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 influencing the sector. The changing of the guard at Lloyd's, Howden's ambitious launch into the US market, and a breakneck cycle of carrier M&A transactions are all on the agenda. Tune in to hear the perspective of a journalist who has occupied a ...

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 major market maker in areas including cyber and renewable energy. In an interview with Behind the Headlines, Farrup explained that it’s essential for fast-follow and open-market strategies to align, as well as being thoughtful about which coverholders to partne...

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 market in 2025. Launched in 2017, Hive Underwriters has built out despite these challenging conditions, and its CEO Bruce Carman told Behind the Headlines he is eyeing expansion into new classes. He explains how the war market has learned from the Ukraine event,...

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 the long term, partnering with insurers on a cross-class basis to manage volatility. He said that conditions in casualty reinsurance are improving, but the work is not yet done and underwriters need to keep pushing. Plus Insurance Insider’s Rachel Dalton...

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 economic potential. He tells Behind the Headlines that brokers are more than just transactional cogs in deals, they are risk management experts which help companies navigate the increasingly complex risk landscape. However, despite Liiba’s lobbying he believes the ...

IGI’s premium income has almost doubled since it listed in 2020, but how can growth still be achieved in a soft market? President and CEO Waleed Jabsheh tells Behind the Headlines that there is still fertile ground to expand its ‘relatively small’ reinsurance portfolio, and that the company is targeting specialty treaty business. But as the soft pricing cycle ramps up, the executive said that he is prepared to walk away from inadequately priced business, and underwriting profitability will al...

What’s driving the wave of shifting ownership structures in the Lloyd’s market? The M&A cycle underway at Lloyd’s is reshaping the landscape, with new models emerging. One recent example is the combination of a mortgage and Lloyd’s specialty insurer, following Radian’s $1.7bn acquisition of Inigo. Radian CEO Rick Thornberry describes it as a “winning combination,” offering non-correlating exposure and an outlet for excess capital. Meanwhile, Inigo CEO Richard Watson is preparing to relea...

How does Lloyd’s plan to secure its future as a leading global marketplace? Lloyd’s chair, Sir Charles Roxburgh, joined the market in May with a full in-tray—most notably, the task of appointing the next CEO. Now, with a fresh leadership team in place, he is working alongside CEO Patrick Tiernan to cement Lloyd’s position at the forefront of the insurance world. Roxburgh told Behind the Headlines that he is leveraging decades of consulting experience and nearly nine years at the top of the Tr...

What’s next for the reinsurance market as Monte Carlo approaches? Conference season is here, and reinsurers are preparing to descend on Monte Carlo for the annual Rendezvous de Septembre — the traditional starting gun for 1 January renewal discussions. In this week’s Behind the Headlines, Aon Reinsurance Solutions International CEO Alfonso Valera says an influx of reinsurance capital has tipped the scales firmly in buyers’ favor. His colleague, Steve Hofmann, CEO of Americas, highlights the r...

What happens when a global broker network decides to fill a gap in the London market itself? Assurex Global is a worldwide network of over 100 independent brokers, placing around $50bn of premium. Partners in the network pump about $4bn of premium into the London market, and according to CEO and president Dean Hildebrandt, the ongoing consolidation in the London wholesale space had created a “void”. This is why Assurex has opted to create its own London wholesaler, AG London, the subject of t...

What does it take to turn a family-run insurance group into a global powerhouse? That’s the question HW Kaufman is tackling head-on. The parent company of RB Jones and Burns & Wilcox has global ambitions—and it’s brought in international CEO Paul Greensmith to lead the charge. In this episode of Behind the Headlines, Greensmith shares how he’s driving strategic growth in key markets like London and Dubai, and why he’s doubling down on lead underwriting rather than playing in the commoditi...

What’s next for one of Lloyd’s largest syndicates as it sets its sights beyond London? Chaucer is a long-established force in the London market, with its flagship Syndicate 1084 underwriting more than $2bn in business—making it one of the largest at Lloyd’s. Now under the leadership of CEO Richard Milner, who took the helm last year, the China Re-owned group is shaping a bold new five-year strategy. With two-thirds of Chaucer’s business already written outside London, Milner reveals that furt...

How is The Fidelis Partnership choosing to launch into new insurance classes as it rapidly expands? The Pine Walk MGA platform has grown significantly in recent years and now writes over $900mn of business. As The Fidelis Partnership continues to diversify its portfolio, deputy group CUO and CEO of insurance Richard Coulson told Behind the Headlines that the company is "agnostic" about whether it enters new classes via a Pine Walk MGA or through its central MGU. With its flexible capita...

Is the ransomware threat really getting worse – or just more visible? A spree of cyber attacks targeting major UK retailers has thrown ransomware back into the spotlight. But according to Tom Draper, UK managing director at Coalition, it’s not that threats are rising — it’s that companies are operating in an increasingly complex cyber crime ecosystem. In Behind the Headlines, Draper unpacks the key challenges facing cyber underwriters today, from softening rates to the lingering effects of l...

Is the huge growth experienced by the MGA sector run out of steam? Not so, according to Danny Maleary, CEO of MGA incubator Pro MGA Global Solutions. Malearly told Behind the Headlines that there are major opportunities for MGA expansion in markets where the model is comparatively immature, such as Europe and the Middle East. With decades of experiencing helping underwriters to found and grow coverholders, Maleary also lays out what it takes to build a successful MGA, and the challenges under...

What’s next for Conduit Re’s strategy following a leadership shake-up? New CEO Neil Eckert tells Insurance Insider that his vision is one of “evolution, not revolution” — with plans to build on the carrier’s core reinsurance strengths. In this episode of Behind the Headlines, the serial entrepreneur shares the origin story of Conduit Re and how his past ventures, including Brit, are shaping his current leadership. Plus, Insurance Insider's Abbie Day delivers timely analysis from the cyber mar...

Are intermediaries facing tougher times as the broking supercycle winds down? Following several years of rapid growth, the softening market is making expansion more challenging for intermediaries. However, BMS group chief broking officer Richard Dudley remains highly optimistic about BMS’s growth prospects. He shares that rather than focusing on a “finite universe of risk”, providing solutions for emerging threats can aid ongoing growth. In this episode of Behind the Headlines, Dudley also sh...

What does it take to stay profitable as the insurance cycle shifts — and why is leadership diversity still lagging in the London market? Jane Warren, active underwriter at Liberty Specialty Markets, board member of the Lloyd’s Market Association and London Market Group, and a member of the Council of Lloyd’s, brings a wide-angle lens to all facets of the London market. In this episode of Behind the Headlines, she emphasizes that underwriting discipline—not reliance on investment returns—is ke...

Why have reinsurance start-ups remained so rare in recent years, even as underwriting conditions have improved? Mereo Advisors is one of the few carriers to successfully raise capital, although Mereo Insurance CEO and CUO David Croom-Johnson told Behind the Headlines that the process was at times “torturous”. Croom-Johnson explains how the business has now written its first $100mn of business, and how he aims to build a diversified portfolio to weather market cycles. And although he sees “gre...

What does the bustling insurance industry of today have in common with the coffee shops of the seventeenth century? While underwriters and brokers now operate from towering skyscrapers, some of the City's oldest traditions endure. The City of London Corporation continues to oversee the governance of the square mile, with Gallagher's executive chair, Dame Sue Langley, playing a key role as alderwoman. Later this year, she will take on the prestigious role of Lady Mayor. Tune in to the latest e...