Sunday 10 – Wednesday 13 August 2025
Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, Windsor, NSW
anziif.com/risc
The Reinsurance International Study Course (RISC) is widely considered the premier reinsurance training course in the southern hemisphere. The RISC program is a uniquely structured 4-day intensive, experiential course offering participants the opportunity to work together in syndicate teams to live the reinsurance process and directly apply learnings to real-life scenarios. The program also provides participants with the opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals and foster lifelong connections.
WHAT MAKES RISC UNIQUE?
• Exclusive learning opportunity: Participants will get access to, and guidance from, senior practitioners who are among the industry’s top reinsurance experts. All have deep technical expertise honed from decades of international and regional industry experience.
• Uniquely structured: Four days of intensive experiential learning that combines hands-on syndicate group work, expert presentations, knowledge sharing and team-building activities.
• Active learning: Participants are grouped into syndicates and immersed in a real-life case study to design and test the optimal reinsurance program. Using physical and digital tools, they will be mentored by a syndicate adviser in a small group to collaborate on the creation of the reinsurance program.
• Assessment benefits: Participants that complete all the assessments can gain credit towards their ANZIIF membership. They also are eligible to claim a digital badge, which can be shared via LinkedIn, email or a variety of other online formats.
• Course inclusions: Accommodation, meals and activities are provided throughout the four days, as well as complimentary return transport from Sydney CBD.
“There will be numerous benefits for my
getting
to meet and
learn
career of attending RISC.
I really
enjoyed
from people with a wide variety of professional and educational backgrounds, including a broader network within my industry and in adjacent industries.
I’ve
gained a stronger understanding of the foundations of reinsurance and improved my confidence in my softer skills, especially presenting and time management.”
Esther David Associate Broker
Gallagher Bassett (2024 John Allison Award Winner)
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
RISC provides practical experience regarding the interplay between risk appetite, reinsurance and capital management.
The course is ideal for mid-level professionals i.e. those with approximately three or more years of insurance experience who work directly or indirectly in insurance or reinsurance, including underwriters, claims practitioners, brokers, lawyers, actuaries and finance professionals.
ABOUT THE COURSE
The four-day intensive reinsurance study course consists of 8-10 hours of presentations by leading experts from the reinsurance industry and approximately 18-20 hours of syndicate work.
Syndicates will be asked to digest a case study on a fictional insurance organisation and then address the related questions and learning outcomes. Acting as management representatives, syndicates will prepare and present a recommendation to the Board on the optimal reinsurance arrangements for the upcoming renewal.
Syndicates are required to:
• make broad assumptions about the company’s direction and risk appetite
• evaluate and design a reinsurance program
• interact with board members and reinsurers in a simulated real-world experience.
The syndicates will be supported and guided by syndicate advisors, who are insurance/reinsurance practitioners with deep technical expertise honed from years of international and regional industry experience.
