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Articles by Mike Keating
Irish MGAs have the momentum for sustainable growth in 2027
The conversations at the MGAA’s Republic of Ireland Presentation Day on October 7 left me encouraged about the future of the Irish MGA market. We discussed some difficult trading conditions, but we also saw clear opportunities for specialist underwriting businesses that can demonstrate their value to brokers, customers and capacity providers. The task now is to turn that confidence into sustainable growth. Many of these pressures will be familiar to MGAs across the UK.
A clearer path into claims – and up through the market
Claims offers young people a career built around consequential decisions. It combines technical knowledge, investigation, negotiation and an understanding of what customers need when something has gone wrong. In the MGA sector, that work can involve specialist risks, close relationships with underwriters, brokers, and direct exposure to how an insurance business operates. We have a strong story to tell prospective recruits.
Local resident, 103, still remembers World War II bombings
Today, as war continues in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, a South Sioux City resident recalls the horror of war that she lived through over 80 years ago. German American Anna Schaefer, 103, survived in one of the most bombed cities in history, Kassel, Germany, in what is now central Germany. Kassel was the location of the Henschel and Son factory complex, which manufactured the famous German Panzer tank during World War II. Kassel was almost totally destroyed by Allied bombing during the war.
Giving the next generation of MGAs room to grow
Columns By Sep 08, 2026 Share There is something particularly energising about this point in the insurance calendar. The second half of the year is when conversations that have been quietly developing begin to acquire more substance.
Why the MGA sector is built for what’s next
This year’s MGAA Annual Conference took place against a backdrop of significant change. The market is softening, technology continues to reshape every aspect of insurance, regulatory expectations are evolving, and customer demands continue to rise. Yet, if there was one message that resonated throughout the day, it was this: the MGA sector is not reacting to change. It is helping to lead it.
After the boom, the balance: what the MGA sector's next chapter demands
Columns By Aug 12, 2026 Share August has been an unusual month. Across much of the UK, the prolonged dry spell has left landscapes looking decidedly tired. Lawns have browned, reservoirs have shrunk and conversations have inevitably turned to when the rain might finally arrive. Drought has become the backdrop to the summer. Yet, as I reflect on the past few months, it strikes me that the MGA sector has experienced almost the opposite.
In the AI rush to automate, what must we not lose?
Columns By Jun 24, 2026 Share A year ago, most conversations about AI in insurance started with curiosity. Today, they often start with anxiety and a lingering sense of not quite keeping up. Every week seems to bring another announcement, another capability, another prediction about how quickly the technology is advancing. Even those of us who spend our days immersed in the insurance market can struggle to keep pace.
Value is king: Key takeaways for MGAs after BIBA 2026
Columns By May 29, 2026 Share The annual BIBA Conference has always been a useful barometer of current broker sentiment, and, this year, one theme cut through more clearly than any other: value. Not in the abstract sense we often talk about in our industry, but in very real, practical, measurable and - crucially - challengeable terms. Brokers are asking tougher questions. They are scrutinising performance more closely.
MGAA's Keating on missed opportunities
At its very core, insurance ultimately comes down to just one moment: the claim. It is the point when the promise we make to customers is tested. Everything that happens before it: underwriting, distribution, pricing, matters, but it is the claims experience that determines whether a customer feels their insurer has truly delivered, and feels the sector itself is worthy of their trust and investment. We all know this.
FCA’s new priorities put delegated authority and claims under the spotlight
Columns By Mar 23, 2026 Share The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) first Regulatory Priorities report for insurance marks a clear and welcome evolution. Replacing the old portfolio letters, it is intended as a single, annual statement of intent to boards and senior leaders. It is more concise, more thematic and, in places, more direct. For MGAs, it deserves careful reading. Three areas stand out: claims handling, delegated authority and the regulator’s expectations around technology.
The FCA’s simplification drive - a step forward, not the final word
Columns By Jan 20, 2026 Share The FCA’s publication of PS25/21, Simplifying the Insurance Rules, represents at the end of last year is a meaningful milestone in its efforts to modernise the UK insurance regulatory framework. For MGAs in particular, the policy statement goes beyond technical rule changes. It signals a more pragmatic regulatory mindset, one that recognises the diversity of distribution models in the market and the need to remove friction where it does not add value for customers.
Why MGAs need to hold the line in 2026
Skip to main content End of drawer navigation content Why MGAs need to hold the line in 2026 Trade Voice: Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, says the softening market gives MGAs the opportunity to prove their mettle – but they must show underwriting discipline. The insurance market is facing a paradox. The world is undeniably riskier, shaped by geopolitical volatility, climate-driven losses, supply chain fragility, and increasingly sophisticated fraud.
