The Insurance Insider Honours 2026 has officially revealed its winners. Thereby, marking three decades of celebrating excellence, innovation, and leadership across the UK and international insurance markets.
The 30th anniversary edition brought together market leaders at Old Billingsgate in London to recognise the individuals, teams, and firms driving transformation across underwriting, broking, technology, and talent. Furthermore, comedian Maisie Adam hosted the ceremony, bringing an engaging energy to the landmark evening.
This year’s winners highlight a sector rapidly evolving to meet modern commercial demands. Specifically, the roll of honour celebrates achievements ranging from AI implementation and parametric risk solutions to groundbreaking M&A transactions and progressive employer initiatives.
Key Highlights from the 2026 Roll of Honour
The 2026 ceremony showcased standout performances across major commercial categories:
Technology & AI Innovation: Carbon secured the AI Implementation of the Year award for its Agentic Claims Classification Project, with Ben Laidlaw also taking home the Trailblazer Award. Meanwhile, Tokio Marine GX won Underwriting Innovation of the Year, and Apollo x Artificial won Smart-Follow Initiative of the Year.
Broking & Underwriting Leaders: McGill and Partners was named Broker of the Year, with Howden highly commended. SiriusPoint claimed the Carrier of the Year title, whilst Collegiate Management Services won MGA of the Year.
Product & Market Innovation: Aon’s Cyber Reinsurance Team took Broking Innovation of the Year for its Surge Stop Loss Solution, and Munich Re earned Collaboration of the Year for The Pandemic Consortium alongside the Claims Service Award.
Leadership & Talent: Dominick Hoare of Munich Re Specialty was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Brian Bissett of Convex named CFO of the Year, and Markel International won Employer of the Year.
The Full List of 2026 Winners & Commendations
| Category | Winner 🏆 | Highly Commended 👏 |
| AI Implementation of the Year | Carbon (Agentic Claims Classification Project) | Markel International |
| Broker of the Year | McGill and Partners | Howden |
| Broking Innovation of the Year | Aon’s Cyber Reinsurance Team (Surge Stop Loss) | — |
| Campaign of the Year | Beazley (Around the World in 80 Years) | Intact Insurance |
| Carrier of the Year | SiriusPoint | Tokio Marine Kiln |
| CFO of the Year | Brian Bissett (Convex) | — |
| Claims Service Award | Munich Re Large & Complex Loss | — |
| Collaboration of the Year | Munich Re (The Pandemic Consortium) | BreachBits and Brit Insurance |
| Employer of the Year | Markel International | — |
| Legal Services Provider | RPC | — |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Dominick Hoare (Munich Re Specialty) | — |
| M&A Transaction of the Year | Skyward Specialty / Apollo | Inigo (Radian Group acquisition) |
| MGA of the Year | Collegiate Management Services | — |
| Outstanding Contributor: Distribution | James Drinkwater (Amwins) | — |
| Outstanding Contributor: Risk | Richard Brindle (The Fidelis Partnership) | — |
| Smart-Follow Initiative | Apollo x Artificial | — |
| Talent Excellence Award | MS Amlin (Tackling London Market Talent Gap) | — |
| Trailblazer Award | Ben Laidlaw (Carbon) | Genevieve Ahinful (Africa Specialty Risks) |
| Underwriting Innovation | Tokio Marine GX | — |
| Young Broker of the Year | Jonathan Franke (New Dawn Risk) | — |
| Young Claims Professional | Kate Jones (Liberty Specialty Markets) | Katherine Pycock (Tokio Marine Kiln) |
| Young Underwriter of the Year | Isabella (Bella) Donegan (Canopius Group) | — |
Why Entering Industry Awards Drives Commercial Growth
Accolades like the Insurance Insider Honours do far more than fill a trophy cabinet. For growing businesses, sales teams, and market innovators, industry awards serve as critical commercial assets:
Instant Credibility & Trust: Independent third-party validation cuts through market noise, assuring prospective clients and partners that your team operates at the highest standard.
Talent Magnetism: Winners and shortlisted firms consistently report higher talent attraction and retention rates. High performers want to join award-winning cultures.
Refining Your Value Proposition: The process of entering an award forces leadership teams to benchmark performance, audit successes, and articulate their value proposition with absolute clarity.
Brand Visibility: Being named on a prestigious shortlist provides high-impact content for PR, thought leadership, and social media campaigns throughout the commercial year.
Ready to Benchmark Your Sales Success? Enter the National Sales Awards!
If you’re reading this and thinking: “My business operates in the insurance market. And my sales team has driven exceptional revenue growth, introduced innovative sales strategies, and delivered outstanding client outcomes this year,” it is time to look for recognition for commercial success. Enter the National Sales Awards!
Applications for the National Sales Awards are still open
Position your business alongside the UK’s top commercial talent, elevate your team’s profile, and leverage nationwide recognition to accelerate your future sales pipeline.
The National Sales Awards celebrate top-performing sales individuals and teams. Specifically, the program recognises hard metrics alongside ethical business growth.
Sales professionals at every level can submit an entry, ranging from Sales Directors to Rising Stars. Furthermore, an independent panel of experienced judges evaluates every submission. Entries are completely free, and judges score all submissions remotely online.
Organisers will announce the winners live on stage in January. Additionally, the ceremony runs alongside the National Sales Conference on 21 January 2027 in Birmingham. Consequently, all finalists receive a free ticket to attend the main conference event.
👉 Don’t miss out. Nominate a team or individual for the National Sales Awards 2027
