All ICMIF member organizations are encouraged to participate in ICMIF’s governance, exercise their voting rights and hear from the Chairman and Chief Executive by attending the ICMIF General Meeting.

This year the General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 6 October before Conference Day One.

ICMIF members are more than insurers: they have an unrivalled understanding of risk and significant financial strength, making them a key player in strengthening socio-economic stability and building a more resilient world. At the same time, a growing number of global, external influences are shaping the future of our sector. How do we manage the broader expectations placed on our sector, while ensuring we maintain our strength as responsible businesses?

Policymakers, governments and civil society have turned to the insurance industry to help them build a more resilient world. What will this look like for cooperative/mutual insurers; what solutions can our sector offer?

Insurers are asset-rich and their investment power can be further enhanced by integrating risk considerations into asset management.

As our sector looks to the long term, we need to understand the underwriting challenge for insurance and reinsurance, and seek solutions for sustained success.

A panel of ICMIF members’ CEOs discuss our sector’s role in influencing socio-economic sustainability and responding to environmental change, while not losing sight of our business objectives and meeting policyholder-members’ expectations.

From global regulation to industry-level commitments, we will explore the implications for our sector and for our diverse organizational goals.

ICMIF members are more than insurers: they provide leadership and raise the bar for the insurance industry, from providing risk education and local community support, to creating unique risk mechanisms and contributing to global economic debates. How do they leverage the cooperative/mutual business model to stimulate innovation? How can we ensure that our investments in innovation provide tangible benefits for members and for the business?

Innovation is crucial in the way we find business solutions to social, demographic and economic risks. A panel of ICMIF members’ CEOs discuss how their organizations encourage innovation and embrace new ways of thinking for tackling the challenges presented by existing and emerging risks.

When disaster strikes, cooperative/mutual insurers are at the forefront of recovery: rebuilding, rehabilitating and making a real difference to those who have been affected, in both developed and emerging economies. The protection of lives and livelihoods is not just about our response to catastrophes – fresh thinking is also required about how we reduce tomorrow’s risks before they strike.

Changes in the external business environment have created new demands on how cooperative/mutual insurers provide leadership internally.

This session explores how engaging staff and developing talent require greater emphasis in order to build a business that is ready for future change.

Over 3 billion people today are underinsured or uninsured; the majority of them live in poverty. They are also the most vulnerable in society, but because of their precarious situation, they also have strong communities, working together and helping each other in times of hardship.

This session looks at the potential for inclusive mutual insurance in these communities and how ICMIF can utilize the support and capacity of its established members to deliver solutions.

The reach of regulation is widening; regional and global influences are shaping the cooperative/mutual insurance sector – even if they do not always understand it. It is our sector’s responsibility to deliver the right messages to the right external stakeholders so that they can help our sector make its mark on the world.

ICMIF members stand out from the crowd. The cooperative/mutual business model has inherent characteristics which can provide points of differentiation: equitable market conduct, fair pricing, good governance, risk reduction and social contribution. The way in which these elements are managed and communicated effectively when engaging with different external stakeholders can offer a sustainable competitive advantage.

As consumer behaviours change, as generation Y becomes a more important user of insurance, and as digital technologies change our way of doing business, cooperative/mutual insurers need to respond in the way they develop services, products and communications. What are the opportunities for our businesses and how do we balance the need to personalize against the need to standardize?

In highly saturated, fragmented or competitive markets, making an impact can be the greatest marketing challenge for cooperative/mutual insurers. Opportunities to improve our sector’s reputation have been identified: how can individual firms contribute? ICMIF members discuss their experiences in successfully becoming more than “just another insurer”.

Technological tools and big data may be crucial for capturing new markets, but they also pose strategic and financial risks. How can cooperative/mutual insurers invest wisely to harness the power of these technologies and give maximum business benefits to our business?

Raising capital for business growth or specific business projects continues to be a key challenge for cooperative/mutual businesses. What are the latest solutions for our sector?

A panel of guest speakers and ICMIF members’ CEOs consider the future for a stronger cooperative/mutual insurance sector within the context of a more resilient world. What are the key learnings from the Conference; how can we be seen as leaders in building greater socio-economic stability; how do we create a stable platform for cooperative/mutual insurers to operate on; what could our organizations look like in a more risk-resilient world?

Final concluding remarks and announcement for the 2017 ICMIF Conference.

A final evening for ICMIF members to network, to celebrate and to look forward to the future.