From risk to resilience: Zurich re/insurance forum set to tackle industry’s biggest challenges

The exclusive event will welcome over 200 senior re/insurance professionals, providing a platform to collaborate, network, and hear from leading CEOs and C-level speakers from across Switzerland and Europe. Delegates will gain insight into the challenges facing the sector and problem-solve in the run-up to mid-year renewals.

The two-day forum will address emerging risks including PFAS, cyber threats, and geopolitical tensions, as well as current inflationary pressures and economic instability.

Industry leaders will benefit from immersive discussions and keynotes, learning that innovation, resilience, and collaboration are the most effective responses to this uncertain climate.

Day one begins with a keynote, Anchoring Stability in a World of Volatility – The Evolving Role of Re/insurance. Further panel discussions will focus on market insights and strategic vision, led by senior executives.

Robert Wiest, CEO, MS Reinsurance, will deliver the afternoon talk, Geopolitical and Political Risks – Adapting Re/insurance to a Volatile World. Other top CEOs, such as Michael Hinz, CEO, Korean Re, and Tobias Sonndorfer, CEO, VIG Re, will join a discussion on What’s Top of Mind for Re/insurance CEOs: Risks and Opportunities in a New Era.

Day two is themed around Enabling Growth Through Innovation and Collaboration. The morning begins with a fireside chat discussing Natural Catastrophe Models – Lessons Learned from Floods and Wildfires. Rene Turra, CEO and Co-founder of risktec, will deliver the keynote: Leverage Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Wording Insights in Reinsurance.

Jörg Bruniecki, CUO International at MS Reinsurance, will lead a candid conversation with reinsurers, buyers, and brokers on Riding the Reinsurance Rollercoaster and the dynamics of reinsurance market cycles—what drives them and what lies ahead. Industry leaders from across the value chain will share how buyers, brokers, and reinsurers perceive and navigate these fluctuations. The panel will explore whether strategic relationships can truly withstand shifting market conditions, what defines a successful partnership, and who holds the advantage when it comes to accessing business and demonstrating value.

Joining the panel are respected leaders including Joachim Racz, CEO, Ageas Re; Thorsten Fromhold, Chief Group Reinsurance Officer, Allianz Re; and Jeremy Goodman, Global Growth Leader & Chief Broking Officer, Aon.

Other key topics covered over the two days include:

• PFAS: The Emerging Liability Threat for Reinsurers
• Aligning Perspectives Between Insurers and Reinsurers: What Buyers Want from Reinsurers and Adapting Strategies to Build Stronger Partnerships
• Market Dynamics and Cycle Management: Navigating the Challenges of the Softening Market
• Driving Cyber Growth and Resilience: How Reinsurance Is Vital to Expanding the Cyber Insurance Market and Closing the Global Protection Gap
• Adapting to the Climate Crisis & the Growing Challenge of Secondary Perils: Modelling, Risk Transfer, and Building Resilience
• Opportunities for Growth and Profitability in Reinsurance: How to Differentiate Yourself in a Complex and Highly Competitive Industry
• Harnessing AI’s Impact and Potential in Reinsurance
• Driving Diversity and Inclusion: Empowering Talent Attraction, Gender Equity, and Neurodiversity for a Stronger Workforce
• Future Thinking and Future Outlook: Navigating Uncertainty and Staying Ahead of the Curve
• Rethinking Inflation and International Liability Exposures: Unseen Risks, Evolving Regulations, and Managing Cross-Border Litigation Challenges
• The Importance of Digital Agility for Tomorrow's Reinsurer
• Insuring AI Risk: Adapting Existing Cover or Building Something New?

This immersive two-day experience—with 40+ C-level speakers, an agenda tackling the biggest challenges in re/insurance, representation from across the ecosystem, and an intimate setting to foster meaningful connections and engage in valuable industry content—is this summer’s key industry event.

Other industry leaders speaking at the event include:

• Jose Lopez, Head of Ceded Re, MAPFRE Group
• Mattias Bergsvik, Executive Director, Gallagher Re
• Sylvain Jarrier, Chief Reserving Officer, Partner Re
• Raphael Troitzsch, MD, BCG
• Renate Kerpen, Global Practice Leader, Cyber and Credit/Bond, DEVK Re / Echo Re
• Michal Suchan, CFO, Toa Re
• Sofia Kyriakopoulou, Group Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Scor
• Jörg Bertogg, Global COO, Zurich
• Adam Podlaha, CEO, Impact Forecasting, Aon
• Peter Wedge, Reinsurance Broker/Wordings Director, Gallagher Re
• Silvia Signoretti, President, Swiss Insurtech Hub
• Fabian Pütz, CEO, Echo Re
• Lauren Kent, President, International Reinsurance, Axis
• Thomas Braune, CEO, New Re
• Reto Koller, CEO, Active Reinsurance, Helvetia Swiss Insurance
• Julien Mollinier, President EMEA, Trans Re
• Paul Hertelendy, CUO, Echo Re
• Artur Klinger, Head of International Reinsurance, Everest Re
• Kera McDonald, Group CUO, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions
• Dani Tobler, Head of Cyber Reinsurance, Swiss Re
• Dirk Lohmann, Vice-Chairman, Schroders Capital ILS
• Francesca De Rosa, Head of Construction, Engineering, Treaty and Facultative, AXA XL
• Rene Buff, Head, Center of Excellence Cyber, Helvetia Swiss Insurance
• Christian Silies, Head of Specialty Reinsurance, Sompo
• Chris Sandilands, Partner, Oxbow Partners
• Raffaele Dell'Amore, Investment MD, Cambridge Associates
• Tim Hale, VP, Insurance Practice, Bits in Glass
• …and more!

Based in the heart of Europe’s largest reinsurance hub—Zurich—it’s the perfect location to gauge the industry’s appetite for risk before heading into critical renewals negotiations.

Paul Hertelendy, chief underwriting officer, Echo Re, said: “Re/insurance Outlook Europe is the only market event in Zurich, providing a fantastic opportunity for the industry to connect. The presentations and panel discussions were incredibly engaging.”

To find out more about the event, get in touch with Debbie Atwell (datwell@newtonmedia.co.uk). Secure your place here.

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