AM Best's
Europe Insurance Market Briefing – London

EMEA Market Overview
Update on Credit Rating Activity and Outlooks

• Overview of Financial Strength Ratings and Credit Trends
• Closer-Look: How positive or negative outlooks translate into rating upgrades and downgrades
• How credit ratings have changed through geopolitical crises
• What risks are on the insurance market’s radar?

Thematic Session: Economic and Geopolitical Outlook

• Global perspective on current macro-economic developments
• Structural shifts shaping the macro-economy (GDP, Inflation, Interest Rates etc.)
• Interconnectedness of risks and drivers of uncertainty, including supply chains, tariffs, indirect exposures
• What else is on the horizon?

Ann Modica
Director, Credit Rating Criteria Research & Analytics, AM Best

Guest Keynote Presentation: Managing Geopolitical Risks in an Uncertain World

• Sources of friction for insurers from the geopolitical landscape
• Lloyd’s perspectives on managing risk – a closer look at (war) exclusions
• Market pricing against a volatile backdrop
• Prospective market challenges

Networking Coffee Break

Thematic Session: Navigating the Landscape: What is on the Radar?

• Obstacles for the insurance sector
• What’s on the mind of CEOs
• Insurance market performance in light of increased event risk (financial crisis, war, pandemic)
• Drivers of growth and profitability
• Re-emergence of inflation and interest rate trends

Panel Discussion: Dynamics of Insurance Markets as Cross-Border Conflict Rises

• Challenges facing the industry as geopolitical disruptions occur
• Rising costs and insurability challenges; sanctions, supply chain disruptions, AI
• Market disruption and dislocation
• Emerging risks and opportunities

• David Benyon, Editor & Host of The Political Risk Podcast
  

• Neil Beresford, Partner, Clyde & Co LLP
• James Watt, CVO, The Ambassador Partnership LLP
• Kevin Kajiwara, Global Chair, Political Risk Advisory, Teneo
• Babak Tavassolie, Head Analyst - Political and Credit Risk, SCOR Business Solutions
• Valeria Ermakova, Associate Director, Credit Rating Criteria Research & Analytics, AM Best

Thematic Session: Impact of Geopolitical Uncertainty on Underwriting

• Understanding how elevated geopolitics risks have affected key lines of business, such as, marine, aviation, trade credit, business interruption and energy
• Historical experience
• Importance of policy wordings, exclusions and event clauses
• Prospective considerations

Jessica Botelho-Young
Director, Analytics - London, AM Best

Thematic Session: Consequential Impact on Emerging Markets

• Case studies from emerging markets – what happens when sovereigns default?

Thematic Session: Methodology Considerations in the Wake of Geopolitical Fall-Outs

• Country Risk- How has the geopolitical landscape affected AM Best’s country risk assessments
• Stress Testing- Importance of (reverse) stress testing in an uncertain and volatile environment
• Risk Management- Role of risk management for financial resilience

Eli Sanchez
Director, Analytics – Amsterdam, AM Best

Tim Prince
Director, Analytics – London, AM Best

Kanika Thukral
Associate Director, Analytics – London, AM Best