When we gathered some of the industry's leading lights round a table in this great coastal retreat last year, we heard tales of how hefty H1 nat cat and man made losses might hasten the end of the latter stages of the late-soft market cycle, that reserve releases were dwindling, the world was becoming a palpably more dangerous place and that unprecedented low investment yields and the danger of claims inflation meant that pure underwriting profits had never been a higher priority.
Read on and you will see that 12 months on little has changed - except for the demonstrable sense of frustration with the state of the market that boiled over when the discussion got going! I shan't spoil the fun, but let's just say that the eternal joust between broker and underwriter was skilfully re-enacted for your delectation down at the Fairmont Hotel overlooking the azure Mediterranean sea.
Please click here to download the 2011 Insurance Insider Reinsurance Roundtable.