Reinsurance Company of the Year (GWP of less than $2bn) winner: Catlin Re

AXIS Re took the second place with a score of 150, followed by XL Re with a score of 135. Amlin came next with 130 and then Arch Re with 120.

Catlin Re, the reinsurance arm of Catlin, secured top spot in all four categories. The reinsurance operations, rebranded in 2013 as Catlin Re, were praised throughout the survey, making the reinsurer a truly deserving winner.

In the first half of 2014, Catlin Group posted very healthy growth driven by its reinsurance book. The reinsurance unit grew by 11 percent to GWP of $998 million which in part reflected the continued growth of Catlin Re Switzerland.

The reinsurer’s responsive and client-focused approach was rated highly, along with its long-term view and openness to new ideas. “Catlin understands what clients want,” said one respondent.

Catlin was also applauded on the presence it continues to build in markets, particularly European ones. The group continued to expand into new markets earlier this year.

Catlin was also applauded on the presence it continues to build in markets, particularly European ones. The group has continued to expand in to new markets; earlier this year it established Catlin Middle East in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Axis Re took second place in the client service, very narrowly missing out on first place, and was rated highly in every category.

The reinsurance arm of Bermuda-based Axis Capital was applauded on its professionalism and its timely responses by a number of respondents.

The quality of services offered by the staff at the reinsurer were commended and, in particular, the market team was described as “excellent and stable”.

In the first half of 2014, Axis Capital bucked the trend for underachieving as it surpassed analysts’ forecasts. The group saw gross premiums written increase by 1 percent to $1.2 billion, with growth of 9 percent in its reinsurance segment.

XL Re battled Catlin for top slot in innovation, but just slipped into second place. It also took a well-deserved second place in the ability to pay claims and expertise and market knowledge categories. The reinsurer was praised on its “daring” and “smart solutions”.

It was also praised on its exceptional client service, with its happiness to donate a lot of time to clients and readiness to listen. The leadership of the reinsurer was also praised throughout.

European reinsurer Amlin Re received frequent praise throughout the survey. It was praised on its client-orientated approach and its focused and reliable operations across different regions. The reinsurer was also praised on its speed of settlement and prompt payment.

Arch Re followed closely behind as it was celebrated for its openness to new ideas and ability to work on complex transactions. It was also highly commended for the way it has listened to clients’ needs and built a team based around this.

Companies were awarded points for their positioning in the prior relevant categories in which they featured: 50 for first place, 45 for second place, 40 for third etc down to tenth place. Companies that performed well in more categories had the chance to gain more points than those that did not feature in all.