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST
Time Session
12:00pm - 1:00pm Arrival and light lunch
1:00pm - 1:05pm ANZIIF Welcome
Katrina Shanks, CEO, ANZIIF
1:05pm - 1:15pm Offical Welcome and Course Opening
Irene Lai, Group Head of Underwriting Governance, Sustainability and Standards, QBE
RISC Insider - Board & Regulator
Andrew Allison, Principal, Allison Group Consulting
1:15pm - 1:25pm
Jurgen Hoffman, Trainer and Assessor, TAFE NSW
Irene Lai, Group Head of Underwriting Governance, Sustainability and Standards, QBE
Jonathan Wang, Client Manager, Munich Re
Risk Appetite and Reinsurance
1:25pm - 1:50pm
Jonathan Wang, Client Manager, Munich Re
1:50pm - 2:20pm Reinsurance Finance
Nick Hartry, Executive Manager, Reinsurance Operations, IAG
Property - Pro Rata and Risk XL
2:20pm - 3:20pm
Carl Longmore, Senior Specialist RI, Suncorp
3:20pm - 3:40pm Afternoon Tea
3:40pm - 4:55pm Syndicate Session
4:55pm - 5:15pm Break (Hotel room check-in)
5:15pm - 6:00pm Syndicate Session
6:00pm - 6:20pm Break
6:20pm - 7:00pm Keynote
Paul Allison
7:00pm - 8:00pm Dinner
8:00pm - 10:00pm Syndicate Activities
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST
Time Session
6:30am - 7:15am RISC FIT HIIT Exercise Class (optional)
8:30am - 8:40am Q&A Board Session
Andrew Allison, Principal, Allison Group Consulting
Jurgen Hoffman, Trainer and Assessor, TAFE NSW
Irene Lai, Group Head of Underwriting Governance, Sustainability and Standards, QBE
Syndicate Session
8:40am - 10:40am
In-room morning tea at 10:30am
10:40am - 11:15am Catastrohpe Modelling
Tobias Pfau, Chief Underwriting Officer, Unimutal
11:15am - 11:50am Catastrophe XoL
Victoria Clifford, Reinsurance Manager, icare
RISC Insider – Property Market Update
11:50am - 12:00pm
David Johnstone, Head of Australia P&C and General Manager - Australia Branch, SCOR Re
John Carroll, CEO Australia & New Zealand - Reinsurance Solutions, Aon
12:00pm - 12:45pm Networking Lunch
12:45pm - 1:15pm Catastrophe Pools
Mike Pennell, Chief Underwriting Officer, ARPC
Customised Solutions – RI Legacy Management
1:15pm - 1:45pm
James Mounty, Global Practice Leader, Customised Solutions, Gallagher Re
1:45pm - 2:15pm REMS
Andrew Allison, Principal, Allison Group Consulting
2:15pm - 2:25pm Break
Syndicate Session
2:25pm - 5:40pm
In-room afternoon tea at 3:30pm
5:40pm - 6:15pm Break
6:15pm - 7:15pm Dinner
7:15pm - 9:45pm Syndicate Case Study Session
DAY 3
Time
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST
6:30am - 7:15am
Session
RISC FIT HIIT Exercise Class (optional)
8:30am - 9:10am Casualty Reinsurance
Adam Baker, Executive Director - Broking, Gallagher Re
Actuaries in Reinsurance
9:10am - 9:40am
9:40am - 9:50am
9:50am - 12:00pm
Bo Jiang, Head of Public Sector Solutions, ANZ, Swiss Re
RISC Insider – Casualty Market Update
Kitty Ho, Head of Underwriting, Non-Life, Munich Re
Teresa Aquilina, Senior Vice President, Guy Carpenter
Syndicate Session
In-room morning tea at 10:00am
12:00pm - 12:45pm Networking Lunch
Casualty Catastrophe Deep Dive
12:45pm - 1:25pm
Teresa Aquilina, Senior Vice President, Guy Carpenter
Adam Baker, Executive Director - Broking, Gallagher Re
1:25pm - 1:50pm Emerging Risks
Irene Lai, Group Head of Underwriting Governance, Sustainability, and Standrds, QBE
Syndicate Session
1:50pm - 6:15pm
In-room afternoon tea at 3:15pm
6:15pm - 7:00pm Break
7:00pm - 10:30pm Dinner and activities
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST DAY 4
Time Session
6:30am - 7:15am RISC FIT HIIT Exercise Class (optional)
8:30am - 10:15am Syndicate Session
10:15am - 10:30am Morning Tea
10:30am - 12:30pm Syndicate Presentations
12:30pm - 1:00pm Syndicate Feedback
Lunch and Course Closure
1:00pm - 1:30pm
Presentation of the John Allison Award
“I went into RISC with the aim of discovering more about the interplay of different reinsurance programs in practice. I walked away with that and so much more. Being amongst like-minded professionals from diverse backgrounds and having the opportunity to learn, share and then apply your knowledge in the different elements of the syndicate work ensures everyone has an opportunity to walk away with what they came for.”
