08.15-08.55

Registration and Coffee sponsored by NORIA

08.25-08.55

Goodman Suite Breakfast Presentation: Maritime Insurance as Diplomatic Leverage – Neutral Shipping on the High Seas in Early WWII

This presentation explores a crucial but under-examined chapter in maritime history, revealing how war risk insurance and prize cases shaped diplomatic and commercial decision-making during the opening months of the Second World War. Through a series of previously unpublished incidents, Synnøve Marie Strømsvåg will unpack how contentious prize cases and contraband control influenced relations between Britain and neutral nations, placing maritime insurance at the heart of broader strategic and diplomatic debates. Drawing on original research supported by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Mutual War Risks Insurance Association, this session will show how individual prize cases became precedent-setting and exposed legal grey zones which continue to endure in today’s hybrid threat environments at sea. Attendees will gain new insight into the intersection of risk, regulation and international relations that remains relevant for current war risk insurance, civilian shipping and naval strategy.

Presenter: Synnøve Strømsvåg, Maritime History Researcher

08.55-09.00

Welcome Address: Grant Attwell, Director, Cannon Events

09.00-09.20

Opening Address: Maritime Security in an Unstable World

Multiple threats, a volatile world and disrupted trade flows create existential challenges to shipping. Recent conflicts in the Middle East have shown how resilient shipping can be when diversion away from the threat is possible and that owners will take calculated risks to ensure the continuity of supply. How can navies and industry work together within the restrictions of the security paradigm to provide sufficient advisory notices for timely risk assessments?

Presenter: Tom Sharpe OBE, Co-Founder, Special Project Partners

09.20-10.00

Panel Discussion: Is it the End of Globalisation as We Know it?

Questions are beginning to be asked about the way in which globalisation is evolving and even whether it might be a thing of the past. Much of the conversation is being driven by the failure of the IMO to sign off on its global Net Zero Framework, while Europe and other regions press ahead with their own regional decarbonisation rules. This discussion will consider whether it is time for a new approach on decarbonisation and regulation, looking at what that might mean for the shipping sector and its insurers.

Moderator: Sarah Martin, Barrister, 7 King’s Bench Walk

Panellists: Frédéric Denèfle, President, International Union of Marine Insurance

Jarek Klimczak, Master Mariner, Chief Risk Consulting Officer, AXA XL

Alexandra Couvadelli, Vice President UK Claims, Gard

Marcus Baker, Global Head Marine, Cargo and Logistics, Marsh

10.00-10.20

Presentation: Fuels, Technologies and Related Regulations – An Increase in FDD Insurance Claims?

We analyse whether the fast-evolving position on fuels, technologies and related regulations is already leading to, or is likely to lead in future towards an increased number and complexity of legal disputes to which FDD insurance may respond.

Presenter: Alexandra Davison, Head of FD&D Claims – Greece, NorthStandard

10.20-10.40

Presentation: LNG Shipping and The Energy Transition

As global liquefaction capacity grows, the LNG fleet faces a pivotal challenge in scaling safely, efficiently and with lower carbon intensity. In this session, Jeff explores developments in the LNG fleet to meet the capacity challenge and the expanding roles of FSRU and FLNG as flexible transition enablers shaping the next decade of LNG shipping.

Presenter: Jeff Wilson, Divisional Director Marine and Offshore Advisory, Howden

10.40-10.45

Pre-Coffee Break Briefing: An Introduction to Stream Two

A quick teaser for Stream Two after the coffee break so that you can decide which sessions to participate in.

Presenter: Ronny Reppe, Chief Executive Officer, Noria

10.45-11.15

Coffee Break and Networking sponsored by Kozen Marine Survey

Stream I

Stream II

11.15-11.35

Fireside Chat: What Comes Next? Post-Conflict Scenarios for the Gulf and Global Shipping

Presentation: What Great Looks Like in 2026 – Getting the Basics Right

Dr. Dominick Donald and Richard Malone examine five scenarios for how this conflict concludes, what each means for the future of Gulf shipping, and whether the pre-war status quo is recoverable. 

The world of technology is changing rapidly, and while we may feel like we are just getting started, we are already part of a revolution that has transformed how many of us work and live. In this presentation, we take one step back to focus on what enables a safe, smooth and swift transition from the old to the new; the foundation. We will explore the risks of moving too fast, examine the consequences that arise when speed outpaces readiness and discuss what a solid technology foundation truly looks like. Because whether you want to run faster, move quicker or simply change direction, one thing is certain: you must first ensure the ground beneath you is stable and well-formed.

