Ep258 Mark Wheeler: Not capital-lite

The Voice of Insurance

I really enjoyed recording this podcast. That’s probably because since I last spoke to Mark Wheeler, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Mosaic Insurance, a full three-and-a-half years ago, he has been able to execute and begin to reap the rewards of all the plans he laid out in Episode 99.
There’s nothing like a sub-80 combined ratio to put a spring in your step and validate the vision you had when you founded the business, particularly when it comes relatively early in a start-up’s life.
Mosaic has now built out its global platform and wrote over 660 million dollars in gross premiums in 2024, with that number set to grow as the group continues to scale.
This interview distils the group’s highly-specialist added-value underwriter-led philosophy in excellent detail.
But at its core, this podcast is really all about a real Lloyd’s expert making the most of all the advantages of the market’s unique syndicated underwriting and capital platform.
It’s about the deep understanding of risk and the many shades of diversified capital that that risk can be connected to to create a sustainable ultra-specialist insurance business.
Mosaic has its own capital, third-party capital, specialist reinsurance relationships and a large group of syndicated insurance partners underwriting alongside it.
It is highly diversified and is set to diversify more.
It’s capital-efficient, but certainly not capital-lite.
Today this is an almost unique model but at the same time it will be a very familiar one to anyone who knows Lloyd’s longer-term history.
As the market splits into leaders, followers and data-heavy portfolio managers, here’s as good a summary of the 21st century lead underwriter model that you are likely to hear anywhere.
Mark is a charming guest and this is one of those interviews that just crackled along of its own accord, without prompts.
I can highly recommend a listen.
NOTES:
Mark Mentions a Toby. This is Toby Smith, Mosaic’s CEO of the Americas
He also mentions Burkhard, which is Burkhard Keese, former CFO of Lloyd’s.
FAL (Pronounced as a word) = Funds at Lloyd’s
CISO = Chief Information Security Officer
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