Clive Washbourn's guest appearances

Clive Washbourn

The Voice of Insurance

Jason Howard

Inga Beale

James Kent

David Ritchie

Andrew Newman

Dan Trueman

Andrew Robinson

John Turner

James Vickers

Mike Reynolds

Richard Watson

Nick Cook

David Bearman

David Walsh

Patrick Tiernan

OwlTail

It's great to have Clive Washbourn back on the show. The Episode I recorded with him two years ago has been the most downloaded of any so far, so it’s obviously going to be good for business to do a follow-up.  But it’s more than that. Clive is one of those people who is famous in the market. He is someone who people tell stories about, so you’ve heard about him even if you haven’t met him.   So when he founded his Navium MGA it was a no-brainer to ask him on the show. I had no idea what to expect. What happened was Clive being an absolute force of nature and one of the most revealing and fun interviews I have ever been a party to.   We did that one under a lockdown over a video call. This time we are face-to-face in Navium’s office on Lime Street in the heart of the London market.   It makes a huge difference to be physically in the room with someone like Clive. He really comes alive.   What follows is another tour de force which reveals what is driving this remarkable marine MGA and what has pushed it to produce an amazing $360mn in gross written premium.   We talk about the market, Clive’s business philosophy and where Navium is heading and how it fits in with Pine Walk and the wider, and now restructured, Fidelis operation.  But because this is Clive, we get into something that we rarely talk about elsewhere:  Listening back, we grapple with the true art of underwriting and how to play yourself into a strong market position. We learn how you can be a really technical underwriter without being the least bit boring and how you need to be ultra-selective and teach yourself to maximise opportunities whenever they arise.  We also get an idea of how you can turn down large amounts of under-priced business but at the same time make the brokers keep coming back to see you.   After two interviews I’ve got my own theory. I think people come to see Clive because they really enjoy his company.  I think he is someone you could talk to about anything and he would make it an interesting conversation and an honest an unflinching exchange of views. I get the feeling Clive makes all the people he talks to feel understood and special.  Here Clive even reveals a historical interest in the battle of Waterloo and burnishes his prog rock credentials by bursting straight into song!  We both had a lot of fun – and I learned a huge amount - and so will you.  NOTES  Abbreviations:  TLO is a Hull insurance abbreviation for Total Loss Only.  ULR is the Ultimate (Net) Loss ratio.  Rinku Patel is mentioned as being in the room with us. He is CEO of Navium’s incubator Pine Walk and is also now COO of Fidelis MGU as well as being its UK CEO.  The quote ‘No battle plan survives the first shots of war/first contact with the enemy’ has been attributed to many, including Napoleon, but probably dates back to an 1871 paper by Prussian Field Marshal, Helmuth von Moltke.  And finally, here’s a link to the 1973 progressive rock classic Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake &amp; Palmer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLS0Med0s6E the original had to be split into 3 parts so that it could fit on a vinyl LP! Clive’s part comes in at 8’40”…  LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: https://www.advantagego.com/

