60 seconds with Chris Kelleher

He recently took part in Lloyd's North American Broker Programme. When not at work, he likes to spend as much time as possible at the Delaware shore, relaxing with his wife and three children.

Chris talks to lloyds.com about his views on the US insurance industry, his company's plans for developing business at Lloyd's, and thoughts about how Lloyd's is viewed in the US.

You’ve been in the insurance industry for 22 years in the United States. How has it changed during that time? What changes do you see on the horizon?

I started my insurance career near the beginning of the last soft market. As we plan for future growth at All Risks, we expect the current market conditions to prevail for quite some time.

As companies become more sophisticated with the use of modelling various lines of business, we do not anticipate the return of a traditional hard market in the cycle, so we are preparing by being very disciplined in our sales, marketing, distribution, and underwriting skills to win the business in the market.

Tell us about what you do on a day to day basis

All Risks is a full service wholesale organisation – from traditional wholesale brokerage and binding facilities to specialised, exclusive niche program offerings. We have the capabilities to fill the entire range of wholesale needs a retail agency may encounter.

I'm responsible for the development and launch of new programs within the National Specialty Programs division of All Risks. We identify niches that are best served in a programme environment and act on behalf of our carrier partners to profitably quote, bind and issue policies on their behalf. We have a tremendous infrastructure in place to serve the wide range of needs of our retail agency partners.

You recently participated in the Lloyd’s North American Broker Programme. What did you think of Lloyd’s, and why is All Risks interested in the London market?

The North American Broker Programme was a fantastic experience. It allowed us all to gain a better perspective of the Lloyd's market and how it operates. I have heard over the years how the Lloyd's marketplace works but seeing it live gives me a new level of respect for how the market operates and how business gets transacted.

The unique structure and personalised approach to doing business is a model that works very effectively. It was fascinating to sit with an underwriter one day and a broker the next to better understand the roles each play in getting business placed. I got the sense of a level of mutual respect and teamwork in order to find beneficial solutions for the accounts.

As an organisation, All Risks places a lot of business in Lloyd's today. As we look to continue our expansion, we expect that we will continue to build our business with Lloyd's being a more significant partner for us in the future.

What new programmes will you be placing in the London market in the coming years?

We are opportunistic when it comes to identifying new programmes. After this experience of learning more about the Lloyd's market, we are very likely to offer future programmes to our contacts in London. We are looking for underwriters willing and able to react quickly to fill the needs we identify in the market. It's clear that the underwriters and brokers at Lloyd's understand that need and are willing to support programmes that provide benefit to all involved.

What do you think is the perception of Lloyd’s in the American market? Do your clients like us?

Programmes like the one we participated in last week are a great way to expose the US marketplace to how Lloyd's operates. Better understanding how the marketplace works has removed some of the hesitation some may have in approaching the market. Getting agents and insureds to understand the corporate initiatives being implemented, and the financial strength of Lloyd's, will only serve to enhance the future success of the Lloyd's market in North America.