Over the past two decades, he has held several high-profile regulatory and oversight roles, including inaugural chair of the Electoral Commission (2001–2008), chief executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales (2010–2014), chair of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, chair of CILEX Regulation, director of the Advertising Standards Authority, and senior independent director across a range of organisations.
Esa’s promotion follows BHSI’s move in May to launch a dedicated UK programs division. The unit is led by Rob Munden, who joined from specialist managing general agent Euna, where he was chief executive. Munden brought 30 years of experience and extensive contacts in the MGA sector, and now oversees the development of program underwriting across property, casualty, marine, executive and professional lines, and accident and health insurance.
While some in the financial sector have scaled back climate commitments in recent months, leaders within the insurance industry argue that adaptation is becoming inseparable from profitability. At Marsh, Beverly Adams, head of climate and catastrophe resilience, said many clients had invested heavily in climate adaptation measures – ranging from flood defences to wildfire mitigation – and now want those efforts reflected in their insurance terms. “We’re seeing many of our clients who’ve modelled their risks, built out resilience playbooks, and made real strategic investments in climate adaptation,” she said. “Now they’re asking: where’s the recognition from insurers?” Adams believes the London market is uniquely placed to lead on resilience underwriting, with its history of innovation, ties to government policy, and early adoption of climate disclosure frameworks.
“The first two weeks are when investigations should identify high-severity, high-complexity risks,” Ellis said. “Those claims need different workflows, involving top adjusters, experienced defense counsel, and tools like jury consultants, mock trials, and focus groups, even before litigation starts.”
In the final 2025 edition of the Big Question series, experts from across the market delved into the regulatory actions they have been most pleased with and disappointed with, during the last 12 months. This is your chance to hear the views of Carpenters Group, Claims Consortium Group, the LMA, LIIBA, BIBA, OneAdvent, Sedgwick, iCAN, Acies MGU, Konsileo, WTW Networks and ALPS Ltd.
Net investment income for the quarter was US$44.6 million, compared with US$46 million a year earlier. Net realised and unrealised investment gains reached US$6.7 million, including US$4.5 million in net unrealised gains from a hedge fund portfolio established in late 2024. The annualised operating return on average equity was 2.3%, down from 10% in the prior-year quarter.
Demand for active assailant insurance is growing across sectors, with education, retail, and hospitality among the most vulnerable. Schools, in particular, face new scrutiny, with incidents involving knives on the rise. Offices and hotels are also heightening physical and behavioural security measures.
The Insurance Solutions division works with Lloyd’s syndicates, MGAs, brokers, insurers, reinsurers, and captive owners. Its services include underwriting and broking management, outsourced operations, and risk transfer, as well as support for regulatory, legal, and operational requirements and distribution development.
The report said operating conditions have also been affected by shifting political environments, with restrictions in some countries limiting activity. Recent scandals have further heightened concerns over potential reputational and financial harm if trust from the public, stakeholders, or governments is lost.
IB asked what’s key to improving that insurer-broker dynamic? Horton said, across his international firm, QBE has changed the way it trades with brokers. “Historically, we tended to look at the three divisions [North America, International and Australia-Pacific] separately and now [they are] much more joined up,” he said. “So, we’re more joined up in how we look at the relationship across the three divisions with each of our major broker partners.”
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