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Insurance Business Review: Specials Magazine
Mandarin Re embodies the philosophy of a reinsurance that goes beyond risk transfer. It's about providing responsive and trusted support to insurers and brokers alike. For nearly a decade, it has excelled at understanding the specific needs of each client and providing intelligent, proactive risk mitigation and support. Blending deep underwriting expertise with advanced technology and regional insight, Mandarin Re delivers flexible, tailor-made reinsurance solutions to clients across a wide range of sectors, including property, engineering, marine and cargo in more than 100 countries. “Clients benefit from our personalized guidance, swift responsiveness and strategic support backed by technology,” says Mikhail Grishin, board member and chief operating officer. Tech-Driven Intelligence, Human-Centered Decisions As a tech-forward reinsurer, Mandarin Re leverages advanced capabilities to drive smarter, faster and more informed decision-making. At the heart of this approach is the use of data as a strategic tool. Historical claims data, regional risk profiles and economic indicators are leveraged to detect pricing discrepancies and market dynamics early and maintain balanced, profitable portfolios for clients. Its internal data platform tracks emerging risks, such as climate change impact and fluctuation in local economies, in real time, enabling it to be proactive and notify clients when pricing adjustments may be necessary, as well as advising them of renewals and coverage updates. The team also utilizes AI-powered underwriting tools that serve as a second opinion, improving accuracy and reducing bias. Powering Mandarin Re’s digital innovation and operational accuracy is MANIT Labs, its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary that provides insurers, reinsurers and brokers with intelligent software solutions for policy administration, data management, and workflow automation. These advanced data tools allow instant access to key metrics such as hit ratios, loss ratios, and underwriting results across a week, month, or year. Accurate performance insights are generated within seconds. Speed and precision in data analysis enable better decision-making and more effective partner management. While technology accelerates processes and enhances accuracy, all underwriting and claims decisions remain firmly in the hands of experienced professionals who bring human judgment to every case .
Insurance Claims Management And Handling Service
Storm Support Services
A Trusted Partner For Reliable Claims Management
Max Sollmer, General Manager
Queensland’s natural wonders define its identity, but its residents know all too well that living in this region comes with seasonal challenges like hailstorms. These events test the resilience of homeowners and communities as they rally to restore and rebuild. For many property owners, however, the most daunting task isn’t physical repairs but navigating the complexities of insurance claims, where resilience takes a different form. Storm Support Services—an independent intermediary and end-to-end claims management firm—offers a lifeline in these moments. It provides free damage inspections, takes charge of the entire claims process on the property owner’s behalf and connects them to licensed, vetted builders across Queensland to carry out repairs. “We focus on recent cases, generally within the last year, but we can backdate claims if necessary. From there, we manage the claim entirely and even cover the client’s excess up to a certain amount, allowing property owners to focus on recovery rather than unexpected expenses,” says Max Sollmer, general manager. This commitment to client-centricity, combined with over a decade of expertise in insurance product disclosure statements, Insurance Council of Australia guidelines and relevant legislation, has made Storm Support Services the go-to partner for Queenslanders recovering from storm impacts. A Helping Hand When You Need It Most Hailstorms hit hard, but insurance red tape hits harder. Once the skies clear, claims for hail damage are often denied, with insurers frequently citing insufficient evidence or disputing that the damage doesn’t meet their criteria. This issue has become increasingly common, especially during quieter storm seasons with fewer major hail events.
Embedded Protection Insurtech Solution
In today’s digitally driven marketplace, customers no longer perceive insurance as a standalone service to be purchased post-transaction; they expect protection to be embedded seamlessly into their digital experiences. This shift in expectations has created a strategic inflection point for insurers and digital platforms. At the forefront of this transformation is Cover Genius, a global insurtech company founded in 2014, which has redefined how insurance is distributed and consumed in the digital age. With operations in over 60 countries and all 50 U.S. states and more than 120 million policies sold, protecting over 41 million customers, Cover Genius exemplifies how embedded insurance can become a core component of the digital value chain. Embedding Strategy into Infrastructure What sets Cover Genius apart is not merely its international footprint but its strategic infrastructure, designed to align with the needs of the world’s largest digital businesses. The company’s flagship platform, XCover, represents a technological leap in insurance distribution. This single API platform enables partners to offer diverse lines of insurance—from travel to product warranties to logistics protection—within their native ecosystems. However, the system’s capabilities go beyond integration. It leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to offer real-time policy bundling and dynamic pricing tailored to individual user behavior and contextual transaction data. This approach enhances conversion rates and repositions insurance from a post-sale consideration to a proactive, integrated part of the customer journey. From a strategic perspective, Cover Genius addresses two perennial challenges in insurance, trust and convenience. Traditional insurance transactions often feel opaque and disconnected from the consumer's immediate needs. By embedding policies directly into the point of sale or service— whether during checkout on an e-commerce site, when booking travel, or while arranging a delivery—Cover Genius shortens the distance between product, service, and protection. This embedded approach ensures that customers receive relevant coverage when and where they need it most, creating a smoother experience and reducing friction points that typically plague insurance uptake.
