Energy & Construction (Re) Insurance Conference
Building Resilience: "Future Trends and Challenges"
ABOUT
UIB
UIB has a long track record of providing insurance and risk management seminars, in London, Dubai and Singapore, for many of the world’s oil and gas companies as well as other insurance industry practitioners.
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The need for the Energy & Construction (Re)insurance Conference stems from the fact that the global oil and gas industry represents one of the world’s greatest concentration of risk, whether from an individual accident or from a multitude of losses arising from a single incident. The energy industry has witnessed several high profile losses and violent attacks resulting in significant financial loss and operational disruption.
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The UIB Institute has been created to provide a focused training programme for our current clients and our prospective future partners.
The UIBInstitute’s core values are Excellence, Professionalism, and Knowledge.
With a wealth of relevant experience from insurance practitioners to be shared with the UIBInstitute members, the UIBInstitute will give insight into both, the commercial and technical aspects of Insurance and Risk Management that are required to meet the future goals envisaged by this sector of the insurance market.
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As part of UIB’s ongoing training commitment, our training does not end when the UIBInstitute end-of-conference certificates are awarded. As members of the Alumni Group, participants will receive market bulletins and training updates on the topics that have been covered during the intensive three-day period (the conference is also eligible for Continuous Professional Development points).
Our
Speakers
Shaun Barrington
CEO - United Insurance Brokers Ltd
Shaun, a graduate of Exeter University, is currently employed as CEO of United Insurance Brokers Limited (UIBL). He joined UIBL in October 2013, initially as Managing Director of the Non marine and Energy Division. In December 2014 he was appointed to the board and in January of 2016 was promoted to Chief Executive Officer, following a successful six-month stint as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Outside of UIB, Shaun also sits on the board of the London and International Insurance Brokers’ Association. In this role he joins 16 other leading figures from the London broking fraternity to actively discuss matters of mutual interest and enhance London’s role in the global Insurance arena. Prior to joining UIB, Shaun spent his first 10 years of employment at Sedgwick (which was purchased by Marsh in 1998). Departing from Marsh, he then spent 12 years at Willis in a variety of roles including heading up the transactional broking unit for their International Property division and more latterly Managing Director of Willis North America’s London and Bermuda operations. Shaun has 33 years of Insurance Industry experience, but away from the office is a keen golfer, tennis player and bridge player.
George Kabban
CEO - United Insurance Brokers (DIFC) Ltd
George is the Chief Executive Officer of UIB (DIFC) Ltd and also serves on the Board of Directors of UIB’s parent company, UIB Holdings (UK) Ltd. and is the Deputy Chairman of UIB Turkey. He is a founding member, and the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the DIFC Insurance Association. He has recently been re-elected to again serve on the board of directors of the DIFCIA. He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Insurance Business Group (IBG), an interest group formed under the auspices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to further the interests of the insurance industry and its interaction with other industries. Having more than 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, he is a postgraduate of the University of Southern California and holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing. He joined United Insurance Brokers Ltd., (London) in October 1987 and was one of the founders of UIB’s Oil & Gas Division. Previously, he had been with a leading international insurance broking firm responsible for the handling of Property and Casualty risks of major California-based multinational corporations. He is an expert in Well Control insurance and is one of the few insurance practitioners who has actually had first-hand well control experience in post-liberated Kuwait when he observed and worked with a specialist well control team on several wells burning out of control. George has authored, lectured and conducted Non-Technical Well Control Seminars in London and Internationally. He has been a prominent speaker at numerous national, regional, and international insurance conferences. He is a certified SCUBA diver and keen Alpine skier – from the deep blue to the high summit! George is fluent in English, Arabic and French.
Fabrizio Zoni
Senior Business Developer - Munich RE F&C
Fabrizio is a Senior Business Developer within Munich Re Facultative & Corporate (F&C) division. With his 35+ years of experience in the insurance Industry and his broad network within Munich Re he supports Munich Re F&C clients and brokers with cross class services. In his current role he is dealing with major Corporates and brokers on a worldwide scale. Frequent meetings with insureds and brokers to listen to their challenges are a vital part of his role. Fabrizio started his career in 1988 as an apprentice at Allianz Insurance Company in Cologne, Germany, focusing on Property insurance for Commercial and Industrial risks. In 1999 he moved to Munich as an Underwriter for International Property Programs for Large German Corporates before he joined Munich Re in 2002 as a facultative Underwriter for Greater China. Since 2005 he again focused on direct business as a Property Underwriter before he since 2009 moved to Client management to support direct clients and brokers.
