Operations

Insurance is experiencing a time of profound change as companies across the spectrum seek to improve productivity and scalability. Advances in technology and data, including the plethora of new technology vendors, make this the right time to aim for a step-change in operational excellence.

Our expertise and experience cover everything from high-level organisational design through to specific problem resolution. Topics we have covered include resetting cultures, rebuilding governance models, implementing change organisations, rationalising management information, designing processes and building target operating models.

Our agile-inspired approach ensures that our recommendations are practical and actionable and challenges management teams to move to execution as quickly as possible to create momentum and deliver tangible results.

We call on our Expert Network to augment our internal team where appropriate. Members have executive experience in industry topics such as underwriting, claims and technology, or in functional areas such as data and technology, and ensure that our recommendations are workable in the real world.

WE CONNECT C-SUITE DECISION-MAKING WITH PRACTICAL, STRATEGY-DRIVEN CHANGE

Strategy

We help management teams understand their options and trade-offs and make robust decisions.

We use our industry expertise to build detailed, bespoke operating models and processes aligned to the specific features of your strategy.

Technology

We recognise that technology is a fundamental shaper and enabler of modern strategy and support with architecture design and vendor selection.

Strategic transformation

We help organisations transform by connecting strategy to delivery, ensuring that delivery both aligns to strategy and shapes it.

WHAT WE DO IN OPERATIONS

Operations strategy

We help executive teams build operations strategies and roadmaps aligned to their growth aspirations

Operating model design

We help COOs and CUOs build operating models aligned to their strategic goals

Digital transformation

We combine our operational and technology expertise to help executive teams understand how to thrive in an increasingly digital marketplace

Cost control and scalability

We help executive teams understand and restructure their cost bases to be more efficient or scalable

OUR LATEST INSIGHTS

Reinsurance operating models: Do you have a post-bind issue?

Post-bind operating models mini-series, Article 1: Do you have a post-bind issue?...

Underwriter Workbenches: Decoding the vendor landscape

The underwriter workbench vendor landscape has evolved over the last five years....

Underwriter Workbenches: Lessons from the road

We recently published an article setting out the value and functionality that...

More insights

EXAMPLE ENGAGEMENTS

Rethought a post-bind operating model

A leading reinsurer identified that their post-bind operations had developed organically leading to challenges with scalability. We supported the client to develop a new, deliberate global operating model. This led to improvements in both efficiency and quality, which are the foundations to support future scale.

Developed a digital readiness operating model

A leading Lloyd’s syndicate wanted to evolve its operating model to respond to emerging digital trends and market initiatives. We helped our client develop a pragmatic approach to digitise its existing operating model, taking a phased approach to a multi-year roadmap.

Designed an FS operating model for a leading retail brand

Our client is a prominent UK retail brand. The client was undergoing a strategic reorientation of their retail financial services business and asked Oxbow Partners to advise on how to set up their insurance operating model optimally. We were then asked to support on the broader retail financial services set-up.

Redesigned management information

A leading reinsurer wanted to rationalise the information used in the business and build standardised reporting driven by ‘golden sources. We helped the client identify metrics to run the business, defined how to source the right data and developed the governance required to deliver the insight.

Set up Digital Partners for Munich Re

In 2015 we were asked by Munich Re to evaluate how they could play the InsurTech trend. We supported the team to set up Digital Partners, which grew to over $500m of premium over the next five years.

Supporting a carrier become truly data and digital first

A leading London Market syndicate wanted to put data and digital at the core of its strategy and operations. We worked with the underwriting teams and partnered with a systems integration consultancy to implement end-to-end underwriting infrastructure and processes organised around a new Underwriter Workbench.

The team at Oxbow Partners has demonstrated a depth of understanding of the market in which we operate and their Market Intelligence provides useful insight that stimulates Executive and Board level discussions and strategy development.

Ant Middle, CEO, Ageas UK

“Oxbow supported us in a complex platform selection exercise and brought a strong team with deep knowledge and experience. Probably most critical to our success was the cultural fit; working with them felt like a real partnership with the boundaries between internal and external team members all but invisible and all working towards the same goals.”

Mark Carpenter, Head of IT, AXA Emerging Customers

Oxbow Partners supported us on the CDD of a fast-growing InsurTech. We really valued their deep sector knowledge and pragmatic approach. Over a two-week period, the team helped us to quickly understand the opportunity and competitor landscape, and the complexities of the target’s business model and potential risks.

Marco Cazzola, Investment Director, Kyron (Ardonagh)

Oxbow Partners work helping us understand the likely impacts of GIPP on the home insurance market was key to our investment decision

Duncan Ramsay, Partner, ECI

Oxbow Partners combines granular expertise and a truly global perspective of this rapidly evolving, complex set of issues. Most importantly, however, I found the Oxbow Partners to be good listeners, collaborative and open minded; in sum, ideal partners.

Stephen Weinstein, former Chair, Bermuda Business Development Agency

Working with Oxbow Partners felt like a partnership. The team are adept at balancing strategic thinking with a clear understanding of the content and can engage a senior team to gain consensus on a complex topic

Sean McGovern, CEO AXA XL UK & Lloyd’s

The Oxbow Partners InsurTech Impact 25 has become an important report for insight into the rapidly evolving insurance technology landscape. My team and I value its trenchant analysis and the process with which Members are selected. I was delighted to support this year’s publication through my involvement in the Advisory Board.

Tom van der Brulle, Global Head of Innovation, Munich Re

We were very pleased with our decision to select Oxbow Partners as our advisor helping us to define a strategy which we have been grappling with. The team was highly knowledgeable about the industry and market but crucially also aligned to our values and working practises, allowing us to develop realistic solutions to long-standing challenges.

Maria Crockart, Director, Aviva

Oxbow Partners helped aQmen identify exit opportunities and were extremely helpful in facilitating our integration into PIB. They have a good understanding of the buyer universe and excellent credibility in the sector.

Nick Rudnai, Owner, aQmen

Oxbow Partners used their impressive knowledge of the UK retail insurance market to help us develop our strategy and create a detailed but pragmatic operating model. The team brought a strong, results-driven approach but also worked collaboratively and collegiately with our team.

Amir Goshtai, Financial Services Director, JLP

RELEVANT PRODUCTS

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Magellan is our insurance technology navigator. Magellan contains detailed information on over 4,000 technology vendors targeting the global (re)insurance market. Magellan is designed to help business and technology professionals find the right short-list of companies to help with their specific technology requirements. We offer both a self-service subscription and a ‘Curated Search’ service delivered by our dedicated team of experts.
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Lead contact

Greg Brown, Partner

Greg leads Oxbow Partners’ Operations and Technology practices, supporting a range of clients including reinsurers, London Market specialty players and UK personal lines. His past experience includes technology consulting at Accenture, digital transformation at a boutique firm and strategy at Monitise, a leading UK fintech. He has a first class degree in Engineering and Computer Science from Oxford University.

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