As boundaries blur between insurance and reinsurance, finite and ART, many organisations are trying to make the break into the new era of the global risk business.

Over the last eighteen months, we have been steadily assembling the ingredients of this global risk firm. We have built a worldwide IT infrastructure, acquired Bankers Trust finite reinsurance operations, Equus Re’s traditional and alternative risk teams and, most recently, Imperial Fire & Marine Reinsurance, strengthening our London team as well as offering the benefits of a presence in Tunis, Bahrain and Kuala Lumpur. And we have set up brand new offices in London and Stockholm.

At Alea, we enjoy two major advantages over most. In everything from people to processes, from technology to the very structure of the organisation, we have the rare opportunity to create a genuinely local and truly global risk firm from the ground up, to enable us to deliver precisely the integrated expertise you need, as and where you need it, wherever you happen to be.

And, with KKR behind us and a world of opportunity ahead, we view the future with a clear vision and calm confidence.

There is more to do. There will always be more to do. But one thing is for certain: a major new player in risk has arrived.

Dennis Purkiss
Chairman and Group CEO

When the Ancient Chinese said ‘may you live in exciting times’, they meant it as a curse. We beg to differ.

We live in exciting times, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Exciting times mean opportunities. Clarity of vision, clarity of thought and clarity of communication can turn opportunities into seriously beneficial results for all of us.

We believe in long term commitment. We believe in integrated expertise. Above all, perhaps, we believe in writing only good business - business we really understand.

A clear, shared attitude, simple core principles: with these, we believe, anyone can view any amount of excitement with enthusiasm.

Covering the world

What does it mean to be global, when different markets have different customs and cultures, and have different needs at any given time?

It means you never let structure get in the way of a good idea.

Or, to put it another way, you create a structure which helps you develop and fully capitalise on good ideas – and only good ideas.

At Alea we operate to a clear set of common guidelines, so that we only take on business we really understand, and handle it according to consistent processes and procedures. So wherever you access us, we always know how to deliver, and you always know what to expect.

The world of risk has many multinational companies; Alea was designed from the ground up to be truly global.

Ultimately, our franchise structure is designed to deliver a global quality of service where and when you need it.

Each franchise, within the group guidelines, services its own market in its own way, with the power to act rapidly, decisively and appropriately to specific needs and local conditions. They don’t have to ‘wait for head office approval’.

Our investment in state of the art communications technology lets each franchise easily leverage our overall capabilities, so as they need additional or particular specialist expertise, they can quickly access it from other parts of the group. Then deliver in a format tailored to local conditions and local needs.

The vision of a risk firm that is both local and global is becoming reality.

We are here for the long term. And the better we understand your strategy, the better we can support it over time.

That means working with you to gain a clear understanding of your ambitions, your appetite for risk, the things that make you tick. Equally though it’s also about numbers: the raw materials for the models we use to get it more right, more often.

When we know who you are, what you’re about and what you’re really trying to achieve than we can really get to work. And so can you

Great minds don’t think alike; precisely why we bring them together.

Though client, broker and underwriter are enough to make a deal, we believe it takes more to make a risk management strategy.

That’s why our team on your business may be bigger and more diverse than you might expect. Because only when you bring together different perspectives do you develop a better, more rounded vision – and that’s the essential foundation for a more innovative, more effective solution.

It means challenging communications, a lot of information and hard thinking.

But if you want the best results, we believe it’s the only way to do it.

Whatever your philosophy, however skilled your people, however good your contacts, you need serious backing to be in this business.

KKR have since their inception engaged in nearly 90 transactions across a wide range of industries, involving over $100billion in total financing. Investors rather than traders, KKR have the vision and the patience for the long-haul, and always take the long-term perspective, with an average eight year stewardship frequently extending to a decade or more. Equally important is their industry reputation for clarity and decisiveness of action, and sheer intellectual clout. A long track record of proven performance testifies to their unerring eye for a coherent business plan.

Everyone knows 1999 was a difficult year - right across the industry. In injecting an additional $150million of capital KKR reiterated their confidence in our strategy.

We know where we’re going; KKR clearly know it’s worth backing us to get there.

" The rating recognises the Rhine Re Group's solid market position, restoration of adequate capitalization, levels and AM Best's expectation that financial performance will improve dramatically in the medium-term and return to historic profitability levels "

" Standard & Poor's believes the capital infusion, couples wiht a revision of Rhine Re's retrocessional protection, will provide adequate support for the company's plans to grow a more balanced book of business geographically in teh U.S., London, and continental Europe, with a larger contribution for casualty and finite reinsurance products. The prospective addition of Imperial's client base should further enhance the business position of Rhine Re."

If you believe as we do that risk means opportunity; that better understanding makes for better relationships; and that exciting times are the only times to live in, come and tell us what’s on your mind.

We can’t promise a ‘yes’: today’s yesman is all too often tomorrow’s history. What we can promise is a more rounded team, a more searching analysis, and ultimately, more effective help in pursuing your overall strategy and achieving your ambitions.

If you share our passion for risk, give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.