Robert Brundrett
Managing Director - Energy & Construction, Head of Upstream Energy - UIB Ltd
Robert has over thirty years’ experience working with insurance in the oil and gas industry and has held various roles, including risk engineer, insurer and broker, including spending 15 years of his career overseas in various states of the Former Soviet Union. Positions have included separate roles as Technical Director of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan’s and Lukoil Oil company’s respective insurance/captive companies, General Manager of Marsh Kazakhstan, Marsh Regional Director for Oil and Gas in the CIS, and more recently Managing Director, Energy and Construction Division and Head of Upstream Energy at United Insurance Brokers. Robert has acted in many service roles either as lead broker, senior account manager or local support roles on many major international accounts, including Lukoil refinery and terminal programme, Kazmunaigaz E&P and refinery programme, Central Asian Gas Pipeline, Tengizchevroil, North Caspian Operating Company, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating, Dragon Oil, ENI Turkmenistan, CNPC Turkmenistan, Sakhalin Energy, Uz-Kor Azerbaijan International Operating Company, Baku Ceyhan Tbilisi Pipeline, South Causcasus Pipeline, Gobustan Operating, Salyan Oil, and numerous other oil and gas projects. Robert is a native English speaker and has good Russian.
Julia Koroleva
Head of Treasury - Basrah Gas Company (BGC)
Julia is a PhD in Sociology, Master’s degree in finance and public administration management and has 20+ years of experience in various finance and commercial leadership roles across the full Oil & Gas value chain. Julia joined BGC in mid-2022 – as a secondee by her employing company, Shell plc – as Head of Treasury. Apart from supervising and optimizing the financial cash streams of BGC, Julia is also leading the interface towards BGC’s banking and insurance partners. In line with the slogan ‘Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets’, Julia is passionate about the compliance topic and proactively drives the controls & assurance agenda for Shell and most recently in her role in BGC.
Mohammed Zeeshan Junedi
Senior Underwriter - GCube Underwriting Ltd
Mohammed is a Senior Underwriter on the onshore renewable energy team at GCube, looking at GCube’s Cargo, Solar PV, Wind and BESS portfolios. His primarily focuses on delivering the company’s product and strategy in MENA. He has previously worked at CHUBB UK and RSA Dubai. A Mechanical Engineer by background, he also has a Masters in Insurance and Risk Management from Cass Business School in London. Outside of work, Mohammed enjoys playing football, learning new languages and travelling.
Tomais Gaughan
Senior Underwriter - Energy - Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
Tom joined Zurich Middle East in May 2024. He has worked in the Upstream Energy market for over 12 years, operating in Lloyds Syndicates, before making the move to Dubai earlier this year. Having trained under some highly regarded Underwriters in the Upstream space at Aspen Insurance, Tom moved over to the Sirius Syndicate to help set up a new Energy Portfolio, finishing his time there as Head of Energy. He was also a founding member of the Joint Natural Resources Committee Sub-Committee for Sustainability in Lloyds. Tom has joined Zurich as a specialist in the Upstream Space, focusing on Upstream Energy and Offshore construction as part of the wider Energy division. He is a Chartered Insurer with the CII and has a degree in History from The University of Exeter.
Sneha Gosain
Underwriter - Energy - Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
Sneha Gosain joined Zurich Middle East in October 2018 as a fresh graduate within the role of Finance Operations Specialist. She transitioned into the Energy underwriting team in June 2021 as a Junior Underwriter focusing on upstream, downstream, and power sub-divisions and has subsequently been promoted to the position of Underwriter with Upstream Oil & Gas being her niche. Sneha has also had a 4-month stint at Zurich Singapore which gave her the opportunity to deep-delve into the Asian market and broaden her industry knowledge. Sneha is a graduate with a first in BA (Hons.) in Business Management (Finance) from Middlesex University Dubai, a Dip. CII qualification holder as well as an ACCA member specializing in Advanced Financial Management and Advanced Audit & Assurance.
Robert Watson
Head of Construction - Energy & Construction Division - UIB Ltd
Robert began his London insurance career at Aon in 1999, working as a Commercial Account Handler and then Client Manager. After seven years he moved to join Heath Lambert in their International Construction team as a Broker/Account Executive. In 2014, Robert moved to Lockton Companies and worked closely with their London Up/Middle/Downstream Energy team. He also set up Lockton’s London-based US Construction sub-team within his first year. Robert joined CIBL in 2019, focusing on Middle Eastern, African and US onshore construction projects, working closely with sister company Lochain Patrick on the onshore energy construction elements of projects for their offshore clients. Robert joined UIB in early 2023 to head up the Construction side of the Energy & Construction Division. He brings with him broad onshore experience in international energy, power, heavy civils and renewable energy projects across the Middle East, Sub-Saharan/North Africa, North America and Europe.
