100 influential women in re/insurance


“At that early stage of my career, I found the atmosphere of the office and the reinsurance subject matter really interesting, and enjoyed broaching topics such as global economics, the international contacts and working with highly professional colleagues.”


Name:


Company: Aon Benfield France Job:


Catherine Bourland Chief executive officer


Timeline: 2013—CEO, Aon Benfield France 2008—Co-head of profit centre, Aon Benfield France 1998—Account executive, Le Blanc de Nicolay (acquired by Aon Corporation) 1996—Suys and Janssens, a reinsurance intermediary and a subsidiary of Le Blanc de Nicolay 1992—Reinsurance broker, Le Blanc de Nicolay Reinsurance 1983—Reinsurance underwriter, US and French markets, La Licorne


Catherine Bourland was named chief executive officer of Aon Benfield France in 2013, replacing her predecessor who retired. Her day-to-day duties include managing a 120-person team, overseeing all facets of the business, and ensuring clients in the French market receive the highest levels of service. A key component of her role is to ensure that Aon Benfield


remains the market-leading reinsurance intermediary in France, with a market share of more than 65 percent. Bourland has been described by her peers as an “inspirational leader with formidable technical skills and depth of understanding of the reinsurance industry”. She has worked in the insurance/reinsurance industry for more than 30 years, and is seen as a highly experienced specialist in her field. As the reinsurance industry has changed considerably over


the past decade, so too have French clients’ requirements. Aon Benfield France continues to develop its capabilities in line with these needs, providing new and innovative solutions in key areas such as risk modelling, Solvency II, Dynamic Financial Analysis, and reinsurance structuring. Maintaining a motivated and enthusiastic team is one of Bourland’s key responsibilities, and will be one of the most important issues over the coming years.


20 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | 2015


She has prepared her team to face new challenges, including those of changing economic and reinsurance market dynamics, and has established the French business to cater for increasing client sophistication in terms of reinsurance purchasing.


Why did you choose to work in this industry? In common with a number of my peers, I happened to discover this industry by chance. Having completed a scholarship in France studying political science and languages, I wanted to work abroad, so I spent a year in the US, first participating in a student exchange at university, and then, thanks to my father who worked in the insurance industry in France, I found an internship in New York, in a reinsurance broking firm (Intere Intermediaries). At that early stage of my career, I found the atmosphere of the office and the reinsurance subject matter really interesting, and enjoyed broaching topics such as global economics, the international contacts and working with highly professional colleagues. When I returned to France, I found a job in a small reinsurance company thanks to my then contacts at the French reinsurance broker Le Blanc de Nicolaÿ.


What has been the highlight of your career so far? Meeting a lot of interesting people from all over the world. The challenges of working in a very innovative, dynamic and reactive business. Approaching and understanding new “financial” technology. Continuous improvement in client management excellence and practice.


What has been the biggest challenge you have


encountered? The ‘positive’ challenge of ensuring that I fully understand clients’ specific needs and that I am constantly challenging myself, and the firm, to meet those needs and to deliver our very best work to our clients. Of course, being a French woman in world of Anglo-Saxon men!


If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? I would have been very much tempted by a more creative and artistic professional path, such as book publishing.


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