Executives from Howden Re and Howden Capital Markets & Advisory (HCMA) discussed trends in the reinsurance market during an interview with The Insurer TV at the Rendez-Vous de Septembre event. Wade Gulbransen, CEO of Howden Re North America, and Jarad Madea, CEO of HCMA, addressed how alternative capital is impacting stability and competition within the sector.
Wade Gulbransen highlighted Howden Re’s approach to matching risk with capital providers. “We talk internally all the time and share with our clients that we’re agnostic to the form of capital. We’re trying to bring risk to the capital providers and match those two parties together to bring the most economical form of capital to the insurance company and, ultimately, the insured who policies support.”
He also spoke about Howden Re’s longstanding involvement in collateralised markets, noting that this strategy aims to deliver cost-effective solutions for clients.
The conversation turned to Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS), which have seen growing interest. Earlier in September, Moody’s Ratings forecasted that catastrophe bond issuance could exceed $20 billion in 2025. Responding to this projection, Jarad Madea said: “I think that creates a good opportunity in the reinsurance market to stabilize pricing a bit more in certain ways. I also think it brings healthy competition into the market in terms of the tension around primary reinsurance and their pricing.”
Other topics covered included changes in client risk retention over the past year, developments within public and M&A markets across North America, as well as details on US structures for both Howden Re and HCMA.
The full interview is available here: Howden Re: Alternative capital interest provides stability and competition in the reinsurance market | The Insurer Tv