Your Global Neighborhood

Buenos Aires born Hugo Porta is widely regarded as one of the greatest fly-halves in rugby union history.

Dubbed the ‘magician of Argentine rugby’ he credits his illustrious career to his quick thinking and strategic mindset; a skillset he attributes to his trade as an architect.

His diplomatic personality opened unexpected doors following his rugby career. He accepted a position as ambassador to South Africa and later became the Minister for Sport in Argentina.

The key to opportunity? Say yes.

In his speech he highlighted the importance of saying ‘yes’: to opportunities, roles, and challenges. Even when you are unsure of the ‘how’, just say yes and the rest will follow.

He also emphasized the importance of giving back to your communities to feel a true sense of purpose and reward.

Thank you, Hugo, for an inspiring kick-off to our conference.

This panel explored the unique dynamics shaping South American insurance markets and opportunities for growth.

Political cycles and catastrophe risk

Understanding how electoral transitions impact regulatory frameworks and market stability is crucial for long-term success.

New approaches to modeling, pricing and coverage in geographically diverse markets are necessary to protect against climate-driven events.

Benefits inflation

Due to rising healthcare costs and medical inflation across South America, organizations need to reshape their employee benefits programs to better suit their people’s needs.

Balancing AI

Firms are balancing the efficiency gains of automation with the need for human judgment in complex risk assessment.

Thanks to Enrique Acevedo (Correcol), Cassio Giometti (Sciath Benefit Solutions), Renato Lilienfeld (Lilienfeld Corredores de Seguros Ltda), and Ricardo Rosenthal (Makler S.A.)

In this session our industry experts outline how they adapt strategies to stay resilient and continue to drive growth in an unpredictable global landscape. No easy task.

Top trends discussed by the panel included climate volatility, geopolitical fragmentation, and cyber threats reshaping traditional risk models.

Future opportunities and resilience strategies

Our experts detailed how organizations that prioritize adaptive strategies and shift from risk avoidance to organizational agility are finding competitive advantages in volatile markets.

Growth in uncertainty

The key takeaway? The ability to respond quickly creates more value than perfect prediction.

Thanks to Evangelina Laciar (Leuru Group), James Smith (Aero Baires), Nicolas Schwartz (Grupo Simpa), and Liz Yovich (WBN).

AI is both a powerful tool and looming threat.

In this session we unpacked the growing threat of deepfakes and explored how organizations must rethink risk management to confront AI driven manipulation.

Authentication challenges and vulnerabilities

Traditional verification methods are becoming obsolete as AI-generated content becomes indistinguishable from reality.

Cyber criminals are taking advantage of this access by exploiting employees' personal devices and using them as entry points to corporate systems.

Risk and future-proofing

The same AI tools used to improve underwriting and claims processing can be weaponized against insurers and their clients.

Organizations need to continue investing in AI capabilities while simultaneously building stronger defenses against AI-enabled threats.

Thanks to Belen Navarro Rull (Zurich), Geoff Stooke (Becco), Frederico Vaccari (Norton Benefit Solutions), and Shane Carter (WBN).

Orlando Manners, Political Violence and Terrorism broker from Price Forbes, led a discussion exploring how brokers can stay ahead of the turmoil.

Global instability means constant shifting risk landscapes

He explained how brokers need to understand emerging global risks, advise on cross-border coverage, and position themselves as strategic partners in a world where uncertainty is the new constant.

Latin American landscape and risk

While political violence has decreased throughout the region in the last 24 months, upcoming elections may trigger new unrest as governments shift from left to right.

Every country has a unique set of needs and challenges. From Argentina's economic volatility to Colombia's guerrilla tensions, each market requires a tailored coverage approach.

Plus, China's expanding economic presence, US tariff policies, and gang designations are reshaping the risk landscape.

Supply chain exposure and market opportunity

Contingent Business Interruption coverage is crucial as geopolitical instability disrupts customer and supplier networks.

With fewer widespread events, the Latin American political violence market is softening, offering competitive rates and markets remain committed.

Thanks to Orlando, for this in-depth discussion.

Our panel unpacks how climate-driven disasters require full-spectrum risk management that goes far beyond traditional coverage.

Pre-loss prep and post-event recovery

The fundamentals matter when it comes to preparation. Organizations need clear plans, communication protocols, and to know where their people and assets are located. The recovery phase requires coordinated expertise across the WBN ecosystem, from claims advocacy to business continuity.

Be aware of geographic and location needs

Risk assessment must account for location-specific exposures – warehouses face different threats than retail operations or pipelines.

Collaborative response

Decisive action and real-time coordination between brokers, carriers, and specialist firms can minimize damage and protect lives. WBN's global network enables rapid deployment of specialist firms who collaborate and react as soon as disaster strikes.

Thanks to Carolina Fagianni (Crawford & Company), Michael Clark (OneDigital), David Rix (TUV SUD GRC) and Jen Blair (WBN).

Catalyst is built specifically for our network’s rising stars – helping to accelerate them up through the ranks in their organization.

Not only does it give them a network of people in the same shoes to collaborate with, but they also get access to our formal training program: The Catalyst Academy.

Combining leadership coaching, industry-specific training, and workshops at our global conferences, the academy gives members the foundations they need to succeed.

Graduates then move on to our Board Mentorship Program, where they continue to develop – getting one-on-one guidance from some of the best minds in the business.

Our Catalyst sessions at our global conferences are one of the best ways for our grads to grow.

In this session our Catalysts met with the some of the best and brightest leadership from LATAM WBN firms.

Speakers detailed their various career paths, successes and failures over the years, and shared priceless industry advice.