The Nicholas Barbon Lectures: The Impact of Major Trends on Insurance

Prof. David Tuckett

Visiting Professor, UCL

Biography

David Tuckett is Professor of Psychoanalysis and Director of the Emotional Finance Project at UCL (University College London). He is the author of  “Minding the Markets: An Emotional Finance View of Financial Instability” (Palgrave Macmillan) which describes an interview study with money managers and a new way of understanding financial markets for which he has received international critical acclaim. He is a Fellow of the British Institute of Psychoanalysis, a former President of the European Psychoanalytic Federation and a former Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis. He won the 2007 Sigourney Award for Psychoanalysis. First trained in Economics and Medical Sociology, he also introduced behavioural sciences to medical education at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and was Principal of the Health Education Studies Unit at the University of Cambridge. 

John R. Coomber

Chairman, Climatewise

Biography

John R. Coomber is a British citizen born in 1949. He was elected to Swiss Re’s Board of Directors in February 2006.

John R. Coomber started his career with the Phoenix Insurance Company and joined Swiss Re in 1973. Having qualified as an actuary in 1974, he first specialised in the Company’s life reinsurance area. He was Swiss Re UK’s appointed actuary from 1983 to 1990. In 1987, he assumed responsibility for the Life division and, in 1993, was made Head of the Company’s UK operations.   John R. Coomber was appointed a member of the Executive Board in April 1995, responsible for the Group’s Life & Health division. In June 2000, he became a member of the Executive Committee and was Swiss Re’s Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2005. He retired after 33 years of employment with Swiss Re.

John R. Coomber serves as Chief Executive Officer of Pension Insurance Corporation Limited and is a director of MH (GB) Limited. He is also Chairman of ClimateWise, a trustee of The Climate Group, and a member of the Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisory Board. John R. Coomber is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

John R. Coomber graduated in theoretical mechanics from Nottingham University in 1970.

Artur Niemczewski

Chief Executive Officer, Garwyn Group

Biography

Dr Artur Niemczewski is the CEO of Garwyn Group, a leading liability loss adjuster dedicated to protecting British businesses and insurers from claims compensation culture. Artur has direct experience across almost the entire insurance value chain, having held executive positions with Marsh, Willis, and Axa. He was also a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Co.

In his early career he was a scientist conducting research on nuclear fusion and on energy supply policy. Artur holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jo Hind

Industry Head, Finance, Google UK

Biography

Jo Hind works as an Industry Head in the Finance Vertical at Google, a team that specialises in the Financial Services Market, providing both Clients and Agencies support and advice on their digital strategy and execution.

Jo has over 20 years experience in Media and Advertising both offline and online. Prior to joining Google Jo had spent 7 years at AOL in Business Development and e-commerce roles and had worked previously worked in TV for both Channel 4 and Advertising Agencies.

Jo holds a degree in Business and Marketing, is a lifelong and long suffering supporter of Norwich City and spends most of her spare time trying to keep up with her 10 year old son.

Prof. Patrick Minford

Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff University

Biography

Patrick Minford is Professor of Economics at Cardiff University where he directs the Julian Hodge Institute of Applied Macroeconomics. His main research interest is in macroeconomic modelling and forecasting. Between 1967 and 1976 he held a variety of economic positions, including spells in East Africa, industry, H M Treasury and its delegation in Washington DC. From 1976 to 1997, he was the Edward Gonner Professor of Applied Economics at Liverpool University where he founded and directed the Liverpool Research Group in Macroeconomics; this built the ‘Liverpool Model’ of the UK, which was influential in forecasting and policy analysis during the 1980s. During the 1990s he also undertook part-time roles in the UK administration: he was a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission from 1990 to 1996, and one of the H M Treasury's Panel of Forecasters (the '6 Wise Men') from 1993 to 1996. He was made a CBE in 1996. His published work includes books, journal articles, and op-ed pieces in the area of macroeconomics and related policy issues.

Barry Smith

Chief Executive Officer, Ageas

Biography

Barry Smith took on the role of Chief Executive for Ageas UK in 2001, having spent his career in financial services.

He has overseen significant growth across the company by delivering on its multi-distribution strategy.

This includes:

• the increasing take up of products by brokers across Personal and Commercial lines
• successful diversification into the Protection market
• new insurance partnerships with trusted brands such as John Lewis and Tesco
• and acquisitions such as Kwik Fit Insurance Services and Castle Cover. 

Under his leadership, Ageas has scooped a record 33 awards in 2011, picking up the General Insurer of the Year Award, Personal Lines Insurer of the Year Award and the Gold Standard Award. Barry himself was recently awarded:

• The prestigious Insurance Times “Chief Executives’ Chief Executive” Award
• Deloitte’s Director of the Year for outstanding and inspirational leadership.
• Voted as the “Most Likeable Person in General Insurance”. 

Barry is a member of Ageas Group’s Management Committee reporting directly to Ageas Group CEO, Bart De Smet.

He is jointly responsible for defining and implementing corporate strategy, business plans, budgets and operational activities across Ageas's global companies in both the Life and Non-Life markets.

Barry is the immediate past President of the CII, chairing the Task Force that launched the influential Aldermanbury Declaration.

He remains active in both the central CII and the local branch in Southampton, where he also previously held the position of President. 