Capacity confidence: Why MGAs and their partners are building momentum heading into 2026
Columns By Nov 03, 2025 Share Without insurance capacity providers - either a sole provider or a panel of mixed risk appetites - an MGA is little more than an idea on paper. With it, MGAs have the ability to deploy their specialist underwriting skills, design products that reflect the real risks of clients, and help the market grow in directions that would otherwise be out of reach.
Why MGA’s suppliers are more than a support act
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Mindful Museums: calm and curiosity
See things afresh with this audio guide, which will help you to look at a work of art in a new way. Just head to a museum or gallery of your choice, find a painting that you might normally pass by, and listen. Narrated by Louise Thompson of Mindful Museums, this Mindful Museum Audio Guide will help you to slow down and relax, as well as connect more deeply with what you see. Brought to you by Art Fund and Mindful Museums. Follow Art Fund on Instagram @artfund or on TikTok @artfund.
INTRODUCING Mindful Museums: A mindful walk around the gallery
Timeless Practical Wisdom For Living a Meaningful Life Inspiring stories and practical advice from creatives, entrepreneurs, change-makers, misfits, and rebels to help you become successful on your own terms Our listeners say, “If TEDTalks met Oprah you’d have the Unmistakable Creative.” Eliminate the feeling of being stuck in your life, blocked in your creativity, and discover higher levels of meaning and purpose in your life and career. Listen to deeply personal, insightful, and thought-pr ...
Why the new 'Failure to Prevent Fraud' Act makes claims knowledge-sharing critical
Columns By Oct 01, 2025 Share On September 1, 2025, the UK government introduced a significant new measure to combat economic crime: the corporate criminal offence of ‘failure to prevent fraud’. Enshrined in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, this legislation will hold large organisations criminally liable if an employee, agent, subsidiary, or other associated person commits fraud intending to benefit the organisation.
Regional broker-MGA partnerships
Columns By Aug 22, 2025 Share Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical drivers of the UK economy, accounting for over 99% of all businesses, employing more than 16 million people, and contributing around half of UK private sector turnover. They are the engine of local job creation, entrepreneurship, and economic resilience.
Ditch AUKUS Pillar One. It involves Australia too much in US strategy
Defence Minister Richard Marles said in June that if war broke out between the US and China, Australia would inevitably be involved. This is an unacceptable situation for any sovereign nation to be in. It exposes a dangerous inconsistency within Australia’s strategic policy, identified by former Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Peter Varghese: On the one hand, our foreign policy embraces a multipolar future where no country dominates.
MGAs set sights on specialty growth in 2026
Insurance News By Aug 01, 2025 Share The MGA sector has always been known for its agility, but this year’s MGA Opinion Report 2025, produced by the MGAA and Clyde & Co, digs into the strategic intent behind MGA growth plans in our fast-paced and ever-evolving environment. In a climate shaped by regulatory scrutiny, economic volatility, and evolving customer expectations, MGAs are not pulling back, they’re doubling down.
A step toward smarter, proportionate insurance rules
Trade Voice: Michael Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, feels the regulator's plan to simplify insurance rules will ease the burden of red tape for the trade body's members.
The learning edge - continuous development is core to MGA competitiveness
Columns By Jun 16, 2025 Share Technical competence, regulatory awareness, and strategic foresight are not static achievements - they are continuous pursuits. For Managing General Agents (MGAs), staying competitive in today’s insurance environment depends on the ability to absorb new knowledge, adapt to evolving risks, and embed governance and innovation into day-to-day operations.
MGAA rebrand signals a bold future for the MGA community
Insurance News By Feb 21, 2025 Share The Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) is not standing still. As we approach 2025, we are entering an exciting new chapter in our journey with a refreshed brand identity that embodies our mission to be the voice of advocacy for MGAs and the leading platform for knowledge sharing in the sector. This is more than just a new look.
How MGAs can continue to transform in 2025
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Trade Voice: As the underwriting capacity of the Managing General Agents’ Association’s membership tops £15bn, CEO Mike Keating looks at the trends that will shape the MGA market in 2025. As we head into 2025, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on the significant developments that have shaped the MGA sector and to look forward to the promising prospects of the coming year.
