In May 2022, Program Manager hosted its inaugural Conference and Awards in the heart of New York, gathering a full house of leading executives in the US program insurance sector – an area of the non-life (re)insurance industry that has seen remarkable growth in the last decade, attracting capital and top talent.

Following its tremendous success, we are thrilled to announce that the highly popular one-day event returns in 2023, taking place on 17 May in an even larger capacity, this time at the iconic Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan.

The format of the day will once again consist of an informative morning conference, as well as an evening champagne reception and dinner-style awards ceremony, attracting over 400 guests from the US and overseas.

It will represent a fantastic occasion to celebrate another year of excellence and be inspired by distinctive talent within the market, while leaving with a better understanding of where the program sector is heading through 2023.

Join us in recognising and showcasing the best in the sector and gain invaluable insight from the key players in the game.

About the conference

The Program Manager 2023 Conference will encompass a half-day event with a stellar line up of leading industry speakers, attracting 400 market professionals from the US and overseas.

In addition to our three industry leader keynotes, the event will also include three panel discussions that will address some of the most pressing issues of the day within this dynamic area of the non-life (re)insurance industry:

The future of the MGA and program sector
Capacity is king: navigating a hard reinsurance market
The consolidation game: shifting M&A dynamics and the MGA space

Keynote Speakers

Panel discussions

Our C-suite panel will discuss secular and cyclical growth drivers and whether momentum can be sustained; evolving carrier-MGA relationships and the emergence of hybrid models; talent migration and finding the next generation; the next frontier for fronting carriers; meeting demand through innovation; emerging specialty niches; technology as an enabler; and more.

Confirmed speakers for this session:

Simon Hedley, Chief Executive Officer, Acrisure Re
Erik Matson, CEO of MS Transverse
Matthew Mosher, President & CEO, AM Best Rating Services
Denise Olson, Head of Programs, Zurich North America
Bob Petrilli, President, Amwins Underwriting

Availability and access to capacity is arguably the biggest concern in the sector today. Our panel will look at the challenges of a hard reinsurance market; the property cat capacity crunch; new and alternative sources of capital; differentiated submissions in a crowded market; the fronting solution; panel diversification; and more.

Confirmed speakers for this session:

Jerome Breslin, President and CEO, Clear Blue Insurance Group
Daniel Case, Executive Vice President, Program Services, State National Companies
Dan Hickey, President, Amtrust Specialty
Steven Pacholick, Chief Program Officer, Starwind
Tracey Sharis, President, GRS North America Programs Liberty Mutual Insurance | Ironshore

Higher interest rates have led to elevated financing costs for deal-making in the US distribution sector. Our panel will discuss how the broader landscape has changed for buyers and sellers; drivers of consolidation in the MGA space that could make it the exception; the rise of the platform consolidator; the crowded fronting segment; insurtech capital raising and M&A; and more.

Confirmed speakers for this session:

Michael Halsband, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP (Moderator)
George Bucur, Managing Director, Co-Head – Specialty Practice, MarshBerry
Steven Nigro, Founder and Managing Partner, TAG Financial Institutions Group, LLC
Erika Shalette, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Amynta Group
Matthew Power, President, One80 Intermediaries
Miles Wuller, President and CEO, Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers

Conference timings:

8:00-9:00 | Continental breakfast & networking

9:00-9:05 | Welcome from Program Manager

9:05-9:30 | Keynote: Bob Kimmel, CEO, K2 Insurance Services

9:30-9:55 | Keynote: Pete Chandler, CEO, BMS Re

9:55-10:40 | Panel discussion: The future of the MGA and program sector

10:40-11:10 | Coffee break

11:10-11:55 | Panel discussion: Capacity is king: navigating a hard reinsurance market

11:55-12:40 | Panel discussion: The consolidation game: shifting M&A dynamics and the MGA space

12:40-13:00 | Keynote: Bob Diamond, Founding Partner and CEO, Atlas Merchant Capital

13:00 | Conference close

About the awards

Following the morning conference, we’ll reconvene in the evening for the prestigious Program Manager Awards ceremony and dinner.

This is an opportunity for you to shine and for us to recognise excellence in the market. It’ll also be a great environment for existing relationships to be nurtured and new ones to be formed.

Confirmed members of the independent judging panel include John Colis, president and CEO, Euclid Insurance Services and president, TMPAA; Jeremy Hitzig, co-founder of Starfish Specialty Programs; and David Bull, North American editor, The Insurer.

