The conversation highlights the industry's resilience, the balance between risk management and expansion, and the importance of partnerships in navigating future challenges.

The transformation of major Japanese insurers into genuinely global insurers has been one of the most remarkable long-term changes of the last couple of decades. Today’s guest is an embodiment of that internationalisation. Ken Reilly is CEO of Insurance for Sompo in Asia Pacific but boasts a 30-year international career that has seen him work in New York, London, Bermuda and Tokyo. Ken now splits his time between Singapore and Tokyo because, in addition to his APAC role, he now runs Sompo’s own Japanese commercial insurance division. This is a really interesting encounter because – swayed by the big numbers, we are often guilty of an over intense focus on the North American and European insurance and reinsurance Markets. In this episode I get to talk to someone who knows that world intimately to show me the nuances of the Asia Pacific market through the eyes of a global business that has been in some of those markets for 50 years. Ken is a great guest and this is a very refreshing and enlightening interview. Listen on for the dos and don’t of Asia-Pacific expansion and a lot more besides. LINKS: We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: https://www.advantagego.com

Richard Brindle, an experienced insurance executive and chair of The Fidelis Partnership, discusses their innovative multi-platform risk allocator strategy and lessons learned from recent market challenges. Joining him, John-Paul O'Hare, Group Director of Underwriting, delves into the surge in submission flow, the integration of AI in underwriting, and the impact of California wildfires on their approach. They explore the potential of emerging risk classes and emphasize the importance of in-office presence alongside a proactive claims handling philosophy.

Successful insurers have always been in the business of gaining a competitive edge in the form of better information and intelligence. Going right back to the days of early marine underwriters funding improved communication between global ports and ship operators, the best players have always made sure they had the clearest possible view of the risk in front of them both, at a granular, individual level and then at the portfolio level. But there’s more to it than that. The most successful underwriters today are now able to do all of their analysis and assessment at the sort of speed that would have been impossible even a decade ago. Because they can cut turnarounds from days to minutes they can hugely increase the number of submissions they can handle and therefore greatly improve their chances of selecting the best and most optimally profitable risks for their portfolios. It’s clear that with the advent of smart underwriting workbenches that enable underwriting teams and their managers to blend multiple information sources and better dissect and digest risk, we are in the middle of a revolution in the way that underwriting is handled. So join me, Ali Shahkarami Head of Risk Data Solutions - Insurance & Public Sector at Swiss Re (pictured, Bottom) and Simon Fagg, Global Head of pre-Sales Solutions at AdvantageGo (pictured, Top) as we explore what the new benchmark for quality underwriting is going to look like in the digital age. The business unit that Ali runs is at the cutting edge of risk information, providing definitive resources such as CatNet to the global market and Simon is an underwriter who has developed his career to become a pre-eminent advocate of the application of technology to the underwriting process. Between these two excellent guests we have all the expertise we need and what follows is lively and enlightening discussion that will leave you in no doubt as to the industry direction of travel and what you need to do to position your business for differentiated growth in the coming years. LINKS https://www.advantagego.com www.swissre.com