Exclusive interviews
A series of on-demand video interviews with the industry's leaders from across the reinsurance sector, addressing critical issues of the day
Watch our latest interview
BMS Re’s Chandler: Not every casualty QS deal “will have a three in front of it”
There is “not any floor or ceiling” on casualty quota share ceding commissions with reinsurers becoming increasingly discerning about how they deploy their capital, Pete Chandler, president and CEO of BMS’ US reinsurance arm, has commented.
Latest exclusive interviews
BMS Re’s Chandler: Not every casualty QS deal “will have a three in front of it”
There is “not any floor or ceiling” on casualty quota share ceding commissions with reinsurers becoming increasingly discerning about how they deploy their capital, Pete Chandler, president and CEO of BMS’ US reinsurance arm, has commented.
Donelan: Pricing and limit management key to navigating reinsurance market challenges
Reinsurers must focus on core underwriting competencies such as pricing adequacy and limit management following another painful year of primary and secondary peril cat events and to ensure they stay ahead of liability loss-cost trends, according to Sompo International reinsurance CEO Chris Donelan.
Acrisure Re’s Hedley: Certain reinsurers taking a “proactive” view of cyber
Acrisure Re CEO Simon Hedley has commented that some reinsurers are still seeing opportunity in the cyber market despite others remaining cautious, while the discipline in the casualty market means conditions in that space should stay positive for the next “year or two”.
Guy Carp’s Fuller: Property reinsurers remain disciplined despite excess capacity
Excess property reinsurance capacity may have reached levels historically associated with soft markets, but carriers have maintained pricing discipline and their appetite for catastrophe risk remains “very strong”, according to Guy Carpenter’s North America Property Center of Excellence head Randy Fuller.
EY’s Santenac: Sector “ready and willing” to act on sustainability transition
The global (re)insurance industry has sent a clear message that it is both ready and willing to redirect capital to aid the transition towards net zero but concerns over adequate returns may slow progress, according to EY’s global insurance leader Isabelle Santenac.
Axis Re’s Haugh: Property renewals could go down to the wire
Axis Re’s Ann Haugh has warned this year’s renewal discussions could go down to the wire as underwriters seek out opportunities that will provide a “solid return” for shareholders.
Catlin: Convex will reach $3bn GWP milestone in 2022
Convex Group chairman and CEO Stephen Catlin said he is confident the group will reach “not less than” $3bn of gross written premium (GWP) next year as the carrier continues to benefit from heightened demand and improved specialty (re)insurance rates.
Marcell: Reinsurance industry must articulate benefits of buying casualty cover
The reinsurance industry needs to do a better job of convincing insurance carriers of the value in being consistent and long-term buyers of casualty covers at a time when there has been a trend for some cedants to retain more business net, according to Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions CEO Andy Marcell.
Liberty Mutual Re’s Winkel calls for rethink on unmodelled perils
The (re)insurance industry must rethink the way it uses models in response to the heightened unmodelled losses of recent years otherwise carriers will no longer be able to provide coverage for such exposures, Liberty Mutual Re’s Dieter Winkel has warned.
Vantage’s Hendrick: Reinsurance opportunities “not quite where they need to be”
Vantage CEO Greg Hendrick has told The Insurer TV that reinsurance opportunities are still not at the level the start-up hoped they would be but recent catastrophe events should put further pressure on pricing.
Swiss Re’s Ojeisekhoba: Wellbeing of “intellectual capital” crucial following Covid-19
The mental wellbeing of staff at Swiss Re has been a “recurring topic” for the executive committee as the group navigates its way through the impact of Covid-19 both from a business and personnel point of view, according to reinsurance CEO Moses Ojeisekhoba.
Fry: Acacia “not trying to be all things to all people” as hones focus on retro XoL
Retro-focused start-up Acacia is seeking to capitalise and grow the $500mn of limit it entered the market with last year, maintaining its position as a high alpha return ILS manager, founder and CEO Charlie Fry has told this publication.
Munich Re’s Golling: Sector must write cyber to stay relevant
The reinsurance sector must commit to developing solutions for cyber threats or risk facing irrelevance, according to Stefan Golling, member of the board of management at Munich Re.
