Transforming our Underwriting Room into a space fit for the future

I’m sure many of you will have heard, seen, or experienced in person the reopening of our iconic Underwriting Room at Lloyd’s, following a period of renovation and renewal over the summer. It’s been wonderful to see so many faces – old and new - back in the Room, and the familiar buzz filling the space welcoming in this new chapter.

Stepping back into the Room for the first time last week, the atmosphere has only affirmed my longstanding belief that our market is truly at its best when we are working together, in-person, and under one roof. It creates a unique sense of community as a place to collaborate, build relationships, access opportunities, learn new skills and develop careers.?

The Underwriting Room holds a special place in our market’s collective consciousness. Despite all the advances of digital technology, the clear message from underwriters and brokers was that we might not need a room, but we want one to convene, collaborate and catch up with our peers.

We want to give both current and future insurance professionals from all walks of life the opportunity to be involved in the story and spirit of Lloyd’s, to work in the world’s largest insurance and reinsurance marketplace, at a time when insurance has a crucial role to play in mitigating the risks facing our society.

The changes we’ve made - smoother services, a more equitable allocation of spots on the Ground Floor, more ergonomic seating, better lighting and more space to move around - are just the start of our ambitions. We will be designing other spaces in the Lloyd’s building to support new ways of working and to facilitate collaboration, learning and innovation. We will monitor how the changes we have made are working to inform the redesign of the other trading floors. As long as the demand remains, we will continue offering an iconic and innovative space in which our market can gather.

It’s been a pleasure to hear all of the feedback through our extensive market consultation, which has enabled us to create an Underwriting Room by the market, for the market; a space that is collaborative and future-facing, while preserving and honouring our shared history at Lloyd’s.