Articles by Emma Ann Hughes
UK insurance boards slash gender pay gap to 3%
The gender pay gap on UK insurance company boards has narrowed dramatically falling from 28% in 2020 to just 3% in 2024, according to EY’s latest Financial Services Boardroom Monitor.
Hidden pipework increasing scale of escape of water losses
Concealed pipework and long-term maintenance gaps are allowing minor escape of water issues to escalate, fresh claims data from McLarens has shown.
Throwback Thursday: Broker goes bust; Lloyd’s loss
Insurance Post’s Throwback Thursday steps back in time to January 1991 to remind you what was going on this week in insurance history when a broker went bust and Lloyd’s was less buoyant than it is now.
Are you ready to be stress tested by the PRA?
The regulator’s 2026 dynamic stress test will plunge insurers into a real-time, three-week crisis simulation unlike anything the sector has faced before, forcing firms to prove not just their capital strength but their ability to make rapid, data-driven…
Insurance Museum kicks off £3m fundraising for EC3
The Insurance Museum has launched a major fundraising campaign to realise its ambitions to open a museum in London’s EC3 postcode dedicated to the industry in three years’ time.
European product recalls fall for second consecutive quarter
Product recalls dipped slightly across the EU and UK in Q3 2025, data from Sedgwick shows, noting diverging regulatory approaches, sector-specific risks, and shifting trade pressures are shaping an increasingly complex product-safety landscape.
Why insurers should be forced to signpost customers properly
Editor’s View: The Association of British Insurers and British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s signposting commitment is a step forward, but Emma Ann Hughes fears without rules and enforcement too many vulnerable consumers will still be left without…
Throwback Thursday: Record fire loss; Sedgwick buys broker
Insurance Post’s Throwback Thursday steps back in time to January 1991 to remind you what was going on this week in insurance history when fire claims surged and Sedgwick was buying a broker.
CII uproots HQ once again
The Chartered Insurance Institute is moving its headquarters and London base for the third time in less than a decade.
Big Interview: Colin Johnson, Hadron International
As a former footballer turned fronting-carrier CEO, Hadron’s Colin Johnson knows the best managers succeed by creating a top team, who can achieve goals, and know the way the opposition plays.
Why Hadron CEO Johnson won’t repeat previous fronter playbooks
Colin Johnson, CEO of Hadron International, has explained why the playbook he is using at his new fronting insurer is not simply a repeat of those used by rivals.
HDI CEO Ogden exits after six years
Stephanie Ogden, CEO of HDI Global UK and Ireland, will leave the business on 31 January to become CEO of Munich Re Specialty - Global Markets.
Throwback Thursday: Thatcher’s honours; General Accident boycott
Insurance Post’s Throwback Thursday steps back in time to January 1991 to remind you what was going on this week in insurance history when former prime minister Margaret Thatcher honoured insurance men and brokers’ plans to teach General Accident a…
Lloyd’s insists diversity network funding is secure
Lloyd’s has stated funding for its inclusion and partner networks will remain unchanged for 2026 to 2027, despite recent media coverage suggesting otherwise.
Insurance Museum awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund grant
The Insurance Museum has been awarded a £249,700 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Trump’s stance pushes insurers to soften Net Zero goals
More than a quarter (27%) of the UK’s major general insurers have noted Donald Trump’s stance on climate change has had some negative impact on their organisation’s Net Zero strategy in 2025.
Ex-Aviva exec Riley awarded CBE for leadership and inclusion
Cathryn Riley has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to business leadership and inclusion in the 2026 New Years Honours List.
Axa UK’s Dougie Barnett hangs up his boots
Dougie Barnett is retiring after more than 40 years in the general insurance sector, most recently leading Axa UK’s customer risk management function.
Four biggest challenges facing insurers in 2026 revealed
Insurance Post reveals the four main challenges general insurers face in 2026 and the solutions experts from EY, the International Underwriting Association, AM Best, Moody’s, S&P, KPMG, Pathlight Associates and Sicsic Advisory say will matter most in the…
Why can’t the FCA see and act on the full claims picture?
Editor’s View: Emma Ann Hughes argues the Financial Conduct Authority can either continue to defend its frameworks after Which?’s super-complaint or accept that collecting data is meaningless unless it triggers earlier, tougher and more visible…
MGA Forecast of 2026
Entering 2026, MGA chiefs feel the sector is in a strong yet testing position buoyed by technology, specialism and capacity support, but facing a softening market that will reward those combining underwriting discipline, data-driven innovation and…
Insurers Forecast of 2026
Insurers are heading into 2026 well-capitalised, technologically accelerated and increasingly data-driven but softening markets, geopolitical volatility and emerging risks are set to test their resilience in the year ahead.
Broker Forecast for 2026
Brokers are bracing for a soft but fiercely competitive market in 2026 shaped by economic pressures, rapid digitalisation and widening technological divides.
Claims and Legal Forecast of 2026
The claims and legal sectors stand on the cusp of transformation as we hurtle towards 2026, facing policy reform, accelerating innovation and rising customer expectations in the year ahead.