Mathieu Sahhar
Deputy Managing Director, Head of Downstrem - Energy & Construction Division - UIB Ltd
Mathieu joined UIB in 2012 after gaining a Bachelor Degree in Accounting and Finance from the Birkbeck College, University of London. Mathieu initially gained experience in the international property sector as a Broker for major international property clients and handled complex property placements, such as heavy industry risks, mining accounts and nationwide Airport programmes. The focus of this work was in Africa and the Middle East. Mathieu is now a Deputy Managing Director of UIB’s Energy and Construction team as well as the head of Downstream Energy and is responsible for some of UIB’s key energy clients and the marketing, renewal negotiation and placement of oil, gas, petrochemical and power generation business. Mathieu is a native French speaker and is able to utilise this skill when dealing in Francophone territories.
Charly Benga
Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing - Africa Re
Charly, an Electrical Engineer, is a seasoned Oil & Gas underwriter. He has been underwriting Oil and Gas for the past 16 years for Africa Re Abidjan.His Technical competences include the underwriting of Upstream and Downstream Businesses for Construction, Erection and Operational Risks. He currently serves as Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing in the Africa Re Abidjan office with portfolio located in Francophone West and Central Africa. Charly holds a Master Degree in Electrical Engineering from National Polytechnique School Yaounde, Cameroon.
May Hleileh
Chief Underwriting Officer - International Emirates Insurance Company Limited
May joined EIC in Jan 2024 as the CUO of International to run the Global portfolio across all lines of business. She has over 20 years of Global energy underwriting expertise, starting off her underwriting career at a Lloyds syndicate in London before transitioning to the companies market in 2006. She relocated to Singapore with this company in 2009 where she spent several years developing regional strategies in conjunction to underwriting. In 2013 she relocated to Dubai with a large corporate multinational where she was responsible for the Energy division locally as-well as holding a dual role as Global Head of Upstream Energy. Currently she represents the Emirates Insurance Association on the Offshore Energy Committee of International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) of which she has been a member since 2021. She regularly runs webinars and training events for Energy Insurance. She is a Chartered Associate of both the Insurance Institute and Institute of Risk Management. She has a Masters of Science degree in Insurance and Risk Management from City Business School and Bachelors of Science Joint Honors Degree in Mathematical Science with Economics and Finance.
Shazia Rafique
Underwriting Manager & Regional Product Leader- Downstream Energy (Central) - Liberty Specialty Markets MENA
Shazia Aslam Rafique leads Liberty’s Downstream Energy practise based in Dubai, DIFC with responsibility for UK, Europe and MENA markets. She oversees the Underwriting strategy of multiple lines of business within the Downstream Energy space and overall performance from a global lines perspective. Her role is to provide brokers and policyholders with a consistent approach to products and service across Liberty’s central region and has been instrumental in building the Energy portfolio in the MENA region over the past 15 years. As Liberty’s Regional Product Leader her responsibilities have been to establish key partnerships bringing risk solutions, advisory value and expertise to major Energy players. Shazia has over 20 years of wholesale and retail Energy Underwriting experience. Her education includes BSc Economics & Law along with the Oxford University LBA Executive Management program which allowed her to play a key lead role in delivering an advanced analytics business solution, as a part of a global Customer Centricity project.
Kamal Tabaja
Chief Operating Officer - Trust Re
Kamal is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute in the UK. He has a Bachelor of System and Computer Engineering from Carleton University in Canada. He started his reinsurance career in Treaty with Trust Re and has 22 years of experience in the industry. Prior to being appointed as COO, he has worked in various senior positions within the Organization including heading the Energy department at Trust Re which is specialized in Oil & Gas as well as Renewable Energy.
Tim Chapman
Global Segment Leader - Civil Works/ EMEA Head of Construction - SCOR
Having more than 30 years’ experience of construction, Tim holds a degree in Civil Engineering and is a Chartered Civil Engineer who has worked as a site engineer, design engineer, risk control engineer and now as an underwriter. He chaired LEG for 3 years stepping down in Dec 2023 and during this period drove the initiative for the changing nature of risk – Emerging Risks - with a focus on climate change and secondary perils, the drive to net zero and new materials as well as inflation and supply chain and additionally the energy revolution that we are currently undergoing. He has a focus on tunnelling projects having worked on the design and construction of these and now with his team leading the insurance policies of some of the largest projects in the world. Additionally, he worked on LEG tunnelling clauses and insurance coverage guidance notes for TBM’s.
