Insurance Indaba 2025: Market Volatility, Private Credit, Net Zero Ambitions and the PRA
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Our latest mallowstreet Insurance Indaba delivered a day of thoughtful discussion, lively debate and valuable networking — confirming its place as a must-attend event on the insurance and investment calendar. We welcomed investment leaders from across the Insurance sector to Leonardo Royal at St Paul’s on a beautiful, crisp morning in the City.
The day opened with a thought-provoking presentation from Mathias Neidert and Thibault Sandret of bfinance, titled Options for Impact Investing in Credit Across the Liquidity Spectrum. They provided a clear and nuanced understanding of impact investing, setting it apart from ESG integration by focusing on intentionality and additionality. Their session tackled the confusion around SFDR regulations and showcased how instruments like use-of-proceeds bonds and sustainability-linked loans can help drive meaningful change — all while reinforcing that strong financial returns and impactful investments are not mutually exclusive.
Our second keynote, "Is Net Zero a Dream or Reality?" from Henrietta Pacquement of Allspring Global Investments, provided a reality check on the achievability of climate targets by 2050. Henrietta explored the complexity of global responses, the growing costs of extreme weather events, and the role of ‘improvers, enablers, and demonstrators’ in the investment landscape.
One of the event’s highlights was the Insurance Investment Panel, chaired by Dawid Konotey-Ahulu (mallowstreet) and joined by Adam Ruddle (LV=), Matthew Porter ( Monument Re Group), and Todd Isaac (Hiscox). Together, they tackled macroeconomic risks, inflation, geopolitical challenges and the increasing role of private assets and securitised products in building resilient portfolios.
Delegates throughout the day attended masterclasses that offered concise, actionable insights from:
PIMCO – Opportunities in an Evolving Private Credit Environment explored the growing opportunities in private credit, the role of direct lending, asset-backed finance, and environmental considerations influencing portfolio allocations.
Insight Investment – Navigating the Credit Convergence: Maximising Returns in a Falling Rate Environment examined high-yield investment strategies, diversification, market timing, and the challenges of balancing returns with risk management.
Pantheon – Can Private Credit Secondaries Really Help Insurers Boost Return, Lower Risk and Reduce Capital Charge All at Once highlighted the benefits of secondaries for insurers, immediate yields, discounted pricing, and resilience during economic volatility.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments – The Impact Opportunity in Fixed Income – Providing Tangible Social Good focused on achieving measurable social impact through credit investments, and the growing need for independent advisory panels to validate outcomes.
The day closed with a timely keynote from Sarah O'Sullivan (Phoenix Group) on Future Proofing the MA Regime: The Case for an MA Sandbox. Her call for regulatory reform, greater engagement with the PRA, and collaborative industry efforts left delegates with plenty to reflect on.
👉 What were your highlights of the event?
We’d love to hear your takeaways — drop them in the comments! And don’t forget to check out our events page for upcoming insurance events. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Our next event is our Insurance Congress! Will you be there?
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