Insurance Insider - Behind the Headlines

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 facilitate economic growth in these regions. The business has just inked a new investment deal with Vitruvian and secured key ratings upgrades. He tells Behind the Headlines of the importance of detailed knowledge of local markets, and how constantly searching out new data ...

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, compared to the wider $120-$140bn alternative capital market of cat bonds and collateralised reinsurance. Bichard told Behind the Headlines that the opportunity for continued expansion is therefore significant, and now several major insurers have launched ceded rei...

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 innovative capital structures. Speaking on Behind the Headlines, Carter explained how new reinsurance vehicles in Lloyd’s are a win-win for investors and insurers, and is putting pressure on the conventional reinsurance market. Carter also reflected on her work supporting r...

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 coming. The investment bankers told Behind the Headlines that they are still operating in a “double-sided coin” M&A market – with ongoing buyer and seller interest. The discussion also delves into the innovative new capital structures in the Lloyd’s market, whi...

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 managing director Nick Hankin, the business is not relying on one or two big bets, but is targeting broad-based expansion across product and geography. He told Insurance Insider that QBE Re benefits from harnessing the data and broker partnerships of the wider QBE g...