Dr. Devine Obenndip, CEng MEI MIChemE MRSC
Senior Risk Engineer / Head - ERC Ltd
Divine is a professional Chemical Engineer and holds a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST). He has over 18 years of experience in the Chemical and Oil & Gas industries, and more recently, the Energy Insurance industry. This experience spans various fields, including R&D, Business Development, Concept Development/FEED, Plant Design, Operations, Safety & Loss Prevention. Divine joined UIB in September 2021, having previously fulfilled technical roles with some major multinationals, including AIG, Cumulus Energy Storage, Shell Global Solutions, Dow Chemical Company and Seagate Technology. He currently heads UIB’s London based independent engineering consultancy, Engineering Risk Consultants (ERC), and is responsible for developing, managing and implementing loss prevention/control and risk management/engineering programmes for the international Energy Insurance Markets and major clients, primarily in the energy sector. This involves conducting risk engineering surveys and providing risk control services (including training on industrial safety & loss prevention topics) worldwide in facilities as refineries, petrochemicals, LNG, terminals, chemicals and associated industries. He has worked with many clients, including the top Oil & Gas and Chemicals companies worldwide. Divine is a Chartered Chemical Engineer (CEng), a Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the Energy Institute (EI), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), as well as an IChemE registered Professional Process Safety Engineer (PPSE). He has more recently been elected to the panel of assessors for professional engineering Chartership with the IChemE, and also sits on the Steering Committee of the prestigious Oil & Petrochemical and Energy Risks Association (OPERA).
Natalia Smirnova
Underwriting Manager, Engineering Lines and Constructions - Zurich Insurance Company Ltd
Natalia has been with Zurich since 2023. She is a seasoned underwriting professional with over 13 years of experience in Construction, Energy and Power lines of business. Having been based in United Arab Emirates for 8 years Natalia has a vast expertise in international and regional insurance markets following her senior underwriting roles’ tenure at AIG, Sukoon Insurance and Berkshire Hathaway. Natalia has Master’s Degree in Chemistry and Biotechnology, and extensive experience working as a production engineer in the chemical industry.
Michael Dsane-Selby
Director - Fixed Asset Advisory Services - Kroll Advisory Ltd
Michael is a director within the Fixed Asset Advisory Services division of Kroll. He is also the city leader of the firm’s Abu Dhabi office. He assists companies with fixed asset management and valuation issues for a wide range of purposes including insurance placement, risk management, financial accounting, mergers and acquisitions and insolvency and restructuring. He has experience in the valuation of real estate, and machinery and equipment across a number of industries including utilities, aerospace, food and beverage, manufacturing, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and transportation. Projects he has been involved with have ranged from single sites to multiple locations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East regions. Michael has over 13 years of experience valuing tangible assets.
Rafic Abi Saleh
Underwriting Manager - War and Terrorism - Liberty Specialty Markets MENA
Rafic Abi Saleh covers Worldwide PV and terrorism related risks with a concentration on the Mena/Levant Region. A former insurer and reinsurance broker, he has more than 19 years of experience in the Insurance industry of which 10 years in the Political violence and Terrorism market. Based in the DIFC, Rafic and his team remain at the forefront of the terrorism market in the Mena region.
Dimaggio Rigby(CISMP)
Head of Cyber, Media and Tech Risk - Specialty Lines Division - UIB Ltd
Dimaggio is our Head of Cyber Media and Technology Risks which offers innovative risk-transfer solutions specific to a client’s industry and to serve their increasingly complex needs. Dimaggio has 10 years’ experience, having held both Senior Broker and Underwriter roles within the market, he possesses deep expertise in structuring innovative, specialist (re)insurance solutions and has worked with clients in many industry sectors globally. He enjoys working with clients to develop cutting edge policies for the modern business world, especially within Cyber physical property damage. Dimaggio is a member of the London Market Forum’s Cyber Leaders Exec Practice Group, a constant presenter within the Cyber Insurance market and a mentor at the Lloyd’s of London Innovation Labs.