Presenters: Dr. Dominick Donald, Senior Advisor, Herminius

Richard Luckyn-Malone, Director, Herminius

Presenter: Sindre Fjogstad, Chief Technical Officer, Noria

11.35-12.15

Panel Discussion: Geopolitics – How Can Insurers Support Clients in Navigating the Uncertain World?

Panel Discussion: The Perfect Match – A Single Source of Truth

No one can be blind to the upheaval the last three years has brought to world peace and stability, with most having adapted their way of doing business to cater for this massive uncertainty. In this session, we look at the positives

 and negatives. Positively, how can the marine insurance industry support Ukraine and negatively, are we headed towards the 5-powers clause being invoked?

So much airtime is being spent on whether, for example, artificial intelligence can be trusted to provide the truth, but the reality is that companies have long had to establish a single source of truth from which to work. This panel will discuss what a perfect match might be, how marine insurers can establish the best match and how can they then structure that source within their businesses to enable the use of the best quality data.

Moderator: Siiri Duddington, Partner, Marine, Head of Sanctions, Hill Dickinson

Panellists: Luke Ogilvie, Senior Underwriter – Hull and War, Liberty Specialty Markets

Ben Lockwood, Head of Specialty, AEGIS London

Dan McCarthy, Director of Marine, Markel International

Anders Hovelsrud, Chief Underwriting Officer – War, DNK Den Norske Krigsforsikring for Skib

Moderator: Ronny Reppe, Chief Executive Officer, Noria

Panellists: Ed Davies, Chief Information Officer, West of England P&I Club

Ben Harrison, Chief Technology Officer, Ceto

Ralph Hale, Smart Follow Engagement Analyst, Apollo Underwriting

12.15-12.55

Panel Discussion: War Insurance – Can War Insurance Still Prop Up Other Parts of the Portfolio?

Panel Discussion: Compliance – The Licence to Operate

In a softening market, insurers will look to more profitable lines to help support the overall business. In the marine space, this has often been the war book. But with a higher than normal number of claims, the question is whether that once profitable class will remain so for much longer and with more people choosing to re-route rather than pay the fast-rising war premium rates, this is only likely to get worse, as we discuss.

Compliance has become a major headache for firms of all shapes and sizes as they navigate through an increasingly complex world. From sanctions, regulations and tariffs to IT and environment, the gamut of rules is enormous. Added to that, businesses now have to work around disparate regional rules, making running a global entity even harder, as we hear in this panel discussion.

Moderator: Neil Roberts, Head of Marine and Aviation, Lloyd’s Market Association

Panellists: Thomas Cappelen, Director, Hull Division, Cambiaso Risso Group

Ben McKeith, Senior Underwriter, The London P&I Club

Matthew Gysbers, Head of Marine, Hull and War, AXA XL

Iain Henstridge, Class Leader, Hull, Apollo Underwriting

Moderator: Ruta Mikiskaite, Director – Reinsurance Solutions, Swiss Re Europe

Panellists: SW Burger, Maritime Sanctions and Defence Lawyer, Gard

Jacob Damgaard, Divisional Director – Head of Loss Prevention, Britannia P&I Club

Karol Urbańczyk, Insurance Consultant, Future Processing

Micah Cox, Senior Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Manager, Marsh

12.55-13.45

Lunch and Networking Break

13.45-14.10

Fireside Chat: Plastic Pellets

Presentation: Placing Customers at the Heart of the Digital Journey

Nurdles are now recognised as one of the fastest-growing sources of microplastic pollution, with major spills drawing public scrutiny, legal action and regulatory reform. As governments tighten requirements for pellet containment, traceability and reporting, liability exposure across the plastics value chain is accelerating. This session tries to unpack the evolving landscape of responsibility for pellet loss.

Ensuring the end-customer is happy with any introduction of new technology is essential for any business and they should be firmly at the centre of any innovative thinking. Marine insurers must consider the end-customer at all stages of innovation, from the original concept through to implementation, whether that be the introduction of a new portal, a new way of collecting analytics or simply speed and accuracy of service. As this discussion will outline, there has been a huge leap forward in terms of customer service, but there is, perhaps, still more to do.

Participants: Ian Barr, Chief Claims Officer, The London P&I Club

Daisy Roche, Group Secretariat, International Group of P&I Clubs

Presenter: Arno de Wever, Head of Commercial P&C Insurance, Amazon Web Services

14.10-14.30

Case Study: Finding Value in Cooperation: The ASL Bauhinia

Case Study: The Numbers Have It

This session will explore the case of the ASL Bauhinia, a case which clearly demonstrates the value of close cooperation between all stakeholders, ultimately benefiting the owner and reducing overall exposure, including insurers’ financial risk. The case involved a container fire, presenting challenges in terms of its location and extreme weather. We will focus on the role of hull and machinery insurers, P&I clubs and owners, anaylsing how salvors must carefully balance competing interests to avoid being caught between the parties.

