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Insurance Insider - Behind the Headlines
Get the inside scoop on the major stories shaping the London Market through discussions with the journalists who broke them with insights from industry professionals on what these developments mean for the (re)insurance sector.
Episodes
68 episodes
Behind the Headlines: Africa Specialty Risk’s Mikir Shah on succeeding in emerging markets
What does it take to succeed in emerging markets with low insurance penetration?Africa Specialty Risks CEO Mikir Shah is on a mission to bring the best of specialty insurance to emerging markets across the globe, and help facilita...
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Behind the Headlines: Lloyd’s CFO Jim Bichard on the burgeoning ceded re market
The Lloyd’s market has been instrumental in pioneering new ceded reinsurance vehicles, but what are the prospects for continued growth?According to Lloyd’s CFO Jim Bichard, London Bridge II still only accounts for £3bn of capital,...
Behind the Headlines: Marsh Re's Vicky Carter on capital innovation in reinsurance
What is the focus of the reinsurance market heading into the annual Rendez-Vous de Septembre in Monte Carlo?According to Marsh Re’s Vicky Carter, the abundant capital in the market is an opportunity for clients to explore innovati...
Behind the Headlines: Howden CMA’s Beckham and Cooper on the M&A boom
Following a string of major M&A transactions over the past year, are we past the peak of the M&A cycle?According to Howden Capital Markets & Advisory’s Leo Beckham and Bill Cooper, we should expect to see deals keep on...
Behind the headlines: Nick Hankin on QBE Re’s $6bn reinsurance ambitions
QBE Re has doubled in size since 2020, and plans to double its scale again by 2030 to underwrite $6bnn of business.But how can this continued expansion be achieved in a market undergoing significant softening?According to QBE Re m...
Behind the Headlines: Pool Re’s Tom Clementi on the ever-evolving terrorism threat
Government-backed terrorism reinsurer Pool Re was established in 1993 to respond to commercial market failure caused by the IRA’s bombing campaign.Since then, the terror threat landscape has changed hugely, and Pool Re has evolved wi...
Behind the Headlines: Oak Global’s Cathal Carr on reinsurance recency bias
Following a period of dwindling market share for London in reinsurance, reinsurer start-up activity has returned to the Square Mile.One such business is Cathal Carr-led Oak Global, which launched in 2024 and now boasts two syndicates.
Behind the Headlines: InsurX’s Gilbert Harrap on the evolving world of smart follow
The enhanced underwriting premium in London, including the smart follow market, has swelled to over $5bn of premium.But what is next for the rapidly evolving smart follow sector in the next phase of the market cycle?In the ...
Behind the Headlines: Arch’s Hugh Sturgess on the ‘win, win, win’ of facilities
With cross class facilities having proliferated in London in recent years, how will these structures fare in the next phase of the cycle?Arch has been a major participant in this corner of the market, and Arch Insurance Internatio...
Behind the Headlines: Paul Brand on Convex’s next phase of growth
What’s next for Convex following its rapid expansion and $7bn deal with Onex and AIG last year?In his first major interview since the transaction, CEO Paul Brand tells Behind the Headlines how Convex’s lean operating model ...
Behind the Headlines: Ex-Brit CEO Matthew Wilson on the power of insurance philanthropy
Matthew Wilson’s life was upended when he received a shock blood cancer diagnosis whilst working as CEO of Brit.Since then, he has thrown himself into fundraising to support research for multiple myeloma, founding the Matthew Wilson Mult...
Skuld's Ståle Hansen on managing maritime volatility
How are marine insurers dealing with the geopolitical turmoil impacting global shipping?According to Skuld CEO Ståle Hansen, insurers are adjusting to a new norm of international tensions, and navigating a complex regime of sancti...
Behind the Headlines: Swiss Re’s Jason Richards on reinsurer retention discipline
The reinsurance market made huge strides to structurally transform structures and attachment points in recent years.But as the market softens, is discipline being maintained?According to Jason Richards, CEO of P&C reins...
Behind the Headlines: Natasha Jodrell on AdA Underwriters’ specialty diversification
What comes next for AdA Underwriters as it steps onto the Lloyd’s stage?Launched in 2023 with an initial focus on the upstream energy market, AdA has since expanded into adjacent specialty classes. This year, it reached a major mi...
Behind the Headlines: IUA’s Chris Jones on marine war market’s Iran response
How has the London insurance market responded to the conflict which has engulfed the Middle East?According to Chris Jones, CEO of the International Underwriting Association, the marine war market has stepped up, and has been offer...
Behind the Headlines: LMG’s Caroline Wagstaff on why London must not stand still
With £187bn of premium written in 2024, £61bn contributed to UK GDP, and a revitalised reinsurance ecosystem, is the London market in danger of getting too comfortable?According to Caroline Wagstaff, CEO of London Market Group, st...
Behind the Headlines: Aon’s Joe Peiser on the sheer magnitude of data centre growth
Are data centres really the biggest growth opportunity the insurance industry has ever seen?They’ve burst into the spotlight in recent months, but just how material is this new source of business? According to Joe Peiser, Aon’s CE...
Behind the Headlines: PoloWorks' Paul Andrews on the start-up opportunities in Lloyd's
Have you ever wondered what goes into launching a new syndicate at Lloyd's?The latest Behind the Headlines guest Paul Andrews helped bring three new syndicates to market at the start of the year, and in this episode explain...
Richard Brindle: the unique matrix of The Fidelis Partnership
What is the strategic thinking behind The Fidelis Partnership’s unique business model?According to CEO Richard Brindle the firm is now increasingly perceived by balance sheet reinsurers as a distributor, as opposed to a direct com...
Insurance Insider's Adam McNestrie on the stories that shaped 2025
What were the defining moments that shaped the insurance market in 2025? In a bonus episode of Behind the Headlines, Insurance Insider's Editor at Large Adam McNestrie provides his unparallelled insight into what he sees as the key developments...
Axis’s Sara Farrup on aligning fast follow and open market strategy
How do you harmonise distribution strategies in a rapidly evolving marketplace?Sara Farrup took over as head of global markets at Axis at the beginning of the year, assuming leadership of one of the largest syndicates in Lloyd’s and a ma...
Hive's Underwriters' Bruce Carman on navigating turbulence in aviation
Nobody likes flying in turbulence, and in recent years aviation insurers have faced their fair share of upheaval.First there was the major claim stemming from the war in Ukraine, and following that a string of claims for the all-risk mar...
MS Re’s Charlie Goldie on building a reinsurer to manage volatility
MS Re has undergone a period of significant growth in recent years, and expects to top $4bn of GWP in 2025. CUO Charlie Goldie explains on Behind the Headlines that the company’s strategy is to deliver value creation for its parent over...
Behind the Headlines: Liiba’s Christopher Croft on why brokers are the engine room of growth
How do struggling governments across the globe tackle stagnating economic growth?According to Cristopher Croft, CEO of the London & International Insurance Brokers’ Association, the specialty broking sector is key to unlocking...