Olivier Decombes
Principal Adjuster - SteegeXP Ltd
Olivier joined AqualisBraemar – now SteegeXP – in 2020 as a Director to strengthen the London office operations, managing complex Upstream, Midstream, Downstream, Power and Renewable Energy claims. After graduating from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques with a Chem. Eng. Degree, Olivier began a 12-year career in the Oil & Gas sector with Schlumberger as a field engineer, servicing clients in remote and challenging environments in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the US and LatAm. Olivier then transitioned into the Energy Insurance market working in both claims and underwriting positions, where he developed an extensive market experience and a deep understanding of his customers, and their coverage needs in the Natural Resource sectors of activities. Throughout his 30+ year career in the Energy and Insurance industries, Olivier has forged very strong relationships with Oil & Gas clients, with a clear understanding of their risk proposition and coverage needs. Olivier’s client engagement spans National Oil Companies, Independents and Supermajors across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Frederic-Camille Bensson
Head of Corporate Insurance (Americas/ Asia/ Middle East/ North Africa and Oceania) - Total Energies
Frederic is the Head of Risk Management and Insurance in charge of America, Asia, MENA, Oceania based in Paris. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Private and Criminal Law in the University of Limoges France, a Master‘s degree in Risk Management and Insurance in the University of Bordeaux France and attended HEC School of Management where he obtained his ICCF in Corporate Finance. He started his career in 2004 with Aon between Europe and US at the headquarter in Chicago. In 2012 He joined TotalEnergies SE Risk Management and Insurance Division and since has held several positions including Chief Underwriting Officer of Omnium Reinsurance Company SA, TotalEnergies SE ’s reinsurance captive in Switzerland and Head of Risk Management and Insurance for the USA operation in Houston.
Schedule
Oct. 8 (Tuesday)
11:00 - Registration (Al Wasl Ballroom) & Room Check-in
12:30 - 14:00 - Lunch
14:30 - 16:00 - Introduction / Icebreaker
16:00 - 16:30 - Coffee / Refreshment Break
16:30 - 17:30 - Introduction / Icebreaker
19:30 - Dinner
Oct. 9 (Wednesday)
8:30 - 9:00 - Welcome and Introduction
(George Kabban & Shaun Barrington)
9:00 - 9:45 - Climate Change: Severe Weather Events and Their Impact on the Insurance Industry (Fabrizio Zoni)
9:45 - 10:30 - The Global Energy Market Update - Future Trends and Challenges (Robert Brundrett)
10:30 - 11:00 - Coffee / Refreshments Break
11:00 -11:45 - Balancing Risk to Meet Requirements for Insurance Coverage (Julia Koroleva)
11:45 - 12:30 - Batteries not excluded (Mohammed Zeeshan Junedi)
Oct. 10 (Thursday)
9:00 - 9:45 - A View From the Underwiter's Desk (Tim Chapman)
9:45 - 10:30 - Risk Engineering for Loss Prevention (Dr Devine Obenndip CEng)
10:30 - 11:00 - Coffee / Refreshments Break
11:00 -11:45 - How Extension Can Override Restrictions (Natalia Smirnova)
11:45 - 12:30 - Insurance Valuations: Overlooked and Undervalued (Michael Dsane-Selby)
12:30 - 14:00 - Lunch
14:00 - 14:45 - Political Violence in a Volatile World (Rafic Abi Saleh)
14:45 - 15:30 - The Role of AI in Enhancing Cyber Security for the Energy and Construction Industry (Dimaggio Rigby)
15:30 - 16:00 - Coffee / Refreshments Break
16:00 -16:45 - Adjusting Energy Claims in an Ever - Changing World (Olivier Decombes)
16:45 - 17:30 - Panel Discussion: A View from the Top
(Frederic-Camille Bensson)
(Fabrizio Zoni)
(Robert Brundrett)
(Olivier Decombes)
12:30 - 14:00 - Lunch
14:00 - 14:45 - The Changing Risk Environment in Upstream Energy (Tomais Gaughan & Sheha Gosain)
17:45 - Dinner + Special Event
14:45 - 15:30 - Construction Market Trends and the Impact on Consistency of Cover and Pricing (Robert Watson)
15:30 - 16:00 - Coffee / Refreshments Break
16:00 -16:45 - The Downstream Energy Market Update and the Outlook Ahead (Mathieu Sahhar)
Oct. 11 (Friday)
9:30 - 11:00 - Closing remarks, awards and certificates
12:00 - 13:00 - Hotel Check-out
16:45 - 17:30 - Pannel Discussion: Evolution and Expansion of Global Energy Markets
(Charly Benga)
(May Hleileh)
(Shazia Rafique)
(Kamal Tabaja)
Oct. 12 (Saturday) Optional
6:00 - 9:30 - Cycling Event (Al Qudra Cycle Track and Nature Reserve)
19:30 - Dinner
Sponsors
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The
Venue
ABOUT THIS VENUE:
The venue is approximately 55km and a 35 minute taxi ride from Dubai International Airport.
FULL ADDRESS:
+971 4 814 5555
FOR RESERVATIONS:
+971 4 814 5500
