The E&S Insurer Conference & Awards have been announced for 20 March 2024.
To receive all information about the 2024 event including how to register, visit the link below.
Welcome to E&S Insurer
Conference & Awards 2023
Following the launch of E&S Insurer in November 2022, we are excited to introduce the inaugural E&S Insurer Conference and Awards 2023 held at the iconic Gotham Hall, Midtown New York City, on 22 March.
A first of its kind, the one-day event will be highly informative and include invaluable face-to-face networking, leaving you with a better understanding of where the E&S sector is heading through 2023. It will encompass a half-day conference and an evening dinner style awards ceremony, attracting over 300 market professionals from the US and overseas.
The Conference will highlight key trends, opportunities and challenges that are shaping the strategy and decision making of market participants. In addition to keynote speeches from leading industry speakers, the event will also include interactive panel discussions covering the hot topics of the day.
The Awards will celebrate excellence, success and achievement in a thriving sector which has been outgrowing the broader P&C industry for several years in a row, setting record after record.
Don't miss out on a fantastic opportunity to meet peers and be inspired by innovation, creativity and talent in the E&S sector!
About the conference
Come to the E&S Insurer Conference 2023 to hear from our three industry leader keynotes and three panel discussions that will highlight latest trends, opportunities and challenges within the sector. Confirmed keynote speakers include Tim Turner, president – Ryan Specialty and chairman & CEO – Ryan Turner Specialty; and Bryan Sanders, president – Markel Specialty. Attendees will also benefit from our interactive panel discussions during which panelists will address some of the most pressing issues of the day:
- CEO panel: State of the E&S market
- E&S property: the hard just got harder
- The future of distribution
Further speakers will be announced in the upcoming weeks...
Speakers
Mike Brennan
CEO, Commercial Solutions, CRC Group
David Bresnahan
Global Chief Operating Officer, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Chris Carlson
Director, Property Practice, CRC Group
Cristi Carrington
Chief Distribution Officer, Brown & Riding Insurance Services
Matt Dolan
President, North America Specialty and Ironshore
Liberty Mutual
David Flandro
Head of Industry Analysis and Strategic Advisory, Howden Tiger
Sarah Freitag
Head of E&S Specialty P&C, Aon
Anna Kodryanu
VP, National Distribution - Wholesale, Arch Insurance Group Inc.
John Lavin
Executive Vice President, US E&S Property Sompo International, North America Insurance
Chris Lee
Head of E&S Property, Axa XL
Carlton Maner
CEO, AXIS Wholesale
Mark Manzi
National Brokerage Leader, Risk Strategies
Jonathan Monks
EVP, Business Development, Sompo International
Marya Propis
Executive Vice President, Retail Distribution
RT Specialty (Moderator)
Scott Purviance
CEO, Amwins
Wes Robinson
National Property President, Risk Placement Services
Bryan Sanders
Chairman
Markel Specialty
Tim Turner
President, Ryan Specialty and chairman & CEO, Ryan Turner Specialty
Panel discussions
E&S property: the hard just got harder
Hurricane Ian and the toughest reinsurance market in decades has triggered a re-hardening of the property market.
Among the topics our panelists will discuss are:
- The latest on market conditions, pricing, coverage and terms as key mid-year cat renewals near
- Capacity and where to find it – what brokers are doing to bridge the gap
- Reinsurance crunch and the PML challenge
- Underwriting cat in an inflationary environment
- Modelling and underwriting risk in a world of frequency of severity
- Wind and flood – lessons from Ida and Ian
Confirmed speakers for this session:
- Chris Carlson, Director, Property Practice, CRC Group
- Sarah Freitag, Head of E&S Specialty P&C, Aon
- John Lavin, Executive Vice President, U.S. Excess & Surplus (E&S) Property, Sompo International North America Insurance
- Wes Robinson, National Property President, Risk Placement Services
- Chris Lee, Head of E&S Property, Axa XL
The future of distribution
The relationship between wholesale brokers and their retail clients continues to evolve, with increasingly blurred lines and moves to cross the channel.
Among the topics our panelists will discuss are:
- How retail consolidation spawned the wholesale giants
- What retail clients really want from their wholesalers
- The impact of PE and the retail aggregators
- Retail brokers showing wholesale ambition – threat or opportunity?
- Wholesale broker strategies for remaining relevant
- Tech and the small account mousetrap
Confirmed speakers for this session:
- Cristi Carrington, Chief Distribution Officer, Brown & Riding Insurance Services
- Anna Kodryanu,VP, National Distribution - Wholesale, Arch Insurance Group Inc.
