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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The Finest Insurance coverage Professionals and Brokers Worldwide | World 100


Generational superstars

Insurance coverage Enterprise has compiled the 2025 World 100, that includes excellent professionals from throughout six completely different markets: the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific and the UK.

All of these featured have had a definitive affect on the business and brought their respective corporations to new heights.

2024 sparked a restoration in international whole insurance coverage premiums, which rose by 4.6%, in comparison with the 1.6% common between 2019 and 2023.

Swiss Re Institute expects development “to be primarily pushed by the life sector, though saving enterprise development will average as rates of interest decline. Non-life insurance coverage will develop extra slowly than in recent times because the enhance from the arduous market tapers down. Life and non-life (together with well being) premiums accounted for 43% and 57% of whole premium in 2024, and we count on this combine to remain largely the identical over the subsequent decade.”

Deloitte’s 2025 international insurance coverage outlook states, “At a worldwide degree, estimates recommend that insurers’ return on fairness might enhance to about 10% in 2024 and 10.7% in 2025. Insurance coverage premiums are estimated to develop by 3.3% in 2024, with superior markets contributing 75% of the enlargement in premium volumes.”

World business insurance coverage charges fell by 2% within the fourth quarter of 2024, marking the second consecutive quarterly decline after seven years of price will increase, in response to the World Insurance coverage Market Index launched by international brokerage Marsh.

Marsh attributed the decline to growing competitors within the business property insurance coverage market, stabilisation in monetary strains, moderation of casualty price will increase, and additional reductions in cyber insurance coverage pricing. The development first emerged within the first quarter of 2021 and has continued to form international insurance coverage pricing. 

Regional traits assorted, with the Pacific area experiencing the most important year-on-year composite price lower of 8% within the fourth quarter. The UK noticed a 5% decline, whereas charges in Asia fell by 3%, and each Europe and Canada recorded a 2% lower.

As well as, the insurance coverage safety hole for pure catastrophes is estimated to succeed in 60% as 2024 turns into the primary 12 months to surpass 1.5° Celsius, in response to WTW’s Pure Disaster Evaluate for the second half of 2024.

Pure catastrophes continued to position vital strain on international insurance coverage markets in 2024, with international insured losses exceeding US$140 billion, marking the fifth consecutive 12 months that insured damages topped US$100 billion. Complete financial damages from these occasions exceeded US$350 billion, underscoring the shortage of resilience to climate-related dangers.

Insurance coverage Enterprise spoke to 5 members of the celebrated World 100 to realize an perception into their roles and the affect they’ve made on the worldwide insurance coverage business.


A real specialist who offers with probably the most complicated condo buildings with defects throughout Australia. Her abilities stand out in a market the place the provision of insurance coverage could be very small.

“Because the market chief, we intention present assist the place we are able to. Managing and securing strata protection for buildings with defects could be very tough and we all know that the sector wants that degree of assist. I am in a very nice place the place I’m empowered to search out options,” she says.

Burke has constructed up her data over the previous 13 years since becoming a member of CHU with none data of the strata sector. Stints as an underwriting supervisor enabled her to hone her technical abilities as colleagues escalated issues relating to defects.

What marks Burke out is that she not often declines a danger.

She says, “Our objective is to offer an answer the place attainable. If it is come to a degree the place we now have declined, we take our time to clarify it to the dealer to allow them to share it with the insured.”

 

“I’m very proud to be recognised. I hope to point out different ladies, particularly queer ladies, which you can be a pacesetter on this area”

Claire BurkeCHU Underwriting Businesses

 

CHU and Burke are open to reviewing the case if new particulars are supplied and remedial work is carried out or scheduled.

“It has occurred a lot of instances over the past 12 months, the place we have accepted a previously-declined renewal after being supplied adequate data,” says Burke.

As a famend material professional, Burke educates not solely colleagues however the wider business. Her webinars on constructing defects in strata have obtained hundreds of viewers on-line.

“Training is such an enormous a part of what we are able to present, and I’m actually enthusiastic about educating our underwriters on this area and our shoppers, brokers and the strata managers we take care of,” she says.

In 2025, Burke plans to step up her training efforts.

“I really like sharing data,” she explains. “Particularly one on one coaching at work, sitting with an underwriter and dealing by way of an account, to allow them to perceive the choices I am making.” 