It's great to have Clive Washbourn back on the show. The Episode I recorded with him two years ago has been the most downloaded of any so far, so it’s obviously going to be good for business to do a follow-up. But it’s more than that. Clive is one of those people who is famous in the market. He is someone who people tell stories about, so you’ve heard about him even if you haven’t met him. So when he founded his Navium MGA it was a no-brainer to ask him on the show. I had no idea what to expect. What happened was Clive being an absolute force of nature and one of the most revealing and fun interviews I have ever been a party to. We did that one under a lockdown over a video call. This time we are face-to-face in Navium’s office on Lime Street in the heart of the London market. It makes a huge difference to be physically in the room with someone like Clive. He really comes alive. What follows is another tour de force which reveals what is driving this remarkable marine MGA and what has pushed it to produce an amazing $360mn in gross written premium. We talk about the market, Clive’s business philosophy and where Navium is heading and how it fits in with Pine Walk and the wider, and now restructured, Fidelis operation. But because this is Clive, we get into something that we rarely talk about elsewhere: Listening back, we grapple with the true art of underwriting and how to play yourself into a strong market position. We learn how you can be a really technical underwriter without being the least bit boring and how you need to be ultra-selective and teach yourself to maximise opportunities whenever they arise. We also get an idea of how you can turn down large amounts of under-priced business but at the same time make the brokers keep coming back to see you. After two interviews I’ve got my own theory. I think people come to see Clive because they really enjoy his company. I think he is someone you could talk to about anything and he would make it an interesting conversation and an honest an unflinching exchange of views. I get the feeling Clive makes all the people he talks to feel understood and special. Here Clive even reveals a historical interest in the battle of Waterloo and burnishes his prog rock credentials by bursting straight into song! We both had a lot of fun – and I learned a huge amount - and so will you. NOTES Abbreviations: TLO is a Hull insurance abbreviation for Total Loss Only. ULR is the Ultimate (Net) Loss ratio. Rinku Patel is mentioned as being in the room with us. He is CEO of Navium’s incubator Pine Walk and is also now COO of Fidelis MGU as well as being its UK CEO. The quote ‘No battle plan survives the first shots of war/first contact with the enemy’ has been attributed to many, including Napoleon, but probably dates back to an 1871 paper by Prussian Field Marshal, Helmuth von Moltke. And finally, here’s a link to the 1973 progressive rock classic Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake &amp; Palmer: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLS0Med0s6E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLS0Med0s6E</a> the original had to be split into 3 parts so that it could fit on a vinyl LP! Clive’s part comes in at 8’40”… LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: <a href="https://www.advantagego.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.advantagego.com/</a>

Ep173 Clive Washbourn of Navium: Welcome back, my friends

Clive Washbourn is a legendary figure in the marine insurance market.   His enviable track record of profitability has made him probably the nearest thing to a celebrity within that very particular, and often very difficult to underwrite, subset of our sector.   So when the news came out that he had started his own marine MGA Navium, on Fidelis’s Pine Walk platform I made sure I put in a request for an interview.  Despite so many years covering the markets I hadn’t met Clive before but you wouldn’t tell from this interview.   Clive is the real deal.   In this episodel I found a lead underwriter completely at ease with himself and rejuvenated at the prospect of building a new business with the benefit of a successful career behind him.   He was also infectiously happy, immensely charismatic and instantly likeable.   What follows is a masterclass in entrepreneurial spirit and the art of successful underwriting.  I also think it reassuring proof that personality still has a huge amount to play in success in many corners of the insurance world.   NOTES Clive and I couldn't remember exact dates, but the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger aviation war loss indeed occurred 20 years ago, in July 2001. Abbreviations: TLO = Total loss only; IV = Increased Value. LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo - enabling an enterprise view of exposure: https://www.advantagego.com/ We also thank Claims Direct Access (CDA) and Free Partners for their support today: https://www.claimsdirectaccess.com/ https://freepartners.com/

Clive Washbourn is a legendary figure in the marine insurance market. His enviable track record of profitability has made him probably the nearest thing to a celebrity within that very particular, and often very difficult to underwrite, subset of our sector. So when the news came out that he had started his own marine MGA Navium, on Fidelis’s Pine Walk platform I made sure I put in a request for an interview. Despite so many years covering the markets I hadn’t met Clive before but you wouldn’t tell from this interview. Clive is the real deal. In this episodel I found a lead underwriter completely at ease with himself and rejuvenated at the prospect of building a new business with the benefit of a successful career behind him. He was also infectiously happy, immensely charismatic and instantly likeable. What follows is a masterclass in entrepreneurial spirit and the art of successful underwriting. I also think it reassuring proof that personality still has a huge amount to play in success in many corners of the insurance world. NOTES Clive and I couldn't remember exact dates, but the Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger aviation war loss indeed occurred 20 years ago, in July 2001. Abbreviations: TLO = Total loss only; IV = Increased Value. LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo - enabling an enterprise view of exposure: <a href="https://www.advantagego.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.advantagego.com/</a> We also thank Claims Direct Access (CDA) and Free Partners for their support today: <a href="https://www.claimsdirectaccess.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.claimsdirectaccess.com/</a> <a href="https://freepartners.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://freepartners.com/</a>

EP 85 Clive Washbourn CEO Navium: The market is always good