Bridgehaven CEO, Paul Jewell was invited by Insurance Post to contribute to their ‘Insurers Review of the Year 2025’ article.
Paul was asked for his views on several topics, and we have highlighted these below.
What was your highlight as a business in 2025?
“We’ve had an incredibly successful year, but if I had to pick one highlight, it would be the acquisition of SureStone Insurance DAC in Dublin.
This was a significant milestone for Bridgehaven and the first step towards expanding into the European market, an important region for us in the coming years.
We were also pleased to end the year with 15 MGA partnerships, managing close to £500m in binder premium.”
What was your biggest disappointment as a business in 2025?
“Our industry sector is hugely supportive to the economy, society and climate transition. However, all too often, this excellent work is overlooked and not recognised, which was particularly noticeable in 2025. We need to do a better job of raising our industry profile and celebrating the huge societal contributions the sector makes.”
What was the best news for the UK insurance sector in 2025?
“Despite a market showing increasing signs of softening, the best news for the UK insurance sector is how MGAs have responded, doubling down on technical underwriting capabilities and quickly adjusting their approach to pricing to counter the prevailing conditions.
It’s also been encouraging to see both insurers and MGAs exploring alternative methods of risk transfer and new sources of capacity. This increased diversity of capitalisation strengthens our sector’s resilience, helping it to avoid the single point of failure that can be the downfall of even the smartest insurers.
The increase in enquiries we’re seeing at Bridgehaven reflects a market that is open to rethinking how capacity is structured and deployed, and we’re pleased to be part of the positive evolution of the (re)insurance market.”
If you had a time machine and could go back to the 1 January 2025, what would you do differently?
“Knowing what the weather would actually be well ahead of time, instead of leaving it to forecasts. Just think, you could actually plan days out when there is no rain. Happy days.”
How would you say the insurance sector is positioned for 2026?
“2026 will not be without its challenges. Softening in areas of the market, continuing geopolitical, economic and financial uncertainty make for an unsettled outlook.
However, I remain optimistic about our sector’s ability to respond and rise above these challenges. We’re seeing an acceleration in innovation across the market, with insurers taking a more sophisticated approach to embedding better data and analytics, as well as AI solutions. The targeted application of these solutions will be vital in helping them to respond to market conditions, refine their appetites and better understand and manage the risks on their books.”
If you could be granted one wish for 2026, what would it be?
“My one wish for 2026 would be for Bridgehaven to become the byword for excellence in hybrid insurance across Europe. As we forge ahead with our expansion plans, I want the team to be proud of what we’re achieving both in the UK and Europe.”
What would be the title of your dream insurance conference in 2026 and where would it be held?
“My dream insurance conference would be held during the first week in June, in Monaco, why not combine the event with F1!
It would be called, “On track for growth: steering insurance into the fast lane,” something that gives a nod to the location, whilst reflecting our wishes for the UK insurance market in 2026 and beyond, kicking up a gear and racing ahead on the world stage.”
Click the link below to visit the Insurance Post website for the full article (subscription required).