2026年保险业首席执行官获胜的10件事

10 to do’sfor Insurance CEOsin2026 Global dynamics have accelerated. Fragmentinggeopolitics, more interventionist industrial policies, anddigital sovereignty are forcing insurance executives torethink where to deploy capital, talent, and technology.Private capital is structurally reshaping insurancethrough run-off deals, consolidation, and asset-intensive Looking back to 2025growth, relevance, resilience In last year’s edition,1we argued that insurers needed to grow faster wherethey had a right to win, remain relevant to customers and society, and buildresilience into earnings and capital. That logic still holds as shareholders stilldemand growth, capital discipline, and a clear portfolio story. M&A activityhas become more polarized, with private capital often setting the pace inattractive segments, while undifferentiated core books continue to trade Three catalysts for insurers in 2026 Geopolitics and regionalization are now key operating constraints.Geopolitics has moved from background noise to a CEO- and board-leveldesign variable. Insurers must make explicit choices on where they deploycapital, talent, and technology, and how they operate across regions with Private capital has become a permanent competitor, partner andbenchmark.Private equity and private markets are now embedded ininsurance economics. They are reshaping distribution, scaling asset-ledmodels, and funding infrastructure-heavy platforms. They are also moving AI is (finally) scaling — redefining both decision-making and riskmanagement.Across financial services, AI is shifting from automationto decision support. In insurance, agent-based systems are beginning toinfluence underwriting and service decisions in personal and SME lines,while in complex businesses AI increasingly acts as a copilot for expertjudgment. In parallel, the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure is creating 10 to do’sfor insurance CEOsin 2026 ACCELERATE ALIGNMENT ON A SINGLE STRATEGIC NARRATIVE There is a lack of alignment on strategic priorities while privateequity is accelerating its efforts. Decide the few bets that matter,align the operating model behind them, and visibly tie capital and RUN M&A, DIVESTITURES, AND REINSURANCE AS ONE CAPITAL PORTFOLIOBuy where you can win, exit where you can’t, and recycle capitalsystematically into future profit pools — with clear rules, stagegates, and a ringfenced capability systematically operating DESIGN FOR TURBULENCE AND REGIONAL SHOCKS Treat geopolitics and regional regulation (such as data and AIlocalization requirements) as design constraints rather than tail DECIDE YOUR ROLE IN THE ASSET MANAGEMENT-LED INSURER MODEL The insurance balance sheet is now a global funding platform forprivate assets. Decide what roles to play in this ecosystem — keep SEIZE THE AI INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDOUT OPPORTUNITY AI is prompting a once-in-a-generation build cycle. Integrateofferings to serve hyperscalers’ and infrastructure developers’ REORGANIZE AROUND CUSTOMER NEEDS Shift from incremental product enhancements to integrated,tech-enabled solutions (blending first- and third-party offerings)that address large, unmet customer needs — supported by a MAKE FINANCIAL WELLNESS AND RETIREMENT A REAL BUSINESS Integrated solutions around financial wellness and retirementhave long been an aspiration for the industry. As needs arebecoming more acute, move beyond products and pilots to build RESET DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIPS AROUND SHARED OUTCOMES Use AI, data and joint venture settings to rebuild bank, broker, andplatform partnerships around shared customer outcomes, jointeconomics, and human-first augmentation — or risk watching BUILD AN AI-NATIVE WORKFORCE — WITH HR AND IT AS CO-OWNERSIntegrate HR and Technology to upskill at scale, acceleratedecisions, and reinvent the talent value proposition to build Simplify structure, shorten decision paths, and align incentiveswith each business’s objectives for a world where cycles are faster, ACCELERATE ALIGNMENT ON A SINGLESTRATEGIC NARRATIVE There is a lack of alignment on strategic priorities while privateequity is accelerating its efforts. Decide the few bets that matter,align the operating model behind them, and visibly tie capital Many insurers still struggle with fragmented strategy.Multiple priorities, inconsistent signals to investors, and operating models that only partially reflectstated ambitions. Meanwhile, private capital-backed competitors act with speed,coherence, and discipline, supported by clear equity stories and tightly alignedexecution. The real gap for insurers is often less about — (internal) leadership Insurance CEOs must define a small number of strategic bets that genuinelymatter for competitive position, and enforce them.This requires explicitlymapping where the company competes on scalable platforms (where fixedcosts, data, and network effects drive advantage) versus where it relies on deepexpertise in narrower segments. Each position demands a different op