CXO INSIGHTS
Digital Transformation - An Insurance Practitioner's Critique
Alp Altun, Transformation Programme Director, Prudential (PRU: LON)
Redefining Risk Management: Strategies for a Safer Future
Nhu Nguyen, Risk Data Analysis Manager, PNJ Group
Navigating the Dynamic Terrain of Modern Banking
Henky Sulistyo, Risk Management Director/Chief Risk Officer, CIMB Niaga
Cybersecurity in the Digital Age: Balancing Innovation, Risk, and Resilience
James He, Cybersecurity Director, L’Oréal
The Crucial Role of Third-Party Security in Digital Transformation
Luke Raines, IInformation Security and Technology Governance, Risk, and Compliance Manager, Challenger Limited
Navigating the Complexities of Commercial Finance
Tom Wallace, Director of Transformation & Project Management, Volvo Financial Services
Navigating Logistics Challenges in Australian Retail Apparel: Insights and Strategies
Veronica Denner, Head of Retail Risk & Logistics, APG & Co Pty Ltd
IN FOCUS
Microinsurance Models: Affordable Coverage for Emerging Markets in APAC
Microinsurance in the Asia-Pacific region addresses the needs of unbanked populations, utilizing innovative models and technology to enhance access to essential financial services and boost economic resilience.
HITL Underwriting as a Catalyst for APAC Insurance Transformation
It is the ultimate expression of balancing automation with expert judgment, creating a future-proof model for navigating the complexities of the APAC insurance market.
EDITORIAL
APAC Underwriting Is Shaping Global Insurance Trends
The Asia-Pacific region is fast becoming the proving ground for innovation in policy underwriting. With insurance penetration still uneven across markets, rising middle-class wealth, and regulators tightening oversight, underwriting in APAC has shifted from a back-office function to a strategic growth lever. APAC is not a single insurance market. It is a patchwork of highly developed hubs (Japan, Singapore, Australia), rapidly maturing giants (China, India), and underpenetrated economies (Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines). Policy underwriting services must therefore adapt to both extremes: hightech, data-driven underwriting in mature markets and simplified, low-cost policy assessment in emerging ones. Digital underwriting platforms are reshaping insurance distribution across APAC. Insurers are deploying AI-driven risk engines, optical character recognition (OCR) for KYC/AML checks, and predictive analytics to streamline policy approvals. In high-volume markets like India and China, automated underwriting has slashed turnaround times from weeks to minutes, especially for life and health insurance policies. Regulators across APAC are sharpening their focus on customer fairness, solvency, and data governance. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Australia’s APRA are pushing insurers to ensure underwriting models are transparent and explainable, especially where AI is involved. In China, regulatory tightening has forced insurers to reduce aggressive risk-pricing strategies, while India’s IRDAI is nudging toward simplified, digital-first underwriting that balances innovation with consumer protection. A key frontier in APAC underwriting is embedded insurance, policies offered seamlessly at the point of sale (travel, e-commerce, ride-hailing apps). Underwriting here is invisible, powered by APIs and real-time risk scoring. Similarly, parametric insurance, triggered by measurable events (like rainfall levels or flight delays), is emerging in agriculture and travel markets, requiring underwriting services to evolve into event-modelling experts. In APAC, policy underwriting services are no longer about “processing risk.” They are about enabling scale, trust, and inclusivity in markets where insurance is both a social need and a commercial opportunity. The winners will be those who can balance automation with judgment, growth with compliance, and scale with personalization. In this edition, we have featured insights from Chun Maw TEY, Head, Group IFRS 9 Model Validation & SG Credit Risk Model Validation, Maybank LW and Silvia Lam Ihensekhien, Director of Information Security and Risk Management, Swire Coca-Cola.
