Paul Burns

2009 to Present: TPH Consulting, Limassol, Cyprus
Independent Financial Advisor

Senior Consultant advising expatriates on pensions, long-term savings and investments, QROPS, SIPPs, offshore portfolio bonds, structured financial products.
Identifying potential leads through to closing business and continued financial advice thereafter.
Developing & maintaining systems to track market data and continuously monitor client portfolios.
Reason for leaving: The current global financial crisis will have a severe depressive effect on the economy in Cyprus, creating increased uncertainty in a dwindling market with limited future prospects.

In addition to being Underwriting Manager, I was head of the Cyprus underwriting team in charge of data compatibility and transfer of underwriting data files (including rating models, catastrophe aggregate calculations, underwriting authority levels and counter-signing compliance) from Alliance Re to Flagstone Re.
At this time, the head of IT at Flagstone Re (with a team of 60 IT professionals) acknowledged that the data handling, underwriting support and Catastrophe Aggregate monitoring systems which I had developed (in Microsoft Excel) had a level of integration and ease of use which they had never seen before and which surpassed anything they had developed.

Alliance International Reinsurance Public Company Limited was bought by Flagstone Reassurance Suisse SA Limited in 2009 and was renamed Flagstone Alliance Insurance and Reinsurance PLC.
Flagstone Re relocated the business to their existing offices in London, Dubai and Switzerland.

I had various, often concurrent, positions centered on Management and Underwriting.

2006 - 2009: Underwriting Manager of Alliance Insurance Agents (AIA) Limited.
AIA was a Lloyd’s Cover-holder, underwriting business on behalf of Kiln Syndicate 510 at Lloyd’s. This was in addition to my role as Manager of the Property Facultative Department
I successfully negotiated and secured such highly prestigious accounts as DIFC and DEWA.

2001 - 2009: Manager, Property Facultative Department.
As Underwriting Manager and Senior Underwriter I managed a team of underwriters which built up a worldwide portfolio with particular emphasis on the Middle East and Far East.

Responsible for underwriting standards, underwriting results, HR, workflow, technical standards, underwriting manuals, marketing, client relationships, staff training, internal reports to CEO and co-contributor to reports to financial rating agencies such as Standard & Poor.
During this time I greatly improved the efficiency and productivity of both my own Department and the whole Underwriting Division by streamlining their business processes and procedures.
Additionally, I trained and mentored the first local employee (i.e. not an ex-pat British) ever to be promoted to the role of full Underwriter, taking her through all development stages from Clerical Assistant to Underwriter.

1996 - 2001: Underwriting Manager in charge of developing, training, mentoring, supervising and managing a world-class, highly effective team that had a market reputation for technical soundness, commercial sense, and underwriting integrity.
During this time I negotiated the contracts as "lead underwriter" (effectively on behalf of the whole London Insurance market) for such iconic risks as St. Paul's Cathedral, The Channel Tunnel, Westminster Abbey and the Panama Canal as well as such household brand names as LG, Samsung and Philips.

1986 - 2001: Munich Reinsurance, London, England
I gained continuous promotion from joining the company as a clerical assistant, through to management of the underwriting team, as detailed below.

1991 - 1996: Underwriter for Property Business and concurrently
1991 - 1996: Underwriter for Miscellaneous Accident, which includes a diverse range of sub-classes of insurance business.
This particular period demanded a high degree of personal motivation and organizational skills, as there was no clerical back-up.
As the only underwriter for these classes of business in the busiest office of the world’s largest reinsurer, I was responsible for all underwriting, data entry, maintenance of catastrophe accumulations, and portfolio analysis including reporting of all figures to UK and Head Office management.
In addition, I was responsible for computer modelling the more esoteric risks such as bonuses paid to sports teams that win a particular league or Cup.

I single-handedly expanded the portfolio over a course of 6 years from an income of £600, 000 p.a. to one of around £10, 000, 000 p.a. with a net surplus of approximately £10, 000, 000

1990 - 1991: Assistant Underwriter.
Within two years of joining the Underwriting Department I was given the authority to underwrite new business, with a worldwide portfolio covering all commercial and industrial classes of property insurance and reinsurance.
Using my sound knowledge of manufacturing processes of a very wide variety of industries as well as the associated physical and financial risks, I held face-to-face negotiation with brokers. I analysed all aspects of the risk (physical hazards including processes, construction, security, protections, natural hazards as well as financial impact of business interruption) and negotiated terms and conditions agreeable to all parties.

1988 - 1990: Underwriting Assistant in the Property Department.
Early duties included the manual recording and year-end calculation of Catastrophe Accumulations. During my first year I taught myself dBase programming and developed a computer system that produced real-time monitoring of accumulations according to CRESTA zones, cutting the time needed to produce the requisite reports from 6 weeks to 3 hours.

1986 - 1988: Joined Munich Re as a Clerical Assistant in the Claims Department
I handled all aspects of claims handling from computer input of first advice to negotiation and final authorisation of claim.
Within 18 months I was in charge of property claims and had unlimited settlement authority.

When in London I was active in the promotion and implementation of various electronic trading initiatives and was a member of Munich Re’s IT steering committee.