How did you come to choose a career in re/insurance?

I initially explored equities, FX, and bond-trading jobs, however, they fundamentally changed through tight regulations imposed in the aftermath of the 2008 world financial crisis and the growth of high-frequency algorithmic trading. I recognised opportunities to make a significant impact within the financial services market might be limited as a result.

At the time, I understood the insurance industry, although an early adopter of mainframe computing, was technologically unsophisticated compared to the financial markets. The demand for pioneering insurance products to cater for new and/or increased risk exposures was surging, but not yet adequately addressed.

I concluded these two conditions provided great opportunity for myself. I believed I would be able to aid in idea creation to solve some of the technological deficiencies and devise insurance solutions in the digital world I grew up in. It was the cyber market of the insurance industry that really captured my intellectual curiosity and led me to where I am today.

What makes the re/insurance industry attractive to young professionals?

I believe there are two main factors that create great conditions for young professionals in re/insurance. First, new and growing risk exposures. Second, the immature technology stack.

The insurance industry has been slow to leverage technology to advance value creation for key stakeholders, including clients and investors. Technology-led innovation creates tremendous opportunity for young professionals to make their mark in this industry; they can help enhance distribution strategies, underwriting analytics, and operational efficiencies. The younger generation is digital-native and understands its application, often far better than its predecessors.

Increasing risk exposures requires new solutions. Technology and new capital structures enable young professionals to offer these for issues they genuinely care about. They want to be inspired and make a difference, and never have conditions been more attractive to do so.

The insurance market has its own abbreviation now: insurtech. If venture capital flow into insurtech is a proxy, my guess is the industry is finally sexy!

What are the opportunities and challenges you’ve faced?

I have been fortunate to assume responsibility early in my career. I joined Mosaic, a dynamic specialty startup, just a year ago, in August 2021—six months after it launched. While I began in its London office, a few months later, I was asked to lead the launch of Mosaic’s cyber portfolio in Bermuda, writing for and on behalf of third-party capital and Mosaic’s proprietary Lloyd’s Syndicate 1609.

I devised the Bermuda strategy, built a diversified cyber portfolio from the ground up, and I’m heavily involved in building out Mosaic’s unique cyber aggregation system. It has been an incredible opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the execution of Mosaic’s global cyber strategy.

There have been challenges along the way. With early responsibility comes the pressure of delivering a proposed strategy. I have learned risk capital is challenging to source and secure; thoughtful portfolio composition, aided by technology, is critical in managing third-party capital.

What differences does your generation bring to the industry?

While challenging to accurately measure, this notion appears to be true: our generation appears to be more active in altruistic initiatives, for example, protecting the environment. This characteristic should enhance customer-centric insurance products and bring policy to the industry that enacts change.

Insurance is a necessity for organisations to operate and innovation to foster, it is, therefore, in a unique position to set standards, using insurance as the mechanism for change. My generation can bring this perspective and drive with purpose.

My generation is digital-native and understands the advantages of technology across industries. This proficiency is exactly what the insurance sector requires. We bring an understanding of use cases for technology across the value-chain and at a business-process level, so we are willing to drive positive change.

What are your career goals?

One of the main overarching objectives in my career is to be recognised as a professional with exceptional technical knowledge, a challenger to the status quo, and someone who delivers genuine change to the industry.

It is imperative I continue to learn in the short term from respected industry leaders, and fortunately there are plenty at Mosaic. Given my guiding objectives, I don’t believe there is a defined route for my career at this stage. In the future at Mosaic, I want to assume more responsibility by leading teams in the formation and execution of new and existing cross-line strategies.

Looking further ahead, I would like to build my own business—one that will uphold those core objectives and bring different skillsets to the insurance market. I would love to see retail investors have the opportunity to participate in the ecosystem more dramatically.

If you had chosen a different career, what would it have been?

I find the retail industry fascinating, but I’m not quite sure how I would make my mark, given my dubious fashion decisions. I would have liked to work at a hedge fund, as I appreciate the ability to solidify capital gains through long- and short-market positions.

How did you come to choose a career in re/insurance?

My original plan was to be a corporate lawyer. I became interested in insurance law, as a specialism over and above general corporate law, after joining Appleby. I joined the Appleby Training Programme in 2019, which is great because it exposes trainees to several areas of law during four six-month rotations in various departments.

That said, I discovered my interest in insurance law within the first couple months. With the passage of time, and now having been with the firm for over three years, I have found that the work is becoming more interesting. Experience is needed to understand certain concepts and fully appreciate how novel deals are.

What makes the re/insurance industry attractive to young professionals?

Aside from the potential rewards working in the re/insurance industry, there is a sense of doing good for Bermuda. Often insurance lawyers are the first point of contact for business coming in. I think that this point can be overlooked.

The re/insurance industry is attractive to young professionals given the potential career growth, transferability of skills and ability to work overseas if desired.

The work culture is energetic—yes, even law firms. I can only speak to my experience working with colleagues and clients, but the priority is to get the work done and get it done well, with no unnecessary formalities, while staying positive and trying to have fun.

What are the opportunities and challenges you’ve faced?

The greatest challenge has been learning about the insurance industry, as a lawyer. While in law school I was able to focus my studies on corporate/commercial law, there was no “insurance law” module available. Thus, my learning about insurance (law) started upon returning to Bermuda.

The style of learning is different; I have found most of my learning about the industry is by doing or word of mouth. In contrast to law school, there are far fewer textbooks available. Aside from reading the law or about previous deals, I rely on Appleby management, mentors and clients for learning in a fast-paced environment.

The best opportunity is definitely exposure to high-profile re/insurance deals involving Bermuda re/insurers. Exposure is limited only by the number of hours you are willing to work in a day.

What differences does your generation bring to the industry?

Our generation is adaptable given our experience with technological advancements during our lifetime. However, there is something to be said as to adaptability for all working adults during COVID-19. We have learned to be more flexible and creative as a result.

What are your career goals?

At this stage, to learn as much as possible, then decide what to do with it later. I make decisions on a six-month basis.

If you had chosen a different career, what would it have been?

Probably a journalist—I love information-gathering/story-telling, or a writer for TV drama.