Ep156 Duncan Dale, CEO Dale Underwriting Partners: Everything’s better than we planned for

In many ways today’s guest is an archetype of a traditional Lloyd’s Managing Agency business and the lifeblood of the London Market.

It’s specialist, not generalist, it’s not too big but not too small. It’s nimble and agile, but also rarely strays from its chosen areas of expertise.

And it’s also fiercely independent and supported - but not controlled by - its capital backers.

Duncan Dale is CEO of Dale Underwriting Partners, a business in its tenth year of operation that is set to write around $400 million dollars in gross premium in 2023 following a one third pre-emption in its capacity from 2022.

We discuss the recalibration in the market following the 1.1 reinsurance renewals, the opportunities this is throwing up and how long these opportunities might last for.

We look at the firm’s expansion plans and the continued merits or otherwise of the London Market as a base, the effects of increased inflation on underwriting and we dissect Duncan’s own personal ambitions for the business he founded.

But most importantly we get under the skin of a very singular London-headquartered underwriting business with a very clear vision of what it wants to do and where it wants to be.

Duncan is on excellent form and I think this podcast proves that these days there is absolutely no such thing as a Lloyd’s archetype.

Every market participant has a different approach and a very different philosophy and set of appetites – and I think that bodes very well for the health of the London Market as a whole.

LINKS
We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo:
https://www.advantagego.com/

And our advertiser Bolton Associates:
https://www.bolton-associates.co.uk/