Reinsurance CEO Agenda for 2026
11 March, 2026
The conundrum of success: Navigating the softening market
The reinsurance market enters 2026 from a position of unusual strength. Following a sustained period of disciplined underwriting, improved contract structures and benign catastrophe activity, reinsurers have delivered decade‑high profits across 2023-2025. Yet this success has created a new strategic challenge: how to prepare for a softening cycle without undermining hard‑won performance.
Our 2026 Reinsurance CEO Agenda explores the state of the market using proprietary data from the Oxbow Partners Reinsurance Tool and examines what the next phase means for leadership teams.
What’s inside the report?
- Reconfirming corporate strategy in light of a different market environment
- Building a nuanced ten-year strategy to drive through the next cycle
- Preparing executive decision-making for the soft market
- Transforming the organisation to support the next phase of growth
- AI adoption: Assuming a deliberate strategic posture
If you would like to discuss the report or have any questions at all, please contact us here.
About the authors
Chris Sandilands, Partner. Chris started his career at Munich Re where he was a D&O underwriter. He then moved into consulting, where he has spent 20 years advising (re)insurance management teams around the world on topics including strategy development, operating model redesign, governance optimisation, underwriting transformation and innovation. Chris lives in London and spends a lot of his time with clients in Bermuda and Continental Europe.
Paul De’Ath, Head of Market Intelligence. Prior to joining Oxbow Partners Paul spent nine years as an equity research analyst covering all aspects of insurance across the UK and Europe. He started his career as an accountant and also spent time in industry at Standard Life.
Aris Kammenos, Elias Formaggia and Ava Spencer-Jones are Consultants at Oxbow Partners.