- Jonathan Monks, EVP, Business Development, Sompo International
- Mark Manzi, National Brokerage Leader, Risk Strategies
- Marya Propis, Executive Vice President, Retail Distribution, RT Specialty
CEO panel: State of the E&S market
After another strong year of growth, the E&S market was expected to have gone past $100bn of premium volume in 2022, and in early 2023 there doesn’t appear to be any major shift in the growth trajectory.
Among the topics our panelists will discuss are:
- Drivers of growth and how long they will last
- The secular shift in business to the wholesale channel
- E&S market hot spots and the P&C pricing cycle
- Specialty product and the role of the E&S market in innovation
- Evolution of the dedicated E&S insurer
- The MGA explosion
- Securing the future: talent and technology
Confirmed speakers for this session:
- Mike Brennan, CEO, Commercial Solutions, CRC Group
- Scott Purviance, CEO, Amwins
- Carlton Maner, CEO of AXIS Wholesale
- David Bresnahan, Global Chief Operating Officer, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
- Matt Dolan, President, North America Specialty & Ironshore, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Conference timings:
8:00-9:00 | Breakfast
9:00-9:05 | Welcome from E&S Insurer
9:05-9:30 | Keynote: Tim Turner president, Ryan Specialty and chairman & CEO, Ryan Turner Specialty
9:30-9:55 | Keynote: Bryan Sanders president, Markel Specialty
9:55-10:40 | Panel: E&S property: The hard just got harder
10:40-11:10 | Coffee break
11:10-11:55 | Panel: The future of distribution
11:55-12:40 | CEO Panel: State of the E&S market
12:40-13:00 | Keynote: David Flandro, Head of Industry Analysis and Strategic Advisory, Howden Tiger
13:00 | Conference close
About the awards
Following the morning conference, we’ll reconvene in the evening for the inaugural E&S Insurer Awards ceremony and dinner. This is an opportunity for you to shine and for us to recognise excellence in the market. It’ll also be a great environment for existing relationships to be nurtured and new ones to be formed. Confirmed members of the independent judging panel include Stan Galanski, president and CEO of G58 Capital, and David Bull, North American editor, The Insurer. Further panelists will be announced in the upcoming weeks...
How to enter
E&S Insurer's inaugural 2023 Awards ceremony is open to anyone who thinks that they, their colleague(s), team, company or client deserve recognition for an outstanding contribution to the E&S sector in the last year. Entries can be accepted from the nominee, or you can nominate a candidate. Each entry should be a maximum of 500 words and lay out succinct evidence of achievement or an explanation as to why the achievement is significant. You can enter as many categories as you wish, where applicable, although only one entry per category per company can be accepted. Evidence within entries should be for initiatives that took place substantively in 2022 or the first months of 2023. All the information contained in the entries will be treated as confidential and will not be released without the permission of the entrant/nominee. Outstanding contributor of the year will be decided independently by the judging panel. Entries for this category are not accepted. Entries are now closed. The shortlist will be announced on 1 March 2023. For any questions about the awards, please contact beatrice.boico@wbmediagroup.com.
Categories
E&S carrier of the year
This category is open to all insurance companies writing E&S business in the US. Successful candidates will be those that can demonstrate their commitment to the sector and the wholesale distribution channel. They will demonstrate their strategic importance E&S business within their portfolios, specialty expertise, strong underwriting performance relative to peers, and outstanding service and responsiveness to their distribution partners in the past year. They will also be judged on their ability to develop specialty product for their distribution partners.
Wholesale producer of the year
This award category is open to wholesale production individuals of all levels of seniority and aims to recognize industry talent for their contribution to their company and the E&S marketplace. The category will be judged on a range of criteria, including financial metrics around growth and performance of book (where demonstrable), ability to deliver solutions to retail clients, market influence with carriers. Nominations can include testimonial evidence and other supporting materials.
E&S underwriter of the year
This individual award category is open to underwriting executives of all levels of seniority and aims to recognize industry talent for their contribution to their company and the E&S marketplace. The category will be judged on a range of criteria, including underwriting results (where demonstrable), market influence and reputation, demonstration of expertise as a market leader, service to distribution partners and problem solving. Nominations can include testimonial evidence and other supporting materials.