Further panelists will be announced in the upcoming weeks…

How to enter

Program Manager's 2023 Awards ceremony is open to anyone who thinks that they, their colleague(s), team, company or client deserve recognition for an outstanding contribution to the program manager sector in the last year.

To submit a nomination, simply choose your category, write your entry and email it to Isabelle Brooker on isabelle.brooker@wbmediagroup.com indicating what category you are submitting for and the title of your submission. Entries can be accepted from the nominee, or you can nominate a candidate. Each entry should be a maximum of 500 words and lay out succinct evidence of achievement or an explanation as to why the achievement is significant.

We will also consider testimonials from colleagues, clients and other market participants as part of the submission, as well as any materials providing evidence of performance or other factors in support of the entry.

You can enter as many categories as you wish, where applicable, although only one entry per category per company can be accepted.

Evidence within entries should be for initiatives that took place substantively in the last 12 months up to 7 April.

All the information contained in the entries will be treated as confidential and will not be released without the permission of the entrant/nominee. Outstanding contributor of the year will be decided independently by the judging panel. Entries for this category will not be accepted.

For any questions about entering the Program Manager Awards, please contact Isabelle Brooker isabelle.brooker@wbmediagroup.com. All entries must be submitted before Friday, 7 April 2023.

Categories

Individual MGA of the year

Entries to this flagship Program Manager award category will be MGAs, MGUs and Program Administrators in the US P&C marketplace, including those operating on larger platforms as well as independent players. Candidates must demonstrate a strong track record of delivering for their (re)insurance capacity providers in 2022 as well bringing specialty solutions to their distribution partners. Judges will consider evidence of premium growth and underwriting performance metrics where they can be provided. The judging panel will also assess the impact of candidates on the sector through bringing new product, access to new markets for carrier partners, and providing a platform for entrepreneurial underwriting talent.

MGA platform of the year

This category is open to platforms that house multiple MGAs, MGUs and Program Administrators, including established underwriting divisions of large intermediaries, start-up MGA platforms and incubator or infrastructure as a service platforms. The judging panel will assess the track record of candidates during the evaluation period (2022) in bringing new programs/MGAs to market, delivering consistent product and capacity to distribution partners, and providing a home for entrepreneurial underwriting talent. Judges will assess speed to market, infrastructure efficiencies, and for those platforms that are part of large intermediaries will evaluate the strategic role they play in their respective organizations.

Program insurer of the year

This category is open to all insurance companies writing program business in the US P&C sector as a traditional carrier. Successful candidates will be those that can demonstrate their commitment to the sector, the strategic importance of program business within their portfolios, strong underwriting performance and the provision of outstanding service to their distribution partners in the past year. They will also be assessed on their ability to innovate and develop unique specialty solutions that are the cornerstone of the US programs sector.

Fronting carrier of the year

This category is open to pure fronting carriers and the growing number of hybrid fronting carriers operating in the sector. Candidates must demonstrate the value they bring to their reinsurance panels and MGA partners and must be able to clearly articulate what differentiates them in a crowded marketplace. They will be assessed on their ability to show that their growth and onboarding of programs is based on tight underwriting controls and due diligence, as well as the processes that provide their reinsurance partners with transparency around the performance of the programs they support. The winning candidate will be able to show that it is a long-term strategic partner that has the best interests of the health of the program sector at its core.

Program insurtech of the year

This category is open to insurtechs underwriting in the program sector that can demonstrate their use of new technology to bring product to the market. This can include the application of technological innovation to underwriting processes as well as distribution processes. Candidates must be able to show that the technology is at the core of their operating model and strategy and that its use is enabling programs to be written or distributed more efficiently and effectively, or to bring innovative new products to clients. They must also show traction and take-up in the market.

Program launch of the year

This category is open to any new program launched in 2022. Candidates will be expected to articulate the unmet need their new program is designed to meet, the specialty aspect of it, any innovation involved bringing it to market, support from insurance and reinsurance capacity providers and take-up in the market post-launch. The winner will be the candidate that can best demonstrate the positive impact their new program has had on the marketplace and the specialty expertise and innovation behind it.