One other facet to Burke’s advocacy is supporting and inspiring the LGBTQIA neighborhood inside the insurance coverage business by posting on CHU’s intranet round celebrations and occasions to lift consciousness. She encourages anybody to come back to her with issues.

“They’ll come speak to me if they’re scuffling with something or individuals inside the enterprise would possibly see my posts after which unfold that out into the broader neighborhood,” she says.

Main by instance is a matter of delight for Burke.

“I need to be a voice for individuals the place they won’t really feel they could be a voice or have a voice.”

Jodie Kaufman Davis – H.W. Kaufman Group

Co-president


In October 2024, she took on the function of co-president and is targeted on H.W. Kaufman Group’s community of corporations exterior of North America, because the group has over 60 places of work worldwide.

Her work includes bringing the worldwide govt staff collectively in London for a summit.

She says, “We’ve got super alternative to essentially take a look at the portfolio that we now have around the globe and determine how we are able to do extra collectively. Any one among our elements independently that’s stronger will positively affect the opposite elements.”

H.W. Kaufman is a third-generation family-owned and operated enterprise, the place father Alan is chairman and CEO. Different members of the manager staff are from exterior the household, however they kind a powerful collective.

Kaufman Davis says, “The chance to spend time collectively, each formally at conferences and informally at social occasions, actually makes a constructive affect. The extra time we are able to spend collectively is healthier for our enterprise and that worth has been ringing true at Kaufman for 55 years.”

As a result of communication and relationship constructing are very important to the agency, she focuses on strengthening hyperlinks.

“I’m actually wanting ahead to constructing out our expertise, expertise and infrastructure, and strengthening our worldwide operations, in order that our North American enterprise can higher make the most of and entry our worldwide companies,” she says.

Difficult the established order is the norm for Kaufman Davis. She seeks out alternatives and appears to leverage the place attainable to drive the agency ahead.

 

“We function an open-door enterprise; anybody can name me and I meet our interns commonly all through the summer season. I spend a variety of time constructing relationships in any respect ranges to maintain my fingers on the heartbeat and perceive what’s occurring”

Jodie Kaufman DavisH.W. Kaufman Group

 

“My father has been a real visionary within the business and creating this international platform and it’s for a cause, it’s meant to be related, “she explains. “I’m all the time fascinated with how I can carry extra individuals collectively and higher join groups. It’s all finally to provide higher outcomes each for our group and shoppers.”

Beforehand an M&A lawyer, Kaufman Davis made the shift to insurance coverage and encourages extra to observe in her footsteps as a result of range and choices throughout the business.

A part of these efforts is mentoring youthful professionals and enabling them to develop.

“I like to carry individuals into the fold and in our enterprise. We’ve got the Kaufman Institute, which is our coaching and improvement arm. I take part in creating a few of the content material and be taught quite a bit from suggestions,” she says.

Kaufman Davis depends on worker perception by way of surveys from the agency’s associates in addition to an annual worker engagement survey.

“Via that, we’re in a position to see what alternatives people are enthusiastic about and completely different wants that our associates have. I welcome suggestions. I am going to a variety of our occasions and speak to individuals and listen to from them.”

Kaufman can be a robust champion of DEI throughout the corporate. That is partly pushed by the insurance coverage business not having sufficient expertise to satisfy demand. She helps being inventive and attracting people from completely different teams.

“The extra we get on the market and the extra various we’re in our efforts and the larger community we construct, the higher expertise that we’re going to carry into the business and into the group,” she says. “It’s going to provide higher outcomes and extra alternatives.”

And reacting to being a part of the World 100 in 2025, she provides, “I’m all the time honoured to be acknowledged by an business that I really like and for which I’ve nice ardour, which has supplied me with super alternative and to which I intend to proceed giving again.”


Working on the business’s forefront, Honey Insurance coverage is leveraging tech to redefine the shopper expertise. Considered one of its options is wise house sensors.

“They notify householders about issues that go improper, for instance it could possibly be a leak whereas in any other case they would not even find out about it,” explains Angelo Azar, chief working officer. “It is implicitly constructing on our engagement with them as a result of they see Honey Insurance coverage has notified them of one thing that could possibly be going improper of their house. That helps to construct a relationship.” 

The agency is now 4 years previous however has managed to seize simply over 1% of the market and over $165 million in GWP.

