Following FERMA Forum 2026, Chris Sutton, Head of International Corporate Business Development at McGill and Partners, reflects on what the conversations in Rotterdam tell us about the changing expectations of risk and insurance partners.
Spend enough time speaking with risk managers, clients and industry leaders, and one thing becomes clear: risk is increasingly no longer viewed as a collection of isolated exposures.
That was one of my strongest impressions following FERMA Forum 2026. Conversations ranged from artificial intelligence and geopolitical uncertainty to climate pressures, environmental challenges and the growing strategic importance of risk. Although the starting points differed, they frequently led to the same conclusion: the risks facing businesses are becoming more interconnected, more complex and capable of moving through organisations with increasing speed.
This was closely aligned with the wider focus of the conference. Its principal topics included AI and emerging technologies, geopolitical risk and global uncertainty, environmental risk, climate and resilience.