In the frame of the joint professional development initiative with FERMA, Lloyd’s welcomed 19 young risk professionals and FERMA’s head of education Edouard Thys to its iconic headquarters in the city of London in April for the first session of the FERMA-Lloyd’s professional development initiative. The programme included talks from market leaders, lunch with Lloyd’s CEO Richard Ward and sessions shadowing brokers and underwriters.
Their host, Lloyd’s Head of Northern Europe Benno Reischel, had himself been the head of insurance services for Daimler Chrysler in Asia Pacific before joining Willis as a broker. The programme he organised showed that Lloyd’s is taking young FERMA members very seriously as current and future customers.
In addition to the speakers from Lloyd’s, Benno invited David Matcham, CEO of the International Underwriting Association (IUA), to cover the London company market, and David Hough, CEO of the London International Brokers Association to talk to the students about the role of brokers in the market.
The young professionals selected by FERMA, coming from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland, were delighted with the first day of the course and the exposure to some of the leading figures in the market. Alexandre Voisin, Corporate Insurance and Risk Manager for Metalor, Switzerland, said: “As I am dealing with some specialist risks, I know that Lloyd’s is involved. I want to know more about it, how it works and what benefit we can take from this market. It can also help me know how my broker may be useful!”
“It has been a very good day,” added Denise Ozmis, Claims Manager for AkzoNobel Insurance in the Netherlands. She said that although the Netherlands has a large and important insurance industry, it is mainly a local market. Her company is a multinational, so it was essential to understand Lloyd’s and the international market. “It’s a must have,” she said.
A slightly different perspective came from Kristina Bernotaité, Quality and Risk Manager with INVEGA in Lithuania and a member of the board of the country’s Institute of Internal Auditors and of the ECIIA. She explained that there are no risk management associations in the Baltics. “Therefore, this is a good opportunity to hear new things and collaborate with other countries. The programme really is unique, especially since this is the first one that FERMA and Lloyd’s have organised. The atmosphere and the building are great. We are really grateful to FERMA for this opportunity.”
Sabrina Hartusch, Global Heath of Insurance for Triumph International, Switzerland, “It gives me a unique insight into Lloyd’s and a way of creating new relationships. Even though businesses are different, we understand each other because we have many similar problems. I really appreciate the programme from a mix of personal and professional perspective,” she said.
As Benno commented, “A lot of risk managers are not too sure how Lloyd’s works. Our idea is that by providing knowledge and education in the broadest since, it will enable risk managers to use the market as they want.”
Edouard Thys added, “It is important for risk managers to know how Lloyd’s works, and that is especially the case for FERMA members because they often work for very large companies with global exposures and risks that need specific underwriting.”
FERMA is proud to coordinate this initiative, “It is FERMA’s role to educate and to drive the young risk managers, who will be the future of our profession and also the next generation of FERMA key opinion leaders,” says Florence Bindelle.