Barry is Chairman of the Association of British Insurers’ Property Committee, where he is currently involved in discussions with Government on how the insurance industry can continue to support the nation’s flood strategy. He is also a member of the ABI GIC Management Committee and previously was Chair of the Motor Committee.

Married to Gillian with two children, Barry is a keen Tottenham Hotspur and rugby fan.

Stephen Lewis

CEO, UK General Insurance, Zurich Insurance

Biography

Steve Lewis is the CEO of Zurich’s UK General Insurance business, a leading general insurer dedicated to customers in the public and private sectors through direct and intermediated channels. He joined the Zurich Financial Services Group when it was still Eagle Star in December 1989, and has filled a number of appointments in different Zurich companies and locations since.

Steve held several finance and operational roles in the UK prior to moving overseas, early in 2002.  He then held the role of Strategic Finance Director for Zurich’s Asia Pacific Region, responsible for driving improved performance in the Region and in 2004 moved to Switzerland to Head the performance reporting function for the Group.  Since then he has been responsible for Finance and Operations for Zurich’s Global Corporate business across Europe and most recently has been Head of Group Operations, Planning and Performance Management for the Zurich Group, based in Switzerland.

Steve is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, having qualified in 1990.

Steve is married with 3 children.

Trevor Matthews

Executive Director, Developed Markets, Aviva

Biography

Trevor Matthews joined Aviva in December 2011 as Chief Executive of Aviva UK which comprises the Life and Pensions and General Insurance businesses. Trevor is also on the Board of Aviva plc and a member of Aviva's executive committee.

Between July 2008 and June 2010 Trevor was director and Chief Executive Officer of Friends Provident plc (subsequently Friends Life). Prior to this he was Chief Executive of Standard Life Assurance limited from 2004 to July 2008. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Japan from 2001 to 2004 and Executive Vice President of Canadian Operations and Chairman of Manulife Bank from 1998 to 2001. Between 1996 and 1998 Trevor was General Manager Personal Financial Services of National Australia Bank and Managing Director, Legal & General Assurance Holdings Australia Limited from 1989 to 1996.

Trevor is Chairman of the Financial Skills Partnership and was President of the Chartered Insurance Institute from July 2008 to July 2009. In 1997 he was President of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (Centenary Year).

Dr Darius Campbell

Deputy Director, Head of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigatio, DEFRA

Biography

Darius is head of policy divisions developing UK’s National Climate Change Adaptation Programme as well as climate change mitigation in the sectors which are the responsibility of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Previous roles in Defra have covered marine environment policy, farming regulation,  strategic finance, legislation on competition in the water industry and policy on combatting international illegal fishing.

Before joining Defra in 2001 Darius spent 7 years in Jordan running a rural development project for the Royal Geographic Society and its Jordanian counterpart.  His other overseas work involved 5 years in Nigeria, India and Ethiopia in agricultural development.

Darius holds a PhD in Livestock Systems from the University of Reading, an MSc in animal production also from Reading, and a BSc in Zoology from the University of Bristol.

Tom Woolgrove

Managing Director, Personal Lines, RBS Insurance

Biography

Tom joined RBS Insurance in April 2010 as Managing Director, Personal Lines insurance. Previously, he held various MD roles with HBOS and Lloyds Banking Group, including UK Private Banking, General Insurance and Motor Finance. He was also a strategy consultant with Cap Gemini and a graduate engineer with Rolls Royce Aerospace. He holds a Masters Degree in Engineering and Management, and a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Prof. Steven Haberman

Professor of Actuarial Science, Cass Business School

Biography

Professor of Actuarial Science, Director and Deputy Dean of Cass Business School, City University London.

Steven graduated in mathematics from the University of Cambridge, (Trinity College) and qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1975, and subsequently obtained his PhD and DSc in actuarial science from City University. 

He has worked at Prudential Assurance and for the Government Actuary’s Department, and has been a member of the Council of the Institute of Actuaries. He is currently a member of the Financial Reporting Council’s Board for Actuarial Standards and Legal and General’s Longevity Science Advisory Panel. He also has been a Governor of the City of London Academy – Islington and a member of the External Advisory Panel to the Morris Review of the UK Actuarial Profession.

He is co-author of five books and has published over 160 research papers on a wide range of topics, including mortality and morbidity models, longevity, annuities, insurance pricing and pensions.  His papers have won research prizes from the Institute of Actuaries (UK) and the Society of Actuaries (US).  He has acted as a consultant to Deutsche Bank, Swiss Reinsurance, the FSA, Lucida and the National Audit Office among others.

Julian Adams

Director Insurance Division, FSA

Biography

Julian read History at Cambridge and joined the Bank of England in 1986 where he worked in a variety of roles in the supervision and markets areas. He joined the FSA at its creation and has held a number of senior management roles within the organisation, including head of wholesale insurance firms and leadership of the department that supervises the major retail UK banks. He played a key role in the FSA’s response to the financial crisis and the recapitalisation of the banking sector. He has represented the UK on a number of international working groups in particular through his Chairmanship of the IAIS Reinsurance Transparency Group and the Basel Task Force on Colleges. In October 2009 he was appointed Director of Retail Firms Division and was responsible for the supervision of over 600 firms covering building societies, life and general insurers, banks and asset managers. In April 2011 Julian became Director of Insurance and as such is responsible for the delivery of the Solvency II programme.