D&O Insurance in Europe

D&O Insurance in Europe is about the market for directors' and officers' liability cover in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Valued at just under EUR 2.3 billion in gross written premiums in 2014 across the ten countries, this market has been growing in both nominal and real terms in most countries, and in aggregate has been characterised by consistent profitability.

In addition to documenting the development of the market value from 2010 to 2014, the report also divides it for the most recent year for three key segmentations: between publicly listed corporate enterprises, unlisted corporate enterprises and other entities (e.g. non-incorporated businesses and the not-for-profit sector); between the financial services sector, the non-financial services sector and the manufacturing / primary sector; and between underwriters based in the countries themselves and underwriters located outside of them.

These unique market splits are based in part on a survey of close to 200 leading brokers and underwriters of D&O insurance across the ten countries. In each country, this same survey also identifies the underwriters of this type of cover used by brokers on a regular basis, gives an input into Finaccord's estimates for the market shares of underwriters of D&O insurance, provides a basis for commentary surrounding distribution channels used for this type of cover, informs observations concerning trends in claims by type of insured entity, and guides Finaccord's forecasts for the market value through to 2018.

You may be able to use this report plus the accompanying market data annexe in one or more of the following ways:

• to compare the size, growth rates and future prospects of D&O insurance markets across ten major countries in Europe;

• to appreciate how much of the market value is attributable to publicly listed corporate enterprises (as opposed to non-listed corporate enterprises and other entities) and how much to financial institutions (as opposed to the non-financial services and primary / manufacturing sectors);

• to understand how much of the market value is insured by underwriters in the country in question and how much by underwriters elsewhere (e.g. at Lloyd's of London);

• to evaluate the potential for your organisation to increase its share of D&O insurance broking or underwriting in each country;

• to comprehend the competitive environment for underwriting and the degree to which brokers display interest in placing risks with alternative underwriters.