Rising interest rates: Impact for insurers

Summary

The strong reaction of central banks to the COVID pandemic and plummeting interest rates in March 2020 caught many insurers off guard. Solvency ratios collapsed and calls for stabilizing measures by regulators on the rates applied for solvency reporting became louder. Interest rates eased since 2022, particularly in the US. However, with inflation creeping in and the flight to quality keeping interest rates low in Switzerland, uncertainty remains high for Swiss insurers.

In this event, we explore the consequences of rising interest rates for the insurance industry:

• How are insurers exposed to interest rate risk?
• How can insurance companies manage interest rate risk?
• What are commonalities and differences to banks? Can banks help insurers manage their interest rate risk?

Our speakers will provide an in-depth perspective on origin and management of interest rate risk in insurance companies. This will be followed by a panel discussion in which differences and commonalities in interest rate risk exposure and management between banks and insurers will be discussed.

Following our event Rising interest rates: Increased risk? on 05.10.2023 this event will focus on the insurance perspective but addresses also banking professionals and asset managers.

Presenters and Panelists

• Florian Gomez, Head of Risk Modelling, PartnerRe
  Florian holds MSc and PhD degrees in Physics from ETH Zurich and joined PartnerRe in 2015. Between 2015 and 2022, he worked in multiple roles in the Life & Health department, covering topics such as biometric risk modelling, capital models, pricing methodology, profitability analyses, and financial projections. In 2022, he joined the Group Capital & Risk unit to take the lead of risk modelling (Life and Non-Life) for PartnerRe’s internal capital model. Florian’s key expertise is in risk and capital modelling, where he combines modern statistical modelling techniques with traditional actuarial methods.
• Merijn Schenk, Head Risk Frameworks & Corporate Risks, SwissRe
  Merijn obtained MSc and PhD degrees in Chemistry at the University of Amsterdam and joined SwissRe in 2007. He started in the risk modelling team and had various roles in Risk Management, Group Underwriting, and Treasury. Since 2021 he leads a team in Group Risk Management that focusses on top-level risk policies, limits, and liquidity risk management.
• Heidi Steiger, Head of Treasury, Sankt-Galler Kantonalbank
  Heidi Steiger (Dr. oec. HSG) studied economics and did her research at the Institute of International Economics and Applied Economics (SIAW) at the University of St. Gallen. Her dissertation dealt with econometric analyses of Switzerland’s active labour market policy. From 2006 to 2016, Heidi Steiger held various positions in risk management and risk modelling at UBS AG. In 2016 she moved to the Treasury area, where she most recently was global head of liquidity risk modelling. From 2021 to end of 2023, Heidi Steiger was Chief Risk Officer at St.Galler Kantonalbank. Since January 2024, she is Head of Treasury at St.Galler Kantonalbank

Moderation by Dominic Rau, Head Economic Performance, SwissRe & Board member Glarner Kantonalbank & Board member, Sympany

Agenda

17:45 Doors open – Name Tag Collection
18:00 Welcome (Pieter Klaassen)
18:05 1st Presentation (Florian Gomez)
18:25 2nd Presentation (Merijn Schenk)
18:45 Panel discussion ​(Dominic Rau, Florian Gomez, Merijn Schenk, Heidi Steiger)
19:05 Q&A (all)
19:25 Closure (Pieter Klaassen)
19:30 Networking drinks (all)
20:30 End

Chapter Event

This Chapter Event is available to members and free. We will be presenting one or more speakers to share their knowledge, updates and best practices on a specific risk topic. Within the small groups of risk professionals you can exchange thoughts and test ideas. This event is hosted by chapter “Risk Appetite“.