Ep218 Jeff Radke Accelerant: What underwriters want to be

Some podcast interviews are really fulfilling to be involved
with. Sometimes it’s the rapport I have with the guest and
sometimes it’s the subject matter and the insights that I find
the most satisfying.


Today’s podcast is a rare combination because it’s both of the
above. Jeff Radke Co-Founder and CEO at Accelerant Holdings, is
clearly on top of the world in this interview.


His business is absolutely flying; it’s now employing around 375
people and is connecting an amazing 190 MGAs with 12 insurers and
66 reinsurers on both sides of the Atlantic.


The organisation wrote just over $1.7billion of premium in 2023.
This is about four times the size the business was when we last
spoke just over three years ago.


Jeff is great fun to be around, but it’s the vision and
understanding of how the whole structure of large parts of the
specialty insurance sector is changing that is what makes this
such a good listen.


Back in the old days growth at this speed might have been frowned
upon, or at least viewed with a certain amount of scepticism.


Not now – these days technological change means that the ultimate
capital providers can drill right down into as much detail of the
risks their capital is supporting as they want and they can asses
the quality of their book in almost real time.


Jeff has had a career that has given him an incredibly detailed
view of the insurance value chain and his vision for how the new
ways the constituent parts of that chain are sharing out the
value that they create in much more meritocratic ways is
fascinating.


So If you have been spending time wondering why the MGA boom
seems to have continued unabated even with a hard insurance
market and a major reset in reinsurance, this is easily the most
eloquent and enjoyable explanation you’ll hear on the subject.


You’ll also learn of Accelerant’s plans around captives, his
thoughts on Lloyd’s as well as underwriting classes as diverse as
fish drying and credit


LINKS: We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo:


https://www.advantagego.com