MGAs have become one of the most dynamic forces in the insurance market – but while some evolve into distribution powerhouses, others struggle to gain traction.
This was the focus of a recent panel discussion hosted by Insurance DataLab’s Matt Scott at this year’s Insurtech Insights conference in London, where industry leaders came together to explore what separates the success stories from the rest.
Watch the full panel discussion below:
The session brought together perspectives from across the MGA value chain:
- Rob Bauer, president and chief growth officer at Bolttech, offered insight from a global insurtech platform that has successfully built and scaled multiple MGAs.
- Chris Bayley, co-founder of Cover Genius, shared experience from one of the leading players in embedded insurance.
- Nelson Castellanos, VP of insurance, risk and finance at Liberty Group, provided a capacity-side view on what makes MGAs attractive partners.
- Vittorio Scala, CEO of AEC Underwriting, brought a practitioner’s perspective from leading MGAs on the ground.
Together, the panel explored how strategy, execution and partnerships shape MGA performance.
Clarity of purpose and execution
A consistent theme throughout the discussion was the importance of clarity.
Panellists highlighted that successful MGAs are those that understand exactly what they want to be – whether that’s a specialist underwriting business, a distribution-led model, or a hybrid of both.
While some MGAs have built their success on deep underwriting specialism, others have scaled rapidly through innovative distribution models, particularly in embedded insurance.
However, the consensus was that long-term success often depends on being able to combine both – pairing strong underwriting discipline with effective, scalable distribution.
The importance of relationships
From a capacity perspective, relationships remain central.
Castellanos highlighted that trust, transparency and consistent performance are key factors in securing and maintaining capacity support. MGAs that communicate clearly and demonstrate disciplined underwriting are far more likely to stand out.
Panellists also noted that relationship management extends beyond capacity providers, encompassing broker partners, technology providers and internal teams.
How Insurance DataLab can help
Insurance DataLab provides independent benchmarking across UKGI, helping firms assess claims performance, complaints trends, underwriting results, financial strength and partner oversight against individual companies and the wider market.
Whether you are reviewing claims, testing fair value, assessing distribution partners or strengthening board reporting under the Consumer Duty, independent benchmarking provides the external perspective regulators increasingly expect.
If you would like to see how the platform can support your 2026 regulatory strategy, you can request a demo here.