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Statement of the Chair

"Our vision of being a leading sustainable, specialty insurer, is both lived every day and drives our aspirations, as our products, people, platforms and culture all come together."

Christine LaSala
Interim Chair

Beazley posted a pre-tax profit in 2022 of $191.0m (2021: $369.2m), and an impressive 89% (2021: 93%) combined ratio, a result that demonstrates the impact of our disciplined underwriting . I am also pleased to confirm that The Board has declared a dividend of 13.5p. Our business is grateful for the support of our shareholders, partners and customers during a challenging year of geopolitical uncertainty. I am particularly proud of the confidence our investors placed in us during our equity raise in November 2022, which will help us further invest in the sustainable growth of our business.

A specialty insurer that delivers sustainable growth

Our deepest sympathy is with all the people suffering from the devastation in Turkey and Syria, and those impacted by the human tragedy of the war in Ukraine. These events have made us acutely aware of this kind of geopolitical uncertainty. This uncertainty is compounded by the pervasive economic stress of high inflation and the cost of living challenges it creates for many. In this environment our role, as a sustainable, specialty insurer, is to support clients and broker partners to manage the additional risks as we all adapt and deliver value for our shareholders. Beazley adds tangible value when things are complex, volatile and changing in areas such as Cyber, Specialty, Marine and Political Risk, where we have consistently demonstrated our ability to help our clients grow, while allowing our insureds to explore, create and build.

Strong culture guides us through change

In autumn 2022, I assumed the role of Interim Chair of Beazley, I was previously the Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee. The role of Chair has offered a fresh perspective on our business and I have been energised by the exciting future our fast changing and growing business has ahead of it.

On 25 April 2023, at the conclusion of the 2023 Annual General Meeting, I will relinquish this role to our outstanding new Chair, Clive Bannister and I will return to my previous role. Clive is currently the Chair of Rathbones Group plc and the Museum of London. He was previously CEO of the Phoenix Group plc. He will bring deep strategic, commercial and transformational experience to The Board.

A talented team that champions diverse thinking

Our company has thrived because our people can thrive. People are the bedrock on which we continue to build and grow our business. They are a vital asset and one that becomes more valuable over time. Understanding this leads us to commit to creating a market leading workplace. 

Building a highly differentiated, talented, cross functional team means recruiting and retaining the best people. In 2022 we recruited 410 new joiners and our turnover rate was 10%.

Dividend

The Board is pleased to continue with its progressive dividend policy, which will be paid annually and as such have declared an interim dividend of 13.5p for the full year of 2022.

New Era, consistent vision

In December 2022, Beazley joined the FTSE 100 for the first time. We welcome the additional responsibility, visibility and scrutiny that comes with this and expect to be better for it. It is worth reflecting that we have reached this point, not through acquisition or merger, but by focusing on growing and developing our business organically through our talent base, expertise and skill.