Reinsurance broker of the year

Reinsurance brokers are key to the process of launching programs and keeping them going by structuring reinsurance support and advising on almost all facets of the business. The category is open to all reinsurance intermediaries active in the US programs sector. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the role they have played in securing capacity and structuring deals for new and established programs. The judging panel will also assess the scope of the practices of reinsurance brokers with a presence in the space, their investment in services to support the sector and their involvement in bringing innovative product to the marketplace.

Innovation in programs award

This broad category is open to any participant in the US programs sector that can demonstrate they brought true innovation in 2022. Innovation could be in the form of product at the front end, providing infrastructure to rapidly launch programs, or new structures and sources of underwriting capacity from alternative capital providers. Candidates must articulate why their innovation was needed and the impact they expect it to have on the market. Judges will assess the level of innovation, the way it has been brought to market and the amount of traction it has gained in the market.

Program Manager rising star of the year

Talent is at the very core of the future success of the US programs sector. This category is intended to recognize the best up-and-coming talent at MGAs, MGUs, program administrators, program carriers and other participants in the sector that will form the next generation of leaders. Companies operating in the sector may nominate rising stars from within their organization or at counterparties and will be expected to detail the skills and achievements of their colleagues that warrant their inclusion in this category.

Shortlist

2023 Winners

Individual MGA of the year

Balance Partners

MGA platform of the year

Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers

Program insurer of the year

Zurich North America

Fronting carrier of the year

Clear Blue

Program insurtech of the year

Cover Whale

Program launch of the year

One80 charter vessel liability program

M&A advisor of the year

MarshBerry

Reinsurance broker of the year

Howden Tiger SabRE

Innovation in programs award

Counterpart

Program Manager rising star of the year

Paulo Castro, AmTrust Specialty Programs

Editor’s Choice

Services to program management

Ray Scotto

Editor’s Choice

Transaction of the year

Starwind Specialty e3/Venture and Venture/MultiStrat Re

Editor’s Choice

Entrepreneurial innovator of the year

Amwins Incubator

Program Manager outstanding contributor

Bob Kimmel

Program Manager lifetime achiever

Terry Ledbetter

Judges

Awards Timings:

17:30-19:00 | Champagne reception

19:00-21:30 | Three course meal & Awards ceremony

21:30- 23:00 | Drinks and networking

Welcome to Program Manager

Conference & Awards 2023

About the conference

Keynote Speakers

Jerome Breslin

President and CEO, Clear Blue Insurance Group

George Bucur

Managing Director, Co-Head - Specialty Practice, MarshBerry

Daniel Case

Executive Vice President, Program Services, State National Companies

Pete Chandler

CEO, BMS Re

Bob Diamond

Founding Partner and CEO, Atlas Merchant Capital

Michael Halsband

Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Simon Hedley

Chief Executive Officer, Acrisure Re

Dan Hickey

President, Amtrust Specialty

Bob Kimmel

CEO, K2 Insurance Services

Erik Matson

CEO of MS Transverse

Matthew Mosher

President & CEO, AM Best Rating Services

Steven Nigro

Managing Partner TAG Financial Institutions Group

Denise Olson

Head of Programs, Zurich North America

Steven Pacholick

Chief Program Officer, Starwind

Robert "Bob" Petrilli

President, Amwins Underwriting

Matthew Power

President, One80 Intermediaries

Erika Shalette

Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Amynta Group

Tracey Sharis

President, GRS North America Programs Liberty Mutual Insurance | Ironshore

Miles Wuller

President and CEO, Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers

Panel discussions

The future of the MGA and program sector

Capacity is king: navigating a hard reinsurance market

The consolidation game: shifting M&A dynamics and the MGA space

Conference timings:

About the awards

How to enter

Categories

Individual MGA of the year

MGA platform of the year

Program insurer of the year

Fronting carrier of the year

Program insurtech of the year

Program launch of the year

M&A advisor of the year

Reinsurance broker of the year

Innovation in programs award

Program Manager rising star of the year

Program Manager outstanding contributor (no submissions)

Shortlist

Individual MGA of the year

MGA platform of the year

Program insurer of the year

Fronting carrier of the year

Program insurtech of the year

Program launch of the year

M&A advisor of the year

Reinsurance broker of the year

Innovation in programs

Program Manager rising star of the year

Outstanding contributor of the year

Lifetime achiever

2023 Winners

Individual MGA of the year

MGA platform of the year

Program insurer of the year

Fronting carrier of the year

Program insurtech of the year

Managing Partner
TAG Financial Institutions Group

Founder, Managing Partner
TCH Holdings, LLC