Jessica Chambers
Rural Affinity (2023 John Allison Award Winner)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of RISC, participants should be able to demonstrate proficiency in five key areas:
1. Strategic
• Articulate the importance of reinsurance in relation to a company’s strategy, growth and underwriting philosophy.
• Demonstrate how a company’s reinsurance program interacts with risk appetite and Board expectations.
• Analyse how reinsurance programs interact with portfolio management and underwriting practices also accounting for market dynamics.
2. Financials
• Analyse and interpret the impact of current reinsurance on a company’s financial position. Forecast a company’s financial position based on changes to the reinsurance program.
3. Technical
• Distinguish between the types of reinsurance: facultative (foundational), property quota share, property surplus, property risk excess of loss, property catastrophe, casualty.
• Choose the types of reinsurance applicable to specific portfolios/ classes of business.
• Describe how various reinsurance programs interact.
• Review and understand reinsurance contract wording.
• Demonstrate an understanding of catastrophe modelling.
• Apply the following tools to monitor underwriting performance at portfolio level:
– Risk profiles
– Large loss reports
– Underwriting results.
4. Regulatory Requirements
• Explain the regulatory minimum standard requirements for reinsurance – primarily the Insurance Capital Risk Charge (ICRC) (Australia). Other regimes include RBNZ MSC (New Zealand) and MSR (Pacific Island).
• Describe the purpose and calculation of the Natural Perils Vertical Requirement (NPVR) and Natural Perils Horizontal Requirement (NPHR) in deriving the ICRC and PCA multiple.
• Illustrate the relationship between reinsurance programs and regulatory capital requirements.
5. Structuring a reinsurance program
• Apply all learned concepts and structure a reinsurance program in line with risk appetite and strategic objectives.
• Implement all learned concepts into a Board report.
NETWORKING
In addition to learning about reinsurance, participants who attend RISC have the opportunity to build meaningful professional relationships that last well beyond the course.
ASSESSMENT BENEFITS
By successfully completing RISC, participants have the option to gain the following benefits:
ANZIIF Members
• Allied members and Affiliate CIP members will receive a complimentary upgrade to Associate CIP membership.
• Associate CIP members earn points towards their annual CIP point requirement.
• Senior Associate CIP members can claim 15 points towards the 100 points required for Fellow CIP membership.
Non-members
• Non-members who attend RISC can become eligible to apply for ANZIIF Associate CIP membership.
Digital Badge
ANZIIF have partnered with Credly’s Acclaim platform to provide you with a digital version of your achievement. RISC participants are eligible to claim a digital badge, which can be shared via LinkedIn, email or a variety of other online formats.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING RISC
Participants will need to successfully
Pre-course
• Complete the Understand Reinsurance online unit and assessment.
During the course
• Demonstrate their ability to work effectively in a team.
Post-course
• Complete the technical knowledge multiple-choice online exam within two weeks of the end of the RISC course.
PRE-COURSE PREPARATION
To ensure that participants will be adequately prepared for the study course they are required to complete a mandatory ANZIIF unit beforehand, Understand Reinsurance.
This online unit provides participants a solid grounding in the basics of reinsurance.
The Understand Reinsurance unit consists of:
• A learning pathway with the following four sections:
– Outlining reinsurance
– Methods of reinsurance and facultative reinsurance
– Treaty reinsurance and proportional treaty categories
– Non-proportional treaty categories and reinsurance claims.
• An online assessment with two parts:
– 15 multiple choice questions covering key knowledge
– 5 complex multiple choice questions designed to assess how participants apply the knowledge to different situations.
Participants who already have a basic knowledge of reinsurance should take up to 5 hours to complete the learning pathway and assessment.
Participants are required to complete the pre-course unit in their own time by no later than 11:59pm on Friday, 8 August 2025.
Participants will have access to the pre-course unit from Monday, 7 July. Instructions and details of the online pre-course unit will be emailed directly to participants approximately 6 weeks prior to RISC.
