7 trends in multinational insurance programs
Dive into the details of cross-border exposures and the risk transfer methods used to ease pressure on multinational companies.
In today’s fast-changing world, companies face risks that span borders and regulatory regimes, which is resulting in growing interest in multinational insurance, a complete end-to-end customized service for the cross-border exposures of organizations, including risk transfer and captive services. What are some of the current and future trends in this space?
1. Cross-border exposures have never been more volatile for multinationals. Expect the unexpected.
The volatile socio-political environment has dramatically impacted the risk landscape, presenting risk managers with the challenge of how best to protect their companies in the face of conflict, political unrest, economic risk, supply chain disruption, increasing cyber threats and climate change. Most experts, including Allianz Risk Barometer respondents, predict that businesses will continue to experience significant disruption around the world for some time yet. Scenario planning is vital to plan for the growing number of crises, as is ensuring holistic insurance cover is in place.
2. A complex regulatory environment, broadening client footprints and improving technology mean the global program market is poised for sustained growth.
The global programs market is set to grow in 2023 aligned with the general growth rate of multinational enterprise, which is estimated to be beyond 60% globally since 2010. Anticipated drivers of future growth include the ever more interconnected world, a broadening customer footprint as international companies expand, the increasingly complex regulatory, tax and reporting environment around the world, and lower barriers of entry as digital tools and portals help facilitate service improvements. Global programs ensure full insurance coverage and can help prevent any regulatory violations. At the same time, global risk consulting and claims services are becoming increasingly important, given this current environment.
3. Digitalization is unlocking real-time data and enabling greater collaboration.
Companies have woken up to the power of data in their businesses, and increasingly want to conduct business digitally. When it comes to global programs, firms now expect much faster turnaround times than in the past.
In response, the world’s leading insurers are turning to digitalization to improve how they operate global programs, speeding up systems and improving data collection and analytics, including 24/7 accessibility and real-time updates. Application programming interface (API) technology is enabling a more streamlined, real-time exchange of data between stakeholders. Such improvements are enabling greater transparency over what is covered under a local policy and what is covered under a master. Any potential gaps can then be easily identified and addressed, making things easier for clients, brokers and insurers alike.
Ultimately, digitalization is helping to deliver a better and deeper understanding of risk. It is making it easier for risk managers to take an active role in risk management, offering increased access to data and greater levels of collaboration with insurers and brokers, both of whom, in turn, can then spend more time on client-focused activities.
4. Growing use of captives alongside global programs.
Many multinationals are increasingly using their captives alongside their global programs, either with or without risk transfer or as a full-service captive. Captives are growing in popularity, particularly if there is a lack of capacity in certain areas or effective rate increases on certain lines of business means that for companies either increasing utilization of the captive they have or forming a new captive or cell captive is an attractive option. Financial lines, errors and omissions, D&O and cyber have been among the most popular lines of business for multinational captives.
A captive is an invaluable tool when it comes to coordinating the different covers of various subsidiaries around the world and collating risk information on exposures and losses.
5. Following COVID-19, the awareness of the need for greater contract certainty is growing.
The pandemic brought some challenges that tested the relationships between risk managers and insurers, particularly around which risks were covered, and which were not. This has led to a greater focus on contract certainty and data analytics, as well as increasing interest in global programs, which can be an important tool for helping multinational companies tackle the ever-evolving risk landscape.
Contract certainty is one of the big insurance lessons learned from the pandemic. It is clear that there needs to be better greater clarity around what policy wordings actually mean in order to have a better understanding of what is and what isn’t covered.
Global programs deliver full transparency over what is covered under a local policy and what is covered under a master. Any potential gaps can therefore be easily identified and addressed as needed, making things easier for all parties.
6. Global programs can help organizations with ESG and emerging risks.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are increasingly landing on the desks of risk managers. Multinationals face growing interest and increasing scrutiny from regulators, investors, customers, and employees about their ESG footprint.
In global programs, ESG is integrated into underwriting via industry-leading rules and tools, while technology and data analytics is increasingly delivering better insights into big, emerging risks such as climate change, cyber and global supply chain issues.
7. Don’t forget the growing influence of AI and virtual economies.
Artificial intelligence applications bring benefits such as increased efficiencies, new products and fewer repetitive tasks, while the metaverse – the space where interconnected physical and virtual realities converge – has the potential to provide experiences not available in the real world, giving rise to a booming virtual economy.
Insights gained from AI-powered analytics and data could expand the boundaries of insurability, extending existing products, as well as giving rise to new risk transfer solutions. However, as with any disruptive technology, increasing usage of AI and engagement with the metaverse will also introduce new risks and potential liability scenarios to society. To ensure their safe and secure use, both will need rules among users and platform providers and appropriate measures for enforcing them.
Guy Money is global head of multinational business for Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Based in London, Guy leads a global team providing a complete end-to-end customized service for the cross-border exposures of its clients, covering also risk transfer and captive services.
A version of this article appeared in Allianz’s client magazine. It is running here with permission.
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