Global Regulatory Update

In this episode of the Global Regulatory Update podcast, host Philippe Brahin, Head of Insurance and NBFI at the IIF, speaks with Petra Hielkema, Chairperson of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), following her confirmation for a second five-year term. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, climate risk, technological disruption, and economic fragmentation, the conversation explores EIOPA’s new Strategy to 2030 and its vision for strengthening the European insurance and pensions sector.

Petra discusses the implementation of the revised Solvency II framework, including new proportionality measures, reduced reporting requirements, and efforts to support investment while preserving a robust risk-based supervisory system. The discussion also examines the European Commission’s Savings and Investment Union, the role of insurers as long-term investors, and the challenge of mobilizing capital to support Europe’s economic, digital, and green transitions. In addition, Petra shares her perspective on the growing pension gap and the policy initiatives aimed at encouraging greater long-term savings and retirement preparedness across Europe.

The episode further explores some of the most pressing issues facing supervisors and insurers today, including natural catastrophe protection gaps, digitalization and AI, the evolution of private markets and private credit, and the importance of international supervisory cooperation through organizations such as the IAIS. Petra reflects on the progress made during her first mandate, the opportunities and challenges ahead for European supervision, and why stronger dialogue between regulators and industry will be essential to building resilience, fostering innovation, and supporting sustainable growth in the years ahead.

In this episode of the IIF Global Regulatory Update podcast, host Philippe Brahin, Head of Insurance and NBFI at the IIF, speaks with Jonathan Dixon, Secretary General (2017-2026) of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), as he concludes nearly a decade of leadership at the organization. The conversation reflects on a period marked by major global disruptions - including the global pandemic, war conflicts, geopolitical fragmentation, and rapid technological changes - alongside significant milestones in international insurance regulation.

Drawing on his experience, Jonathan discusses the evolution of the IAIS and its efforts to deliver global standards across a highly diverse membership of roughly 200 jurisdictions. The conversation explores the development and adoption of key frameworks such as ComFrame, the Holistic Framework for systemic risk, and the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS), and what they signal for the future of global convergence in insurance. 

The episode also examines emerging priorities for regulators, including the assessment of systemic risk in the insurance sector, the role of insurers in evolving areas such as private credit and asset-intensive reinsurance, and the growing importance of operational resilience in an AI-enabled environment. Jonathan reflects on the continued need to address protection gaps, particularly in natural catastrophe risks, and the role of insurance in supporting societal resilience, economic growth, and long-term investment, while emphasizing the importance of public–private collaboration in shaping innovative insurance solutions and effective supervisory frameworks. The discussion concludes with forward-looking insights on the evolving global regulatory landscape and the enduring strengths of the insurance model.

In this episode of the Global Regulatory Update podcast, host Melanie Idler, Policy Advisor at the IIF, speaks with EY's Stuart Doyle, U.S. Insurance Risk and Regulation Leader, and Rasika Karnik, U.S. Insurance Risk Senior Manager, about the findings of the third annual EY–IIF Global Insurance Risk Management Survey, which examines how insurance chief risk officers are navigating a rapidly evolving global risk landscape.

Drawing on insights from more than 100 CROs and senior risk executives, the discussion explores how insurers are operating in a nonlinear, accelerated, volatile, and interconnected (NAVI) risk environment, where risks materialize faster, spread more widely, and interact in increasingly complex ways. The guests examine how this is reshaping the role of the CRO, with greater expectations for real-time insights, forward-looking analysis, and deeper integration into business decision-making. They highlight the continued dominance of cyber risk as the top near-term concern, alongside the growing importance of strategic risk, reflecting the expanding remit of risk leaders as organizations respond to geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and market change.

The conversation also focuses on how insurers are adapting their operating models and capabilities. AI and advanced analytics are moving from experimentation into core risk functions, driving both efficiency gains and new governance challenges, while prompting a shift toward capability-driven risk teams rather than simple headcount growth. At the same time, CROs are balancing near-term pressures with longer-term risks such as climate transition, data privacy and ethics, and evolving global financial dynamics, requiring more adaptive skill sets and a broader, more strategic approach to risk management. Together, these themes underscore a fundamental transition: from managing risk as a control function to positioning it as a central driver of resilience, insight, and decision-making across the insurance enterprise.

In this episode of the Global Regulatory Update podcast, host Philippe Brahin, Director, Insurance and NBFI Regulation and Policy at the IIF, speaks with three KPMG colleagues from the EMA Financial Services Regulatory Insight Centre, Michelle Adcock, Banking; Kate Dawson, Capital Markets; and Alisa Dolgova, Insurance Regulation Sector Heads, to discuss the findings of the latest KPMG Regulatory Barometer, which assesses the impact of regulatory and supervisory developments across the UK and EU financial sectors.

Drawing on key insights from the Barometer, the discussion explores how overall regulatory pressure appears to have peaked and is now trending downward, with a growing focus on simplification, proportionality, and the review of existing frameworks rather than large new regulatory packages. The guests examine how this shift is being experienced in practice, such as early efforts to streamline reporting and processes and differences between UK and EU approaches. They also highlight how operational resilience remains a central priority, driven by external risks such as geopolitical tensions, cyber threats, and supply‑chain disruptions, while areas like private credit and private markets are drawing heightened supervisory attention due to their rapid growth and potential spillovers into the broader financial system.

The conversation further looks at the growing importance of technology and digital innovation, with a particular focus on AI, digital assets, and tokenization, and the regulatory challenges associated with governance, concentration risk, and cross‑border alignment. The guests also reflect on the evolving role of sustainability and ESG in Europe, where declining regulatory pressure reflects a recalibration rather than a retreat, as institutions shift from compliance‑focused approaches toward embedding ESG into broader business strategy and long‑term resilience frameworks.

In this episode of the Global Regulatory Update, Martin Boer, General Manager and Chief Representative, Europe, speaks with Laurin Frommann, Managing Director & Partner, and Andreas Bürkli, Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), about the creation of the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority, AMLA, and how it will reshape the AML/CFT supervisory landscape across Europe.

Drawing on insights from the joint IIF–BCG white paper, The Evolution of the AML/CFT Landscape Under the New European Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the conversation explores how AMLA aims to replace years of fragmented national approaches with a more centralized supervisory framework rooted in risk‑based oversight and greater supervisory coherence. The discussion examines AMLA’s dual mandate to supervise high‑risk cross‑border institutions and support Financial Intelligence Units, as well as its ambition to become a data‑driven authority that improves reporting consistency and supports more intelligence‑led supervision.

The podcast also looks at AMLA’s emphasis on technology‑enabled financial‑crime detection, including how supervisors and industry can work together to assess emerging tools such as AI and machine‑learning solutions. Laurin and Andreas discuss the importance of a proportionate, principles‑based approach across different sectors and customer segments to ensure supervisory expectations remain both effective and achievable.

Another focus of the conversation is AMLA’s forthcoming direct supervision of 40 firms, designed to act as a “lighthouse” for broader EU supervisory practices. The guests reflect on how firms perceive this designation, the reputational sensitivities involved, and the operational and governance preparations already underway across the industry.

The discussion concludes with AMLA’s potential global role: strengthening the EU’s voice in international AML/CFT standard setting, improving cross‑border coordination, and contributing to more outcome‑focused global frameworks, while also supporting the competitiveness of EU‑headquartered institutions.