The importance of MGAs to the broker channel: Outlook 2025
Insurance News By Jan 10, 2025 Share The insurance industry is built on trust, collaboration, and the ability to adapt to change. Managing General Agents (MGAs) have long been integral to the broker channel, serving as dynamic and innovative partners in meeting the ever-evolving needs of clients. Heading into 2025, the importance of MGAs to brokers is set to grow further, fueled by enhanced practices, regulatory demands, and tools such as the MGAA’s Broker Gateway.
The rise of the MGA supplier: a key enabler for sustainable growth
Insurance News By Nov 20, 2024 Share The Managing General Agent (MGA) sector continues to thrive, delivering innovative, specialised solutions in a dynamic insurance market. Yet, beneath the surface of this success lies a vital, often understated foundation: the growing and evolving ecosystem of suppliers and incubators enabling MGAs to grow, innovate, and remain competitive. As we look to 2025, the importance of these partnerships has never been clearer.
What's a pillar of growth in the MGA community?
Columns By Oct 29, 2024 Share The Managing General Agent (MGA) community in the UK, Ireland, and beyond continues to flourish, driven by new entrants with underwriting expertise in niche segments, superior service delivery, and cutting-edge technology. These elements, combined with established MGAs, position the sector as one of the fastest-growing segments in the insurance industry. This growth benefits not just MGAs but also brokers and customers.
MGAA’s Keating on avoiding a ‘boom and bust’ cycle
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Trade Voice: Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, says MGAs must maintain underwriting disciple if they want to hold onto the hard-won strides of recent years.
Productivity growth has slowed: will it recover?
article-body Through history, the reason why living standards have risen over time is almost entirely due to increased labour productivity. Furthermore, the most dramatic increase in living standards ever has been since the Second World War when productivity increased very rapidly in the developed economies of the OECD countries and later in much of Asia. However, in the last decade or so, productivity growth in the OECD has slowed.
MGAA’s Keating says insurers must hold their nerve on rates
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Trade Voice: History tells us that a sensible, hard market is often followed by a more unruly soft market. Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, urges insurers to not sacrifice technical underwriting on the altar of new business.
MGAA’s Keating on the need for more data sharing
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Trade Voice: Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, says data sharing is a two-way street and capacity providers need to be more open with MGAs. It’s an old cliché, but teamwork really does make the dream work, especially when it comes to the sharing of key claims and pricing data between insurers and their MGA partners.
Why the MGA sector will advance in 2024
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Trade Voice: Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents' Association, argues MGAs are uniquely placed to meet the challenges that 2024 will bring.
Trade Voice: MGAA’s Mike Keating on why collaboration is key to delivering claims outcomes
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, examines why more than half of MGAs think improvements to claims processes are needed. It’s no secret that getting the claims process right has been – and continues to be – a challenge for the insurance industry.
Trade Voice: MGAA’s Keating on why these are exciting times for MGAs
Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Save this article Send to Print this page Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents Association, says the sector remains buoyant. Rising interest rates and inflation have, quite rightly, dominated the headlines for most of this year, as the UK economy continues to grapple with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and other Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
Trade Voice: MGAA’s Mike Keating on making insurance a more attractive career option
Mike Keating, chief executive of the MGA, says that the entire industry – and managing general agents in particular – need to work together to make careers in insurance more attractive to young people. The insurance industry, along with the rest of the world, has faced some truly unprecedented challenges in recent years.
BioCatch Chooses Australia for Asia-Pacific Headquarters as the Company Expands Global Footprint
BioCatch, the global leader in behavioural biometric intelligence and cutting-edge fraud prevention technology, today announced it has established a Australian headquarters. In addition, the company reinforces its dominant position in the global market as it expands operations across Asia-Pacific with offices in Australia and Singapore.
Trade Voice: MGAA’s Mike Keating on why the outlook for 2023 is positive
Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents Association, says that despite external challenges, MGAs continue to demonstrate their value to their insurer and broker partners. Last year was certainly a challenging year for the insurance market overall, and for MGAs. The impact of soaring inflation, rising interest rates and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were compounded by a Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
Chicago Bicyclist Wins Jury Trial Against Law Professor Who Blamed The Cyclist For Crash
On August 29th attorney Tom Reuland of Keating Law won a heavily contested jury trial for a Chicago bicyclist. The cyclist sustained a non-displaced fracture to his wrist when he was the victim of a "left hook" on Sheridan Road in Wilmette. The driver involved in the crash was a local law professor who insisted that the cyclist entered the intersection on a red light and was at fault.