ORGANISING COMMITTEE
ANZIIF gratefully acknowledges the generous assistance and support of the 2025 RISC Organising Committee
Irene Lai
Group Head of Underwriting Governance, Sustainability, and Standards, (Organising Committee Chair) QBE
Andrew Allison Principal Allison Group Consulting
Teresa Aquilina Senior Vice President Guy Carpenter
Adam Baker Executive Director — Broking Gallagher Re
Victoria Clifford Reinsurance Manager icare
Jurgen Hoffman Trainer & Assessor TAFE NSW
Carl Longmore Senior Specialist RI Suncorp
Sally Nickerson Senior Underwriter Berkley Re
Tobias Pfau
Chief Underwriting Officer Unimutual
Jonathan Wang
Client Manager Munich Re
CASE STUDY REFINEMENT AND SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT FOCUS GROUPS
Jennifer Chung Senior Treaty Underwriter Gen Re
Esther David Associate Broker Gallagher Re
Andrew Davidson Senior Client Underwriter Swiss Re Asia
Cassie Dybal Reinsurance Broker Gallagher Re
Johanna Roman Casualty Treaty Manager Munich Re
SYNDICATE ADVISORS
Luisa Boyle Manager Partnering and Capital RAA
Jennifer Chung Senior Treaty Underwriter Gen Re
Victoria Clifford Reinsurance Manager icare
Cassie Dyball Reinsurance Broker Gallagher Re
Jurgen Hoffman Trainer & Assessor TAFE NSW
Bo Jiang Director, Head of Public Sector Solutions ANZ Swiss Re
Carl Longmore Senior Specialist RI Suncorp
NICK HARTRY Executive Manager, Reinsurance Operations IAG
Tobias Pfau Chief Underwriting Officer Unimutual
Johanna Roman Casualty Treaty Manager Munich Re
Alvin Seto Property Treaty Underwriter Munich Re
Jonathan Wang Client Manager Munich Re
EVENT DETAILS
Venue
Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way Windsor NSW 2756, Australia
Enrolment
Please enrol by Friday, 1 August 2025
Places are strictly limited so we recommend that you book early to avoid missing out.
CIP points
Upon completion of RISC, participants will earn 15 Certified Insurance Professional (CIP) points.
What to bring
Participants must bring a laptop to view and engage with course material. Please ensure your organisation’s firewalls allow access to the ANZIIF materials. A test link will be made available to you
Accessibility
The ANZIIF team are committed to making our professional development programs accessible to as many people as possible. If you (or someone you know) would like to attend this course and have hearing or visual impairments, please reach out to our team to discuss how we can support your learning experience.
Transport
If you require transport to the venue from Sydney CBD, please mark this on your registration form or advise the event manager. You are required to book a seat on the coach, if required.
Coach
This is a complimentary service for RISC Participants, please book a seat by selecting this option during registration or by emailing rciavarella@anziif.com
Departs: 10:00am, Sydney CBD - Corner Bathurst & George Street, Sydney
Arrives: 11:30am, Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Windsor
Departs: 3:00pm, Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Windsor
Arrives: 4:30pm, Sydney CBD - Corner Bathurst & George Street, Sydney
Car Parking
There is ample on-site parking available at no cost.
Oversubscription
In the event of oversubscription, the RISC organising committee reserves the right to accept registrations based on the principle of ensuring equal representation across the industry.
John Allison Award
This award is presented in honour of John Allison’s 51-year contribution to the reinsurance industry and, in particular, to the Reinsurance International Study Course. The award will be presented to the top performer of RISC 2025.
Further information
For further information please email Bec Ciavarella, Event Manager at rciavarella@anziif.com
“ANZIIF is an industry-leading organisation, and the reinsurance study course is highly acclaimed and recommended industry-wide. The course is well structured and accommodating to participants with varying backgrounds to reinsurance. It’s a great opportunity to challenge yourself and develop reinsurance expertise while also forging strong relationships within the industry.”
Ben Tan BE Insurance
(2022 John Allison Award Winner)