Azar says, “It’s nonetheless nicely shy of our ambitions to get to five% market share and be in at the least one in 20 Australian houses.”

The problem for the COO is as Honey Insurance coverage has grown its buyer base, it has additionally elevated the staff. Instilling the identical mindset and values are key to Azar in sustaining the agency’s customer-first mindset and deal with making interactions extra environment friendly.

“While you’re 10 individuals, you’re wedded to the plan and it looks like a startup, however we’re about 170 now. It’s about making certain as an govt staff, we proceed to have the velocity of a startup, however the rigour of a mature group and what I imply is that as you develop you must be much less liable to errors, however nonetheless have the flexibility to check, be taught and fail shortly,” he says.

As a part of this strategy of trial and error, there’s a weekly Tuesday assembly the place the executives current their key strategic priorities and any pivots.

 

“With AI, you possibly can both select to be buddies with it or you possibly can select to be enemies, however I feel the latter is to your personal downfall”

Angelo AzarHoney Insurance coverage

 

Because of the deal with rising and refining their course of, Honey Insurance coverage doesn’t get distracted.

“If you happen to’re wanting sideways, then you definately’re not wanting forward. We are able to both waste time wanting left and proper or deal with what initiatives and advantages we are able to carry to the Australian neighborhood and our prospects,” says Azar.

Honey Insurance coverage has adopted AI to enhance their effectiveness and are engaged on a program involving it round digitization. The concept is when prospects have interaction with the agency, it’s a seamless and nice expertise.

He says, “Generally, you have interaction with organizations and it’s fairly awkward due to the time spent making an attempt to work out who you might be and all that kind of stuff. We wish to have the ability to make it so that you simply’re readily recognized and use AI-supported instruments to have the ability to higher reply to queries. It makes for a extra fluid and dynamic dialog.”

Bettering and studying could be very a lot the corporate’s inside ethos.

“It is not about spraying the gun in every single place and hoping one thing sticks. We wish to have the ability to use information to make the shopper expertise higher and enhance danger choice,” Azar says.

Honey Insurance coverage’s blueprint requires self-discipline over motivation to keep up its development trajectory.

“It is not nearly motivation as typically individuals fall into that lure, which suggests you typically change off. Self-discipline means you understand what the objective is, and also you pursue the objective regardless of what’s thrown your approach,” Azar explains.

That is underlined by his drive to maintain on succeeding.

“It’s not about saying we’re doing nice and stopping. It’s about what number of extra prospects we may help and convey into our surroundings.”


As a part of one of many largest wholesale intermediaries in the USA, Ben Beazley has dealt adeptly with altering circumstances – the change from one of many hardest markets in years adopted by the 2024 correction – resulting from his ardour for the business.

“The market is a transition market the place underwriting corporations are selecting to do various things with completely different appetites as they notice there’s cash to be made, and there in all probability is more cash to be made at this time than there was in 20 years,” says the veteran skilled.

The inflow of capital requires modern concepts, which Beazley can present resulting from his expertise. He says, “It requires individuals to assume exterior the field and to be turning over each stone for the insured. It’s a difficult time to be sure you’re doing one of the best job for the insurer.”

One consider why one of these pondering is required is the upper incidence of local weather occasions, which over the previous 12 months included Hurricane Helene, snowfall in New Orleans, and the California wildfires.

Beazley feedback, “It’s a very attention-grabbing time within the business and nothing that I’ve ever skilled in my 40 years up till this level.”

 

“Discovering options to an account that in any other case appears very daunting is what places me on a excessive, fairly frankly”

Ben BeazleyJencap Group

 

A part of his function has been to assist and lead extra junior colleagues by way of the altering market. Younger brokers had been used to an uptick pricing and rise in commissions.

“In a delicate market, you’ve bought to get approach out forward of the accounts and inform your shoppers there’s a variety of choices on the desk,” says Beazley. “There may be much more mentoring that should go on, and that’s one thing which the business has bought away from over the past 10 years or so.”

Jencap’s new workplace has helped, as workers is selecting to work extra from the workplace, which permits him to be in direct contact to share data. Beazley’s mentoring fashion is about difficult the person to volunteer an answer or technique for an account after which suggesting different ways in which they may take a look at it.

