In his first speech as Lloyd’s new chairman, Bruce Carnegie-Brown said the insurance industry must do more to change and innovate or run the risk of being disrupted by external players.
Challenging market conditions due to abundant capacity, the ongoing influx of new capital and limited loss experience, continue to put pressure on the reinsurance sector, while recent M&A activity is adding a new dynamic to the mix. This is according to the panel of speakers at the eighth annual press briefing held at the Reinsurance Rendez-Vous 2015 in Monte Carlo, by Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, a leading global risk and reinsurance specialist and a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies.
Focusing on the Asian market, James Nash, CEO of Asia-Pacific Operations, Guy Carpenter, highlighted the increasing flow of capital from the region into Europe, Lloyd’s and the US. He said: “Asia is perceived as a growth opportunity and is attracting capital from mature markets, but it is actually Asian capital seeking opportunities overseas which is the headline story this year. In 2015, Asia-Pacific has been a net exporter of insurance and reinsurance capital through M&A, with Japan and China leading the charge into Europe, Lloyd’s and the US. In the year to September 2015, outbound deals totaled USD20 billion compared with inbound deals of only USD849 million.” Looking ahead, he added: “We expect the M&A trend to continue as insurers, reinsurers and funds in the region pursue growth and diversification by going West, but we also anticipate a larger number of intra-region deals and also capital from the West coming East.”
A key feature of GC Capital Ideas is its Videocast series. Here we review recent video posts:
Guy Carpenter today announced the launch of a new cyber privacy and network protection solution designed to meet the unique cyber challenges faced by small- and medium-sized companies.
Here we review a recent series of GC Capital Ideas Videocast interviews with a panel of experts from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights: Nick Frankland, CEO, Guy Carpenter’s EMEA Operations: Welcome to the beginning of a new series of video interviews with an esteemed panel of experts from the MENA region. The MENA Insights interviews, conducted by Guy Carpenter, offer a snapshot of how (re)insurance in MENA is developing and the many opportunities for (re)insurers.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights: Dr. Cherif Chentir, Chief Underwriting Officer from SCOR SE: In our first MENA Insights interview, Dr. Cherif Chentir, Chief Underwriting Officer, Middle East, South Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, SCOR SE, talks about the mega-projects taking place in the region and his belief that insurance penetration can only move in one direction. He looks back over his long career and charts the development of a market that has changed beyond all recognition.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights: Michael Watson, Chairman and CEO, Canopius: In our second MENA Insights interview, Michael Watson, chairman and chief executive of Canopius, talks about how the MENA region has all the right ingredients for a growth-minded reinsurer, reveals what he thinks of Lloyd’s decision to open an office in the DIFC and why Canopius is considering establishing its own presence in the region.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights: Fadi AbuNahl, Chief Executive, Trust Re: In our third MENA Insights interview Fadi AbuNahl, chief executive of Trust Re, describes how the MENA (re)insurance market has developed in recent years and what has prompted greater risk retention within the underlying market. He thinks there is plenty of reinsurance premium to go around but cautions against competing on price alone.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights: Mahomed Akoob, Managing Director, Hannover Re Takaful: In our fourth MENA Insights interview Mahomed Akoob, managing director of Hannover Re Takaful, considers the huge potential of the Takaful and Retakaful market in the region, which he thinks could grow at a faster pace than Asia. Islamic finance is driving much of the demand for Shariah compliant insurance coverage to be taken out for major infrastructure projects.
GC Videocast - MENA Insights Speaks To Guy Carpenter’s Chris Pleasant: In our fifth and final MENA Insights interview, Chris Pleasant, Managing Director of Guy Carpenter, offers an upbeat vision of the future. While the current soft market presents challenges, it belies the greater (re)insurance opportunity ahead. As local insurance markets mature and the approach to reinsurance buying becomes more sophisticated, MENA will enter the next chapter of growth.
In our fifth and final MENA Insights interview, Chris Pleasant, Managing Director of Guy Carpenter, offers an upbeat vision of the future. While the current soft market presents challenges, it belies the greater re/insurance opportunity ahead. As local insurance markets mature and the approach to reinsurance buying becomes more sophisticated, MENA will enter the next chapter of growth.
In our fourth MENA Insights interview Mahomed Akoob, managing director of Hannover Re Takaful, considers the huge potential of the Takaful and Retakaful market in the region, which he thinks could grow at a faster pace than Asia. Islamic finance is driving much of the demand for Shariah compliant insurance coverage to be taken out for major infrastructure projects.
In our third MENA Insights interview Fadi AbuNahl, chief executive of Trust Re, describes how the MENA re/insurance market has developed in recent years and what has prompted greater risk retention within the underlying market. He thinks there is plenty of reinsurance premium to go around but cautions against competing on price alone. Continue reading…
In our second MENA Insights interview, Michael Watson, chairman and chief executive of Canopius, talks about how the MENA region has all the right ingredients for a growth-minded reinsurer, reveals what he thinks of Lloyd’s decision to open an office in the DIFC and why Canopius is considering establishing its own presence in the region.
