Reinsurers tend to concentrate on pricing risks, but this might lead to missing “the bigger picture”, said Laurent Rousseau, CEO EMEA, Guy Carpenter speaking at the Reinsurance Symposium in Baden Baden. There is a clear difference between value and price, he observed, and the industry should abandon a strictly quantitative view.

He emphasized that while the core of reinsurance remains focused on providing capacity, expertise, and innovation in structuring complex risk solutions, there is a shift towards resilience and sustainability, driven by the growing frequency of climate-related events and the need for better risk mitigation. The reinsurance value proposition is evolving to meet the needs of a rapidly changing risk landscape. However, he pointed out that he disagrees with the idea that uncertainty has never been so high as nowadays, although it is true that there new risks evolving, either from the AI or from the increasing frequency and severity of weather risks, as demonstrated by the annual losses higher than USD 100 billion.

Rousseau pointed out that clients increasingly look to reinsurers not only for traditional coverage but also for strategic guidance on navigating emerging risks, such as cyber threats, geopolitical tensions, and inflation. At Baden-Baden, Rousseau stressed that reinsurers are uniquely positioned to help clients manage volatility, balance sheet protection, and long-term financial stability through more dynamic and data-driven approaches.

The value proposition, according to Rousseau, is being enhanced by advancements in data analytics, AI, and predictive models, which allow reinsurers to offer more precise pricing and innovative solutions tailored to individual client needs. In this evolving landscape, reinsurers are becoming partners in risk management, helping insurers to build more resilient portfolios and better respond to catastrophic events.