He provides, “I undoubtedly introduce them to completely different markets and relationships that I’ve developed over time, as that is very a lot now a worldwide insurance coverage market with London, Bermuda, and there’s capital popping out of locations just like the Center East and different locations on the planet, too.”

Driving Jencap’s property division ahead is Beazley’s remit. He’s doing it efficiently however feels there may be extra to come back.

“I bought a few massive shoppers and need to see them proceed to develop, however there may be a variety of capability, a variety of alternative, and I’m trying to make the most of that.”

And he continues, “Jencap is an rising wholesale dealer and we’ve bought a variety of runway, I name us ‘brokers with out borders’ as a result of we now have a reasonably small manufacturing staff on the property facet and an amazing quantity of alternative for individuals to additional their profession. The very best factors of my profession have all the time been seeing younger individuals attain objectives that they may have in any other case thought have been unattainable and assembly the objectives they’ve set for themselves.”


Working a worldwide claims administration agency with over 9,000 staff in 70 nations has been a real take a look at of management over the past 12 months resulting from cyclones in Australia, huge flooding in Europe and Canada, storms within the UK, together with a sequence of local weather catastrophes in America.

“I feel we as a company have executed extraordinarily nicely in actually delivering on our mission and objective which is to revive lives, companies and communities,” says Rohit Verma. “We did extraordinarily nicely to be there for our prospects and shoppers.”

Operational excellence is a precedence for Verma and one thing he needs to proceed creating in 2025.

“We began a journey of operational excellence as we imagine that due to our international nature, it’s actually necessary to be greatest in school,” he says.

Empathy is the trait that Verma disseminates throughout his staff and workers, with the standpoint that shoppers will get in contact on what is likely one of the worst days of their lives.

“They may have misplaced their house or a automobile that’s fairly necessary for his or her livelihood and household. God forbid they bought injured or have misplaced a member of the family,” feedback Verma. “They hope that we are able to carry some degree of normalcy again to their life. It’s actually necessary to know that it’s not only a declare – it’s a life, a enterprise, an individual, a household. Frankly, that’s the largest driver for me and the staff.”

 

“We’ll proceed to ship for policyholders and claimants as a result of on the finish of the day, insurance coverage is the engine that runs the financial system, that permits individuals to take dangers and push the envelope”

Rohit VermaCrawford & Firm

 

AI is on the forefront of Verma’s ideas, like his fellow CEOs throughout the business. He has launched it at Crawford however is cautious.

“We’ve got an providing for the market, which is SaaS-based utilizing AI, and we now have a council inside our enterprise completely different AI use circumstances and prioritising these, so we’re undoubtedly on it. I might say that we’re within the early phases versus the place we’re utilizing it in our every day work,” he says.

At the same time as extra tech and AI enters processes, Verma is dedicated to sustaining the empathy and understanding that has enabled Crawford to achieve success.

He explains, “I’ve had this contrarian view that even when the dialogue was that AI goes to eradicate the function of the loss adjuster, I simply don’t assume that’s the case. Empathy or ‘the human within the loop,’ as it’s referred to as now, goes to stay extraordinarily vital. We’re what sort of issues AI can do this assist the adjuster.”

Sitting on the prime of the agency, Verma is conscious sufficient to measure his personal efficiency.

He does this in relation to 4 stakeholders:

“I strive my greatest to do what I can throughout all 4. The heartbeat survey is a solution to know if staff are feeling challenged, developed, and glad. It’s additionally necessary our model is talked about in a approach that it’s one thing the neighborhood feels if it wasn’t there, that they’d be lacking one thing necessary,” he says.

  • Ajay Mistry

    Gambit Companions and iCAN
  • Amanda Whiting

    Insurance coverage Council of New Zealand (ICNZ)
  • Andreas Berger

    Swiss Re
  • Andrew Corridor

    Insurance coverage Council of Australia
  • Anne Marie Elder

    AXA XL
  • Chris Walters

    Inszone Insurance coverage Companies
  • Colette Taylor

    Sovereign Insurance coverage
  • Collin Yap

    Specialist Threat Group
  • Damien Coates

    DUAL Asia-Pacific
  • David Clare

    Trisura Group
  • David Heathfield

    AssuredPartners UK and Eire
  • David Morrow

    Chubb New Zealand
  • Daybreak Miller

    Lloyd’s Americas
  • Despina Buganski

    WTW
  • Dhara Patel

    Davies
  • Dionne Bowers

    Canadian Affiliation of Black Insurance coverage Professionals
  • Duane Hercules