Wholesale broking company of the year
This category is open to all intermediaries that are primarily focused on the wholesale distribution channel. Successful candidates will be those able to demonstrate their strong market position and ability to find specialty solutions and capacity for their retail clients. Although criteria under consideration will include financial performance, organic growth and M&A execution strategy, the category will look beyond scale and breadth of offerings to other factors such as industry expertise, product innovation, use of data and analytics and investment in talent.
Underwriting rising star of the year
Talent is key to the future success of E&S carriers, wholesale brokers and the market as a whole. This category is intended to recognize the best up-and-coming talent at E&S carriers that will form the next generation of leaders. Companies operating in the sector may nominate rising stars from within their organization or at counterparties and will be expected to detail the skills and achievements – both in the market and within their companies – of their colleagues to support their submission to this category.
Broking rising star of the year
This category is intended to recognize the best up-and-coming talent at wholesale brokers that will form the next generation of leaders. Companies operating in the sector may nominate rising stars from within their organization or at counterparties and will be expected to detail the skills and achievements – both in the market and within their companies – of their colleagues to support their submission to this category.
Innovation in E&S
This category is for carriers, brokers and other market participants to enter where they can demonstrate they brought true innovation to the E&S sector in 2022. Innovation could be in the form of technology, product creation, capacity creation, initiative to attract and develop talent or any other relevant area. Entrants can be nominated by the companies or individuals directly involved, or by third parties. Entrants must be able to articulate why the innovation was needed and the impact hey expect it to have on the market.
Outstanding contributor of the year
The judging panel will grant this award to an individual they believe has made an outstanding contribution to the E&S sector in their career.
Shortlist
E&S carrier of the year
- Axis
- Ironshore
- Markel
- Navigators
- Sompo International
Wholesale broking company of the year
- Amwins
- CRC Group
- Flow Flood Insurance
- Jencap
- RT Specialty
E&S underwriter(s) of the year
- Parag Bavishi, USQRisk
- Julie Dennebaum, Markel
- Chris Lee, Axa XL
- Maureen McCall, Admiral
- William Vaughn, Navigators
Wholesale producer(s) of the year
- Emma Garner, CRC Group
- Joe Hayes, Jencap
- Terry McCann & Paul Jackson, RT Specialty
- James McNitt, Risk Placement Services
- Adrian Smith, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage
Underwriting rising star of the year
- Shayna Fitzgerald, Sompo International
- Patrick Gavin, Alive Risk
- Quinn McAleenan, Axis
- Brad Turner, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage
- Greg Watson, CRC Group
Broking rising star of the year
- Brianna Boehm, Amwins
- Niko Matic, Risk Placement Services
- Matt Nguyen, RT Specialty
- Kevin Ronan, CRC Group
- Joey Shapiro, Amwins
Innovation in E&S
- CRC Group – REDY
- Ironshore – Dedication to energy transition: focus on carbon sequestration
- Markel – AI-enabled policy scoring for binding P&C
- Outsource Insurance Professionals & OIP Robotics – NT Extractor
- PURE Specialty Exchange
- USQRisk
Outstanding contributor of the year
The winner for this category has been chosen by the judging panel and will be announced at the ceremony on 22 March.
Lifetime achiever
The winner for this category has been chosen by the judging panel and will be announced at the ceremony on 22 March.
2023 Winners
E&S carrier of the year
Axis
Wholesale broking company of the year
Amwins
E&S underwriter(s) of the year
Julie Dennebaum, Markel
Wholesale producer(s) of the year
Emma Garner, CRC Group
Underwriting rising star of the year
Brad Turner, Burns & Wilcox
Broking rising star of the year
Niko Matic, Risk Placement Services
Innovation in E&S
Ironshore – Dedication to energy transition: focus on carbon sequestration
Outstanding contributor of the year
Jack Kuhn
Lifetime achiever
Pat Ryan
Judges
Dawnmarie Black
Market Development Director - US
Lloyd's
David Bull
North American editor, E&S Insurer
Stan Galanski
President and CEO
G58 Capital LLC
Kevin Kelley
Vice Chair, Global Risk Solutions, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Henry Lombardi
Executive Vice President
NFP Property and Casualty
Awards Timings:
17:30-19:00 | Champagne reception
19:00-21:30 | Three course meal and awards ceremony
21:30- 23:00 | Drinks and networking
Getting there
Sponsors
For all enquiries regarding the conference and awards ceremony, please contact Beatrice:
For all enquiries regarding sponsorship or to book a table at the Awards ceremony, please contact Spencer or Andy:
