Journalists love lively debate, and I’m no different. With a (re)insurance industry on the cusp of its evolution – through regulation, emerging markets and risks, an M&A boom and a pending talent cliff to deal with – I’m excited to join the GR team as the new editor and to be a part of the conversation.

Joining GR after cutting my professional teeth on titles in business and politics, I assumed my biggest asset would be a fresh pair of eyes.

While they’ll serve me well – along with my unflappable willingness to ask for clarity on complex points (I fear neither the naked emperor nor the one-eyed king) – bringing my first edition of GR together brought forward themes that were somewhat well-heeled.

The Internet of Things has been a disruptor on all fronts, from healthcare to manufacturing to retail, despite hyper-connectivity’s appeal as a blue ocean of opportunity. The influx of regulation in insurance is merely the ripple effect of wider reforms in the financial sector – and here I’ll give a special nod to civil servants and administrative staff all over the world for whom the word ‘reform’ holds special meaning…

Let’s not forget the ever-present need to differentiate in an increasingly global world. A UK ILS hub will sit well with British chancellor George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse and London’s Tech City.

So if there’s so much cross-over, why does (re)insurance pique my interest? It’s simple: like a politician vying for space in a global economy, or an emerging market fighting for a foothold in the same, or the capital markets with their cat bonds hungry for a slice of the pie, or the Goliaths of the industry being met in the fighting pits by the new agile forces to be reckoned with, I can see that (re)insurance is fast becoming the golden child of the global stage.

Brokers, reinsurers and everyone in between are the stars of the show. And as the industry is taking its rightful place in the spotlight, the choir of opinions and outlooks ring into the air, but whose song sheet rings truest?

That might seem a loaded question for an industry with forecasting at its core.

Regardless of the answer, with GR’s renowned mix of industry insight and in-depth analysis, I and the rest of the team intend to continue hitting the right note for our readers.

 

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