Fitch’s Mazzuoli: Inflation and interest rate movements a “significant headwind” for reinsurance sector
A mixture of low interest rates and a prolonged period of higher-than-expected inflation could become a “significant headwind” for the global reinsurance sector and impact some firms’ ability to meet their cost of capital, warned Robert Mazzuoli, head of European reinsurance at Fitch Ratings.
European cat rates to climb at 1.1 after 2021 losses as GC encourages clients to continue to seek broad coverage
European cat rates will increase at 1 January after the severe summer floods and wildfires but reinsurers will be on notice to ensure they are reasonable and reflective of underwriting exposures, according to Guy Carpenter’s Europe CEO Massimo Reina.
Casualty pushes Odyssey premium growth in H1 but company stays cautious on cat
Odyssey Group saw continued premium growth across its operations in the first half of 2021 with casualty the main driver, but president and CEO Brian Young told this publication “a material correction” in cat pricing was needed for it to grow its property segment.
Axis Re’s Hottinger: The market needs to “move substantially”
Property reinsurance pricing needs to move upwards substantially following the global catastrophes the market has witnessed so far in 2021, according to Andy Hottinger, president, international at Axis Re.
Swiss Re’s Mitchell on pruning the portfolio to tackle climate change
Global (re)insurers have an opportunity to step up and provide the solutions needed to spur the development of climate-related technology and protect clients against the new perils associated with the changing climate, according to Mike Mitchell, head of property and specialty underwriting, reinsurance at Swiss Re.
Lloyd’s doing “great job” in addressing emerging risks, says Ascot’s Brooks
Lloyd’s has already done “a great job” of addressing emerging risks and the market will continue to play “an instrumental part” in helping society come up with solutions to manage new and evolving exposures, Ascot Group CEO Andrew Brooks believes.
Ascot’s Brooks warns reinsurers are failing to meet cost of capital
The global reinsurance sector is failing to cover its cost of capital despite successive years of rate hardening, Ascot Group CEO Andrew Brooks has warned.
Andrade: Everest Re aiming for more even insurance-reinsurance split
Everest Re’s diversification drive will see the balance of the company’s portfolio between insurance and reinsurance even out over time, with market conditions dictating the pace of change, president and CEO Juan Andrade has told The Insurer as part of #ReinsuranceMonth.
Rod Fox: Reinsurance broker “oligopoly” not sustainable long-term
The maintenance of a big three reinsurance brokers after the breakdown of the proposed Aon-Willis Towers Watson (WTW) transaction does not dim the opportunity for smaller rivals but does raise questions over the long-term sustainability of an “oligopoly” in the sector, according to TigerRisk CEO Rod Fox.
Rod Fox: Reinsurers mustn’t run away from volatility
The recent trend that has seen some reinsurers look to move up towers and away from the first layers of cat programs raises questions over their partnership with cedants, according to TigerRisk CEO Rod Fox.
Hannover Re’s Henchoz: Treaty reinsurance presents problems for ESG-led underwriting
While good progress has been made on the facultative side of the business when it comes to incorporating ESG-led principles into underwriting strategies, treaty arrangements are the “big challenge”, according to Hannover Re CEO Jean-Jacques Henchoz.
Swiss Re’s Léger: Wrong to say industry is “running away” from secondary perils
As the industry continues to face criticism over its response to unmodelled risks, Thierry Léger, group CUO at Swiss Re, has said it’s wrong to say “we are running away as a company or an industry from secondary perils”, and that a more cautious approach is needed.
Wakefield eyes Gallagher Re’s future as a top three global reinsurance broker
Willis Re’s integration into Arthur J Gallagher’s existing reinsurance operations will help accelerate product development and distribution at a pace “we haven’t seen before”, according to Tom Wakefield, CEO of Gallagher Re.
Scor’s Conoscente eyes continued specialty growth in “best market in decades”
Market dynamics witnessed in 2021 are expected to continue into next year, leading to further hardening across all geographies and segments, Scor Global P&C CEO Jean-Paul Conoscente has said.
TransRe’s Brandt: Casualty ceding commissions “not very sustainable”
The 30-plus percent ceding commissions for casualty quota shares will be a big challenge for reinsurers when the market turns, while two camps of buyers have emerged, TransRe president and CEO Ken Brandt has told this publication in an interview as part of #ReinsuranceMonth.