It can be increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff as companies look to embrace the latest technology. In this case study, we look at the power of analytics in predicting incidents. What can we learn from the vast number of data points available in shipping and how can learning from the past enhance our ability to foresee the future?

Presenter: Maurice Schreurs, Commercial Director, SMIT Salvage

Presenter: Helge Nordahl, Senior Vice President, Analytics, Gard

14.30-14.50

Presentation: Shadow and Sanctioned Trade Flows

14.30-15.10: Panel Discussion: The Leader’s Playbook – Reshaping Insurance Through Innovation and Talent

Dimitris and Ana will examine how shadow and sanctioned trade flows are reshaping global oil movements, with a particular focus on ‘oil on water’ risks and opacity in vessel behaviour. Drawing on live data and enforcement trends, they will assess how geopolitical disruptions in the Black Sea, the Middle East/Gulf and Venezuela are altering trade routes and risk exposure for insurers. The session concludes with a real-world vessel case study, walking the audience through a structured, data-driven risk assessment process from a compliance and underwriting perspective.

Broadly speaking, leadership teams fall into two camps at the moment; those who view technology as a necessary evil and those who want to embrace it at all costs. This dichotomy of opinion is proving a huge challenge as leaders strategize in an uncertain world and at a time when technology is in a huge state of flux. The question for this panel will be how to find the right balance and steer the company ‘ship’ through.

Presenters: Dimitris Ampatzidis, Senior Risk and Compliance Analyst, Kpler

Ana Subasic, Trade Risk Analyst, Kpler

14.50-15.10

Presentation: Ticking the Box

Moderator: Mark Bennett, Chief Growth Officer, ACORD Solutions Group

Panellists: Christopher Read, Chief Operating Officer, UK and Lloyd’s,

AXA XL

Christopher Jones, Chief Executive, International Underwriting Association

Lisa Gibbard, Chief Operating Officer, The UK P&I Club

Nina Argentieri, Head of Strategic Technology Delivery, NorthStandard 

In this session we hear from an engineer and mariner. The session will focus on problems caused by ships’ staff  ‘ticking the box’, i.e doing the work, but not understanding why they are doing it. Engine damage is often caused because the crew complete tasks such as oil analysis, but never actually look at the results. Even more tragically, crew members can be killed because they do not follow procedures.

Presenters: Ken Shortall, Marine Engineer, TMC Marine

Richard Meikle, Master Mariner, TMC Marine

15.10-15.40

Coffee Break and Networking sponsored by Kozen Marine Survey

15.40-16.00

Fireside Chat: Criminalisation of Seafarers – Going to Work Shouldn’t Mean Going to Jail

The criminalisation of seafarers is not new, however increasingly, the authorities appear to be using seafarers as bargaining chips in their negotiations post-incident. The IMO recently came out with new guidelines to prevent innocent men and women languishing in ports, or worse, in jail, for years on end. This session examines the guidelines and how these might be enforced.

Participants: Leyla Pearson, Senior Manager, Legal, International Chamber of Shipping

Kelly Donaldson, Senior Claims Executive, The UK P&I Club

16.00-16.40

Panel Discussion: Market on the Move – The Rise of the MGAs

In this session, we consider the changing shape of the marine insurance market as London becomes flooded with MGAs, looking for niches to exploit. We ask whether the market has changed its shape forever, or whether a softening market might slow the arrival of more MGA’s.

Moderator: Simon Jackson, Partner, DAC Beachcroft

Panellists: James Munn, Portfolio Manager – Ports, Terminals, Transportation and Logistics, QBE

Simon Schnorr, Head of Marine and Energy, Chaucer Group

Nick Maddalena, Managing Director, Ambrey Global Specialty

Richard Young, Chief Underwriting Officer, Clearwater Underwriting

16.40-17.10

Presentation and Fireside Chat: The Role of Charterers in the Spotlight

We often discuss the insurance needs of owners and cargo, but what of the needs of charterers?  Charterers arrange the ships to move cargo and the cargoes that employ ships.  What are their exposures and to whom are they exposed? This session looks at the ever-developing role of charterers in the marine eco-system.

Presenters: Stephen Kenny KC, Barrister, 7 Kings’s Bench Walk

Kunbi Sowunmi, Senior Claims Advisor/Lawyer, Gard

17.10-17.15

Closing Remarks and End of Conference

17.15-18.00

Drinks Reception sponsored by Ballinger Group