Categories & Criteria
2026 Company Categories
Captive Manager Firm – More than $1bn Gross Written Premium
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Case studies demonstrating excellence in service to their captive owner clients backed by performance numbers;
- Growth in the captive manager itself, in both client numbers, written premium and revenue;
- Any ideas/innovations implemented to improve client satisfaction
Captive Manager Firm - Less than $1bn of Gross Written Premium
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Case studies demonstrating excellence in service to their captive owner clients backed by performance numbers;
- Growth in the captive manager itself, in both client numbers, written premium and revenue;
- Any ideas/innovations implemented to improve client satisfaction
Best Group Captive Manager
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- A group captive manager that has demonstrated exceptional expertise in structuring, administering, and optimising group captive programs;
- Innovation, financial stewardship, risk management capabilities, and the ability to deliver outstanding value to members through strategic guidance, operational efficiency, and superior client service
Actuarial Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Quality risk modelling, and details of the data behind actuarial decisions;
- Case studies demonstrating the performance of US captive clients;
- Numbers demonstrating growth/expansion in the actuarial firm itself;
- How the firm has introduced a new innovation and/or technology to the benefit of clients
Captive Programme
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How the captive has benefitted the parent organisation or group
- The risk retention kept within the captive and why?
- What new innovation the captive has delivered, either for itself or the parent or group
Captive Launch
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Quality of the strategic planning and execution involved
- What emerging risks were written into the captive and why?
- Why the captive was required, and the benefit the captive has subsequently brought to the parent or group
Investment Specialist Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How an asset manager or investment advisor has developed a specialist captive department to meet the captive industry's investment needs; Case studies of the lengths investment specialist have gone to for a particular captive client to build them a well-constructed and balanced investment portfolio that produces impressive returns, backed by the financial numbers and comparisons to other rival's portfolios/industry standard;
- Numbers demonstrating the general returns of their captive clients and detail on the work that goes into improving these returns; numbers demonstrating growth in the investment specialist itself, both in client numbers and values invested
Audit & Accountancy Services
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Delivering clients a quick and efficient service in their tax reporting and/or audit requirements;
- Case studies where the firm have understood and responded well to a specific/unique set of requirements;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the audit & accountancy firm
Excellence in Captive Broking Services
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Quality service when placing reinsurance for ART programmes;
- Case studies of where a broker has gone above and beyond in the level of service/support provided to a US captive client;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the broker's captive services department
Captive Consultant Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Expertise in risk management solutions;
- Case studies of the consultancy service provided to a US captive client and the positive outcomes this advice generated for the client;
- Customer satisfaction among captive clients;
- Growth in the captive consultancy itself
Captive Domicile of the Year - Less than $5bn Gross Written Premium
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Excellence in the response of domicile regulators to its captives' needs, either through regulation, or any other proactive initiatives;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the domicile, in both number of captives and growth in premium;
- Innovations introduced that have had a clear positive outcome, ideally backed by numbers
Captive Domicile of the Year - More than $5bn Gross Written Premium
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Excellence in the response of domicile regulators to its captives' needs, either through regulation, or any other proactive initiatives;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the domicile, in both number of captives and growth in premium;
- Innovations introduced that have had a clear positive outcome, ideally backed by numbers
Cell Captive Domicile
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- A leading domicile for cell captives, recognising excellence in regulatory oversight,innovation, and support for cell structures
- A domicile’s legal framework, including examples its ease of doing business, responsiveness to market needs, and its ability to foster growth and stability for cell captive owners and participants
Claims Specialist Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How a claims handling firm or TPA has gone above and beyond to provide excellence in customer service;
- A new initiative implemented that has substantially improved the efficiency/speed with which claims can be dealt with;
- Case studies where the claims handling firm/TPA has provided a quality service to handle a particularly challenging/specialist claim; numbers demonstrating growth in the firm itself
Collateral Specialist Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How a collateral provider has been able to deliver a quality and efficient service;
