Polo offers optionality, unique proposition for ILS & Captive clients: CEO Elliott
Independent, licensed insurance manager, Polo Insurance Managers (PIM), offers optionality and a unique proposition, providing independent professional management services to ILS, Commercial and Captive clients, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Elliott told Artemis at this year’s RVS in Monte Carlo.
Guernsey based PIM specialises in the creation and management of insurance and alternative risk transfer solutions, and as the company looks to expand internationally, we spoke with CEO Elliott to hear his thoughts on where PIM is now and where it wants to be in the future.
“At the moment we’re based in Guernsey, and we’re obviously very close to London and Lloyd’s with Polo Managing Agency so we’re looking at opportunities in those jurisdictions. Additionally, we’re looking at expanding the manager internationally where we find the right opportunity,” said Elliott.
PIM is part of the wider PoloWorks platform and has access to a wide range of capabilities across the insurance ecosystem, and Elliott explained that the combination of the varied skillsets results in a strong USP for the firm.
“We offer a leading professional servicing business to ILS, to Captives, and we want to work with brokers who don’t have their own insurance management facilities, as a specialist service provider. That’s ultimately where we would like to play and where we believe we can bring real value,” said Elliott.
Elliott is also the CEO of Marco Re, a rated legacy carrier created via the merger of Marco Capital’s Guernsey subsidiaries, Humboldt Re and Kelvin Re, both of which were in run-off.
The CEO told Artemis that combining the legacy business with its services offering is a great proposition for clients, especially around trapped capital in ILS.
“If we can offer optionality to our ILS clients around exit strategies in the future, we think that’s a really good USP. There’s a potential exit route in the future. And it also gives comfort that we’re managing the entities, we know the reserving process, we understand how that business is being managed and we see that first hand.
“We think a partnership model on servicing and legacy is a really unique proposition. It won’t work for everybody but for certain clients we think it’s very interesting. That’s something no one else can offer. And, importantly, you can apply that to anything, a captive, an ILS vehicle, a syndicate in terms of a RTC solution for them. We think we can offer that across the board. It also builds a nice pipeline for us and gives our clients solutions,” said Elliott.
Elliott also discussed the Captive and ILS regimes in the UK, emphasising that although he’s Guernsey based, he doesn’t view it as competition.
“We’re very supportive of those initiatives. I really think it’s good for the market that London gets captives, and it’s the same with the ILS regime in the city. It took a while but it’s good for everybody, I think it’s positive. I don’t see it as competition actually to Guernsey or Bermuda as domiciles, I see it as increasing the size of the pie and having more options for clients, which is a good thing.”
New and advanced technology is integral to PIM’s approach, and Elliott explained that one of the key reasons the company has partnered with PwC is to access a wider range of technology solutions for PIM and its clients.
“We’re very focused on technology and improvements so that we can pass on better, robust data to our clients, and also improve efficiency. So, that’s what we do. But I think the evidence is our partnership with PwC, because it means we are really serious about trying to do this. And rather than trying to build our own DIY kit, actually, let’s see what we can get through a partnership with the world’s leader in consulting and data and analytics,” said Elliott.
