I really enjoy talking to people who are full of energy because some of that energy rubs off.
Bob Kimmel CEO of K2 Insurance Services’ return to the podcast with K2 CAT’s Head Underwriter David Carson is a case in point.
Here we find Bob buzzing with the possibilities that significant new investment from Warburg Pincus can afford the firm as it looks to accelerate growth and double in size to a $3bn GWP platform over the next 4 to 5 years.
David’s also full of energy after the decisive rupture in the reinsurance market at 1.1 has produced what he describes as the best market in property cat since 1993.
This is an incredibly candid and fluid discussion.
Bob is very open about the potential squeeze that may be coming for MGA and other intermediaries’ margins as reinsurers and carriers push back hard on commissions and trim underperforming agencies from their portfolios.
But he’s also really happy about having fresh dry powder to make the most of cooling valuations and special situations as interest rates rise and debt-heavy buyers are priced out of out of a hitherto frothy M&A market.
Bob also explains why being a hybrid carrier with a balance sheet was great when K2 was smaller and needed to incubate underwriting talent, but became a distraction to the core business as the group scaled to the $1.5bn of gross premiums it now underwrites on behalf of the market.
This is fascinating under-the-hood stuff and no aspect of the market and K2’s plans is left uncovered.
It’s also delivered at an almost breathless pace and with great rapport between the Bob, David and this interviewer.
If you want to get well ahead of emerging trends in the fast-developing MGA world, this is absolutely essential listening.
NOTES:
Bob speaks first.
The abbreviation LOC snuck in. It means a Letter of Credit.
LINKS
We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo:
https://www.advantagego.com/
Special Ep David Butler of VIPR: Don't install tech - solve real-world problems
Ep207 Scott Egan SiriusPoint: Chasing the 1%
Ep206 Duncan Dale CEO Dale Underwriting Partners: Excited by the Opportunities
Ep205 Serene Davis & James Orchard of QBE: Stars aligning for Innovation
Ep204 What do Teenagers Think about Insurance?
Ep203 Greg Hendrick Vantage Risk: Best Talent, Best Insights, Best Decisions
Ep202 Kate Markham Hiscox: Do More, Do it Better, Do it Cheaper
Special Ep Guillaume Bonnissent of Quotech: Solving pain points you didn't know you had
Ep201 Natalia Dorfman & James Kench of Kita: Gross Written Carbon
Ep200 Renaud Guidée CEO AXA XL Re: Much more than just a transaction
Ep199 Kera McDonald Swiss Re Corporate Solutions: Trendspotting and Avoiding Passivity
Special Ep Mike Steel Moody's RMS: Answering a whole new set of questions
Ep198 Tom Clementi Pool Re: Taking risk off the State
Ep197 Robert Wiest CEO MS Re: A good plan and the capital to execute it
Special Ep: Ian Summers AdvantageGo and Jeff Cohen Zywave: Let the client choose what they want
Ep196 Melissa Collett CEO Insurtech UK: A sector in its own right
Ep195 Adrian Cox: Beating Inertia
Ep194 1.1.2024 Renewals: It Feels Like The Time is Now
Special Ep: Navigating the DDM switch-off with Paul Templar CEO of VIPR
Ep193 Julie Wood CEO QBE North America: Acting on the best available information
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Aligned Money Show
Gorse Culture PODcast : The H.R. Detective Agency!
HCI Leadership Revolution
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money