Allianz’s Jon Dye joins Pandemic Re Steering Committee

Jon Dye, chairman of the ABI and chief executive at Allianz Insurance, is the latest industry leader to join the Pandemic Re Steering Group as it today announces the formation of six new working groups and a Project Committee.

The group, working with Pool Re, aims to formulate the insurance industry’s response to the current Covid-19 outbreak, as well as improve responses to future pandemics.

Chaired by Stephen Catlin, chairman and chief executive at Convex, the steering group brings together a number of insurance industry heavyweights, now including Allianz’s Dye. Other notable members are:

• Maurice Tulloch, chief executive at Aviva.
• Stephen Hester, chief executive at RSA.
• Julian Enoizi, chief executive at Pool Re.
• Nick Frankland, UK chief executive for reinsurance solutions at Aon.
• James Nash, chief executive, international at Guy Carpenter.
• James Kent, chief executive at Willis Re.

The group first met on 17 April 2020. 

Working groups

The Pandemic Re Steering Group has created six new working groups. These are:

• Customer engagement and distribution: chaired by Julie Page, chief executive at Aon UK; deputy chair is Chris Lay, chief executive at Marsh UK and Ireland.
• Technical insurance: chaired by Steve Coates, chief underwriting officer at Pool Re.
• Modelling and data: chaired by Paul Jardine, chairman of Asta and Chaucer.
• Scheme structure and operating models: chaired by Michael Dawson, Nuclear Insurance.
• Pandemic preparedness and mitigation: chaired by William Marcoux, senior corporate lawyer.
• Legal, regulatory and government affairs: chaired by Amber Rudd, former senior politician.

Over 50 representatives from leading insurance brokers, insurers and reinsurers, management consultants, data modelers, the medical profession and academia have been allocated to these work streams; a further 65 individuals have volunteered their or their organisation’s help.

The Corporation of Lloyd’s has also agreed to provide resources for two of the work streams.

The working groups are being populated by a balanced and diverse group of industry experts and each has a significant workstream to undertake with pre-determined areas of responsibility.

Alongside these working groups, Catlin et al has also appointed a Project Committee, chaired by Michael Dawson. Liaising with the steering group, the Project Committee will include the working group leaders, as well as Martin Hattrell, formerly senior corporate lawyer at Slaughter and May.

Industry collaboration

Catlin said: “The Steering Committee has made considerable progress by identifying working groups and business leaders to direct them as well as helping to determine the detailed activities for each work stream. I would like to thank all these volunteers for giving their time to this project.”

Dawson added: “We have a significant task ahead although we have received enormous levels of industry support. The insurance industry is collaborative by nature and with this highly experienced group, we hope to be able to deliver a structure in a relatively short time frame.”