Reinsurance News
Reinsurance interviews
A series of interviews with prominent reinsurance industry executives, discussing the state of the global reinsurance market, opportunities for growth in reinsurance, disruptive factors and the influence of technology on risk transfer and reinsurance.
Growth opportunities remain despite market challenges: Hannover Re CEO Wallin
18th July 2018
Despite ongoing competition and pricing challenges in many areas of the industry, various opportunities for growth remain open to re/insurers, including new lines of business, technological efficiencies, and emerging markets, according to Ulrich Wallin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hannover Re. Speaking in an interview with Reinsurance News, Wallin explained that ... Read the full article
“Cultural misalignment” hinders InsurTech innovation: Maffeo, Boost Insurance
17th July 2018
As technology continues to advance and increasingly looks to disrupt the global insurance industry, partnerships between incumbents and InsurTech startups are becoming more and more commonplace, however, cultural misalignment could be hindering innovation across the sector, according to Alex Maffeo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder, Boost Insurance. Speaking with Reinsurance ... Read the full article
Catastrophe market to remain highly competitive: Hannover Re CEO Wallin
13th July 2018
Natural catastrophe is set to remain the most competitive area for reinsurers, due primarily to an abundance of both traditional and alternative capital in the market, as well as the stability of catastrophe models following 2017’s huge losses, according to Ulrich Wallin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hannover Re. Speaking in ... Read the full article
Reinsurers must innovate to overcome pricing challenges: Hiscox’s McConnell
3rd July 2018
Reinsurers must respond to the challenges of the current pricing environment by innovatively adapting their portfolios and exposures, their use of technology, and their relationships with clients, according to Megan McConnell, Director of Underwriting, London at Hiscox. McConnell noted that reinsurance rates have not increased to the extent that was anticipated ... Read the full article
Re/insurers slow to adopt new tech risk being replaced, says Simplitium’s James Lay
26th June 2018
Re/insurance companies who are slow to adopt the numerous benefits offered by new and emerging technologies are likely to be supplanted by more enterprising firms, according to James Lay, Commercial Director of Insurance Business at Simplitium, a financial services solutions provider. Speaking with Reinsurance News, Lay noted that re/insurers have generally ... Read the full article
Wide ranges and divergent hurricane loss estimates 2017’s biggest surprise: Karen Clark
11th June 2018
After years without a major U.S. landfalling hurricane, Harvey, Maria, and Irma devastated parts of the region and the Caribbean in the second-half of 2017. But perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2017 storm season was the wide ranges and divergent modelled loss estimates for the events, according to Karen ... Read the full article
Intermediaries can create win-win value chain opportunities: RFIB & RTG CEO
7th June 2018
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of insurance and reinsurance broker RFIB and its parent the Risk Transfer Group (RTG), Steven Beard, is confident in the firm's ability to create opportunities throughout the value chain as it looks to expand its presence and capabilities as an intermediary. As part of its strategy to ... Read the full article
Information and education critical to tackling U.S flood risk, says Swiss Re’s Junge
6th June 2018
Tackling the challenge of U.S flood risk will require re/insurers to focus on educating property owners while at the same time developing more detailed resources, such as flood maps and risk models, according to Swiss Re Senior Treaty Underwriter Matt Junge. Although floods cause around $15 billion of economic damage every ... Read the full article
Typically, re/insurers choose to ‘bend or blend’ their risk modelling needs: GC’s Imelda Powers
23rd March 2018
Insurance and reinsurance industry catastrophe risk models constantly evolve and advance, but when adjustments are required, typically, companies must decide whether to “bend or blend,” according to reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter’s Global Chief Catastrophe Modeler, Imelda Powers. Speaking with Reinsurance News, Powers explained that many insurers and reinsurers utilise a mix ... Read the full article
Re/insurers with own view of risk less impacted by model changes: GC’s Imelda Powers
16th March 2018
Speaking with Reinsurance News, Imelda Powers, Global Chief Catastrophe Modeler at reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter, discussed the management of changes to models and the impact this can have on insurers and reinsurers, while underlining the importance of utilising the latest data and expertise within models to improve the industry's view ... Read the full article
Capital efficiency strategies drive alternative capital interest: GC Securities
30th January 2018
The collateralized reinsurance and retrocession markets continue to expand despite the impacts of 2017 catastrophe events, as capital management and capital efficiency strategies drive interest in insurance-linked securities' (ILS) mechanisms, according to GC securities, the capital markets and ILS arm of reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter. In a discussion with Reinsurance News around ... Read the full article
Fourth industrial revolution poised to transform re/insurance: Amit Tiwari, Xceedance
18th January 2018
The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) continues to gain traction, resulting in a wave of smart and connected technologies which look set to transform the global insurance and reinsurance industry, according to Amit Tiwari, Chief Technology Officer, Xceedance. In an interview with Reinsurance News, Tiwari discussed re/insurance operations in the era of ... Read the full article
One of our major competitors seems to be governments: Lloyd’s CEO Beale
5th December 2017
According to Lloyd's of London Chief Executive Inga Beal, the governments of both mature and emerging markets are increasingly competing with the insurance and reinsurance industry, as governments take the lions share of catastrophe losses. Speaking to Bloomberg in a recent interview, Beale said that the disaster load in 2017 highlights ... Read the full article
Very interesting year ahead after industry “wake up call” says Kurt Karl, Swiss Re
27th November 2017
The recent, devastating impacts of third-quarter catastrophe events and the California wildfires serve as a wake up call to the insurance and reinsurance industry, with 2018 expected to be a very interesting year for the marketplace, according to Swiss Re's Chief Economist, Kurt Karl. In an interview with Reinsurance News, Karl ... Read the full article
Data & knowledge is the re/insurance sector’s opportunity: SCOR’s Peignet
27th September 2017
During the annual meeting of the reinsurance industry in Monte-Carlo, Reinsurance News met with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SCOR Global P&C, Victor Peignet, to discuss some burning industry topics. Regarding the potential but very uncertain impact of hurricane Irma, Peignet underlined how a fragmented market made it difficult to ... Read the full article