Meet Steve Hanke, President, North American Reinsurance
How did you get into Re(in)surance and what led you to Sompo International?
I was very fortunate to have found the reinsurance industry as I was starting my career. After studying Management Information Systems in college, I landed a job at General Reinsurance in the IT department. The senior management of the company invited me to attend their underwriting training program. It has been 30 years since that training opportunity, and I have spent my whole career in reinsurance.
I joined Sompo International (Endurance at the time) in 2013 as part of a company transformation and new leadership team. It was an exciting time to rebuild the brand and culture of the company. We were fortunate to have merged with Sompo and have the opportunity to launch Sompo International. I’m proud that we are continuing to build on the strong underwriting and marketing culture with the financial strength and balance sheet of Sompo.
What do you think makes Sompo International unique?
What is unique about Sompo International from a reinsurance perspective is that in addition to our strong, stable financials and solid balance sheet, our structure is somewhat flat and we are nimble, enabling us to service our clients and brokers on a personal level, providing solutions and alternatives that meet their needs. We have a global footprint, which allows us to service our businesses on a local level from almost anywhere in the world. So, we have the benefit of being both large and strong financially, yet small and focused on our clients.
Any advice to your younger self or others considering this industry?
The reinsurance industry provides a necessary and crucial service to the insurance industry in terms of capital relief and risk management. What I love about this career is that you get a healthy balance between financial and analytical disciplines, and marketing and sales development and strategy. Most companies/industries tend to focus on one or the other, whereas a career in reinsurance allows you to develop two disciplines. It’s like having a double major in college.