Personal Profile

David Merry sees ‘tremendous scope’ to build up Besso’s facultative and wholesale plays – especially without the organisational restraints faced by rival firms

As head of a wide-ranging emerging markets business at Willis Towers Watson, Dubai-based Julian Samengo-Turner has a brief that covers “wherever Emirates flies”…

Clients who may have forgotten the benefits of facultative solutions are becoming re-acquainted with the market’s depth of expertise and knowledge, says Jeff Saper

With cedants taking a more strategic approach to buying reinsurance, fac reinsurance will play a more significant role in getting deals over the line, says Beatrix Hartinger

With pricing and capacity issues affecting specialty placements, Gallagher’s John Thompson says the differentiator for brokers is proving you are ‘a true specialist’

Markel- and Nephila-backed MGA Volante has rapidly grown its stable of underwriting platforms, but is now bedding down into ‘safe and silent’ mode, says founder Talbir Bains

Ron Diaz and Everest Re’s non-nonsense approach to facultative underwriting stresses the need to be both flexible and efficient in order to succeed in the market

Present market conditions mean fac brokers need to be more than just ‘postboxes’ and work harder to understand clients’ risks, says Capsicum Re’s Malcolm Payton

The insurance market supertanker is slowly changing course, but more innovation and less duplication is needed to keep Lloyd’s relevant, argues Munich Re Syndicate’s Dominick Hoare

While facultative submissions are rising, Arch Re Fac’s Santiago Hernandez is aware that buyers’ risk perception can be a fickle thing. All the more reason to have cut back wildfire exposures early…

As the property D&F market begins to get its discipline back, Antares’ Conor Finn says the firm’s binder portfolio has enabled it to provide deeper long-term relationships with clients

The fac market is at ‘a great moment’, says Swiss Re’s Beat Strebel, and should take full advantage with greater innovation and proactivity