Trade Voice: MGAA’s Mike Keating calls for more egalitarian relationships between insurers and MGAs
I have spent many years championing the benefits of the managing general agent model to the insurance community. I’ve talked about the data-driven insights that MGAs can provide their partners. I’ve Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
Cross Country | West Branch senior Eris Dugan accepts challenge of Air Force Academy
It wasn't what West Branch distance runner Eris Dugan envisioned for the start of her senior cross country season. "I had COVID," she said. With an unusual first name, one which means "strife" in Greek and in mythology is the goddess of chaos and destruction, Dugan struggled early but eventually overcame the illness to run a personal-best time (21 minutes, 21 seconds) at the Division II district meet at GlenOak High last fall.
Aultman Alliance Community Hospital Athlete of the Week | Hunter Shields of West Branch
West Branch catcher Hunter Shields wasn't a part of the regular lineup as a freshman, but he has surfaced as a key component to a young baseball team that is playing beyond its years. Shields, who stands 6-foot and weighs 155 pounds, is one of six starters who are either freshmen or sophomores for the Warriors. West Branch started slowly, dropping three of its first four games but has since won 10 straight games, including three of the last four by shutout.
Track and Field | Sebring's Katie Perkins is making a leap in the high jump
Whether it's in the classroom or in the athletic arena, Sebring senior Katie Perkins has embraced challenges. "I love to compete," she said. Academically, she has more than met the challenge, posting a 3.6 grade-point average since entering high school. Athletically, she has come a long way in mastering the high jump, her favorite track & field event. "I remember my first meet," she said, laughing.
West Branch's Bill Eddins named Division II assistant boys basketball coach of the year
Bill Eddins' coaching career has come full circle. "After graduating from college, my first coaching job was as an assistant at West Branch," he said. Eddins is part of a West Branch staff led by head coach Michael Brown that has helped the team record three straight 18-win seasons. He was named Division II boys assistant coach of the year, an honor he formally received during the annual Ohio North-South All-Star Classic held Friday night at Olentangy Liberty High School in the Columbus area.
Marlington senior Connor Evanich picked to play in North-South Basketball Game
After missing the majority of his junior basketball season with a knee injury, Connor Evanich more than compensated for that absence in his senior year. Evanich, a 6-foot-4 forward who lettered in both his freshman and sophomore years, helped the Dukes finish with a 17-6 record, a significant improvement over the 7-14 mark the 2020-21 team recorded. He also excelled individually, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 40 percent from the field.
Alliance boys basketball coach Larry Kukura resigns after 17 seasons Original
After Alliance dropped a 59-48 decision to Boardman in a Division I sectional semifinal on February 23, Larry Kukura had completed his 17th season as boys head basketball coach. Nearly two months later and after much soul-searching, Kukura decided it was time to step down. Kukura, 59, made it official Wednesday, submitting his resignation as caretaker of the boys basketball program, although planning to remain as a business teacher at the high school. "It's just time," Kukura said.
Lenny Reich from Mount Union succeeds Mike Schott as Alliance AD
Alliance High School didn't have to travel far to find its new athletic director. Lenny Reich, the sports information director and assistant athletic director at the University of Mount Union, was formally approved by the school board Tuesday night as Alliance's new athletic director, succeeding Mike Schott, who resigned in March to take a similar position with Canton City Schools.
Aultman Alliance Community Hospital Athlete of the Week | Garret Odey of Marlington
One year ago, Garret Odey was a junior pitcher getting acclimated to varsity high school baseball.
The Elite 11 Ohio Regional quarterback showcase was held at Massillon
During their first year as high school starting quarterbacks last fall, West Branch junior Dru DeShields and Alliance sophomore Brendan Zurbrugg played at a high level. While they focused on helping their teams during the 2021 high school football season, both quarterbacks got a chance to showcase their individual skills at the Elite 11 Ohio Regional quarterback event inside the Massillon-based Paul L. David Athletic Training Center April 9.
Alliance native Logan Nordquist accepts medical position with the Chicago Cubs
Alliance native Logan Nordquist fulfilled a dream one year ago when he landed a job in Major League Baseball as a physical therapist with the New York Mets. Nordquist, a former Alliance High School right-handed pitching standout who also played collegiately at Lake Erie College, spent 2021 treating injured players while based in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Alliance senior Blake Hood opts for Walsh University to play golf
During his time at Alliance, senior Blake Hood made a name for himself in both golf and tennis. With his senior year nearly coming to an end, he wanted to continue playing one of the two sports at the collegiate level. When it came time to making a decision, Hood chose to play golf at Walsh University. "I like both sports, but I decided to play golf in college," Hood said.
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