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[00:00:02] Paul Lucas: 
Hello everyone, welcome to Insurance Business TV as we delve into the Canadian insurance markets ahead of the Canadian RIMS event. The economy in Canada, of course, is generally solid. So what opportunities or challenges does this present to the insurance sector and is capacity keeping up? Here to discuss the state of play is Brad Randell. He is head of Canada at Axis Insurance. Brad, welcome to Insurance Business TV. 

[00:00:27] Brad Randell: 
Thank you, Paul. It's a pleasure to speak with you. 

[00:00:29] Paul Lucas: 
So let's talk about those market conditions then, Brad. Where are the opportunities for growth right now? 

[00:00:36] Brad Randell: 
Sure. Axis is a long-term P&C carrier in the Canadian market. And we view the Canadian market as dynamic, with excellent opportunities for future growth in specialty. Our overall re-adequacy measures continue to perform well. We hear from our brokers increased demand for efficiency, service, as well as security. From our customers, we're seeing them shift with new economic realities, economic trade, periods of uncertainty, perhaps. Our core business continues to perform well and as a strategic priority for our long-term success in the country. We see accelerated growth in key areas such as professional liability, environmental, construction. Within professional liability specifically, we're seeing increased demand for design professional E&O as well as financial services. 

[00:01:30] Paul Lucas: 
So a lot of positivity there, but I want to get the other side of the plate from you as well, if you don't mind. Where would you say are the major challenges in the market right now? 

[00:01:39] Brad Randell: 
Sure. And there will always be challenges that have to be navigated and contended with. Specific areas that we're watching and focused on at the moment would be cyber, as well as public D&O, where we're working to find that right balance between risk and underwriting. On the commercial casualty side, Canadian manufacturers who are adapting to the new realities of global trade are expanding into new territories, new geographies, and are partnering with markets like Axis who can expand with them. But overall, the market does remain stable, and that creates optimism for opportunities in the immediate future. 

[00:02:16] Paul Lucas: 
You spoke a little bit there about finding a balance. This is, of course, quite a dynamic trading environment. So how is Axis responding to that? 

[00:02:25] Brad Randell: 
Right. It's really becoming very important that our underwriters are intensely focused on their market-facing activities, service responsiveness in particular. We're using technology to support our quote, bind, and issuance process, not only to make it more expeditious, but also to do it in a way that enhances contract certainty and expands the working knowledge of our underwriting appetites and priorities. And we're intensely focused on our strategic broker partnerships where we trade at pace and at scale. And this elevates our level of engagement, as I mentioned before, by communicating clarity around underwriting appetites and the priorities that we have. I'd be remiss if I didn't speak about our claims organization, which has been an incredible investment by Axis into a world-class in-house claims capability with strong technical talent and market leadership capabilities. And ultimately, when we look at our claims fee and we see this as a true competitive advantage. 

[00:03:29] Paul Lucas: 
Well, that's one advantage. But is there anything at Axis Canada right now that the brokers are particularly keen to hear about? 

[00:03:36] Brad Randell: 
Well, we're excited that we're leveraging our Axis global capabilities and building out business adjacencies here in Canada, which complement our core lines. You know, for example, I mentioned earlier, environmental impairment liability, capabilities in construction. These areas align very nicely with our design professional portfolio and serve a similar customer base, which we see as a tremendous opportunity for future growth. And then finally, local market presence. We've added underwriting and claim staff in key centers such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Halifax to extend our local market reach and to meet the customers and our brokers where they trade. 

[00:04:15] Paul Lucas: 
Obviously, a lot to watch for at Axis then Brad. Anything else that you would want our viewers to know? 

[00:04:23] Brad Randell: 
Just to emphasize the points, we're incredibly excited about our new appetites in construction, environmental, professional liability, and programs. And we're excited for the future that that holds and the teams remain fully engaged in executing on those strategies. 

[00:04:40] Paul Lucas: 
All right. Exciting times indeed. And indeed, huge thanks for your time today, Brad. Hopefully, there will be lots more for you to watch out for, dear viewer. So keep it right here on Insurance Business TV.