- Case studies of how a collateral provider has been able to support a client in a unique/challenging situation that required a specialised level of skill;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the firm itself, including the increase in client numbers and retention of existing clients
Employee Benefits Specialist Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Case studies of how the EB specialist delivered to a client an EB solution perfectly moulded to the specific needs of a business, and details of the challenges overcome to provide it
- Testimonials from clients of this specialist explaining how they stand out
- Evidence of specialist knowledge in the field of employee benefits
- Evidence of how the EB network/solution provides provides a service superior to competitors
Fronting Partner
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How an insurance company has provided a quality and efficient fronting service to US captives;
- Case studies of how the fronter has developed a nuanced approach to fronting for a particular client, demonstrating an ability to adjust their proposition for specific client needs;
- Numbers demonstrating growth in the fronters proposition, in terms of both client numbers and premium fronted
Legal Services Firm
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How a legal department or law firm has delivered excellence in service to a US client and their captives;
- Case studies showing deep legal expertise in a specialist/niche area highly relevant to a particular client;
- Growth in the legal firm/department itself, backed by numbers
Next Gen Initiative
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- A company or organisation (including captive owners, managers, brokers, advisors, and service providers) in the captive insurance sector that has shown a willingness to use innovative methods to make a significant contribution to developing the next generation of industry talent, making more young people aware of captive insurance and its merits as a career
- Case studies demonstrating individuals that have recently come through the organisation's NextGen initiative, and their achievements
- Examples can include (but are not limited to); Talent Development & Leadership – Programs that attract, train, or mentor young professionals; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
- Initiatives that support underrepresented groups through scholarships, internships, or career development opportunities; Industry Engagement & Awareness – Efforts to promote captive insurance careers through education, outreach, or partnerships with universities and professional groups
Underwriting Solution of the Year
Judges will be looking for evidence of
- How an insurance/reinsurance company has assisted a US-owned captive with a specialist underwriting solution;
- Case studies of how the insurer/reinsurer has helped a client with a range of services to support the success of the captive; growth in the underwriter's captive proposition, backed by numbers
Technology Solution of the Year
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- A quality service from a company providing a software or insurtech solution serving the US captive insurance market that shows a willingness to embrace new technological ideas (such as AI) and innovation to the benefit of captive owners;
- Case studies showing how the software or insurtech meets a specific need from one or more captive clients can not be easily found/replicated elsewhere;
- How the software or insurtech provider has utilized innovative and new technologies to deliver a unique and groundbreaking product to the industry;
- Numbers demonstrating growth.
Reinsurer of the Year
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- Expertise in supporting US captive insurance programs, including effective and compliant reinsurance solutions
- Case studies demonstrating innovative reinsurance structures that have delivered positive outcomes for US captive clients
- Strong market performance, including client relationships, service quality, and growth in the US captive sector
2026 Individual Categories
Recognising individual excellence in US Captive insurance.
Emerging Talent
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- How an emerging talent working in the industry has displayed skill/talent above and beyond what would be expected Innovation and a willingness to take the industry to new places
- Client testimonials explaining what makes this individual stand out from their peers
Captive Risk Manager
Judges will be looking for evidence of
- Excellence in risk management performance, backed by numbers;
- Improvement in claims performance in one or multiple areas of the parent business;
- Case studies demonstrating an innovative way improved risk management processes have been implemented at the parent organisation
Captive Service Professional
Judges will be looking for evidence of
- Excellence in servicing a US captive insurance company, including details of how they have gone above and beyond to help a client or the industry as a whole;
- Case studies of the proactive steps they have taken in the last year to produce positive outcomes;
- Innovation and a willingness to take the industry to new places;
- Client testimonials explaining what makes this individual stand out from their peers
Inspiring Woman in Captive Insurance
Judges will be looking for evidence of:
- An outstanding person who identifies as a woman who has made remarkable contributions to the captive insurance sector, breaking barriers and inspiring others through her leadership, expertise, and dedication.
- Case studies of the proactive steps they have taken in the last year to produce positive outcomes;
- Innovation and a willingness to take the industry to new places;
- Client testimonials explaining what makes this individual stand out from their peers