    Security Nationwide
  • Echaunti Swan

    iCAN
  • Edmund Reese

    Aon
  • Fiona Hayes-St Clair

    QBE
  • Graeme Trudgill

    British Insurance coverage Brokers’ Affiliation
  • Greg Smith

    Crawford & Firm Canada
  • Greg Zimmer

    Alliant Insurance coverage Companies
  • Man Cormier

    Desjardins
  • Ilan Serman

    Gallagher
  • Jack Kudale

    Cowbell
  • Jane Kielty

    Aon
  • Jason Storah

    Aviva
  • Jenny Bax

    Underwriting Businesses Council
  • Jerald Tillman

    NAAIA
  • Jeremy Lau

    QBE Asia
  • Jim Blue

    Alera Group
  • Jimmy Higgins

    Suncorp New Zealand and ICNZ
  • Jodie Kaufman Davis

    H. W. Kaufman
  • Jo Sykes

    Markel
  • Justin Delaney

    Zurich Australia and New Zealand
  • Kate Della Mora

    CFC Canada
  • Katrina Shanks

    ANZIIF
  • Ken Norgrove

    RSA Insurance coverage and Affiliation of British Insurers
  • Ken Reigler

    At-Bay Insurance coverage
  • Kenneth Reilly

    Sompo Asia Pacific
  • Kent Chaplin

    Delta
  • Kevin Doyle

    Threat Placement Companies
  • Kristen Valder

    Arch Insurance coverage Worldwide
  • Kristin H. Martin

    Utica Insurance coverage
  • Mandy Younger

    NSW State Insurance coverage Regulatory Authority
  • Marie Eve Paquette

    APRIL Canada
  • Mark Lange

    Allianz
  • Mary Boyd

    Hiscox
  • MaryKate Townsend

    Lloyd’s
  • Matthew Hill 

    Chartered Insurance coverage Institute
  • Matthew Wilson 

    Vacationers Europe
  • Michael Ferber

    Victor Insurance coverage Managers
  • Mike Arbour

    Sedgwick
  • Mike Bruce 

    Brown & Brown Europe
  • Mike Hessling

    Gallagher Bassett
  • Mike Palotay

    Tokio Marine HCC Cyber & Skilled Strains Group
  • Natasha Gale  

    ARAG Australia
  • Neil Kessler

    CRC Group
  • Nick Creatura

    CNA Canada
  • Nigel Fitzgerald

    Steadfast
  • Patrick Hennessy

    Marsh
  • Philip Hobbs

    Liberty Worldwide
  • Philippe Meyenhofer

    PartnerRe
  • Ram Kangatharan

    Auto & Normal
  • Rebekah Clement

    Lloyd’s
  • Richard Klipin

    Nationwide Insurance coverage Brokers’ Affiliation
  • Richard Milner

    Chaucer
  • Roy Gori

    Manulife
  • Sabrina Hart

    Munich Re Specialty
  • Sam White

    Stella Insurance coverage
  • Sara Mitchell

    AXIS Capital
  • Sarah Stanford

    Aspen UK
  • Sare Ozkara

    Vero
  • Satpreet Chandra

    Marsh NZ
  • Scott Reichelt

    Crawford
  • Shawn DeSantis

    Navacord
  • Simone Labady

    Aioi Nissay Dowa Administration

    New Zealand and ICNZ
  • Sonia Caamano

    Howden
  • Quickly Eager Lee

    Canopius
  • Stephanie Ogden

    HDI UK and Eire
  • Susan Johnson

    The Hartford and NAAIA
  • Takuya Aibe

    Howden Japan
  • Tara Foley

    AXA UK and Eire
  • Taylor Rhodes

    Utilized Programs
  • Thomas Lillelund

    Allianz Industrial
  • Tim Ryan

    Lockton
  • Timothy Sweeney

    Liberty Mutual
  • Timothy Turner

    Ryan Specialty
  • Tony Wheatley

    Berkley Insurance coverage Australia
  • Traci Boland

    IBAC Ontario West Insurance coverage Brokers
  • Tracy Garrad

    Aviva Canada
  • Vishal Kundi

    BOXX Insurance coverage

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