Editorial

Published in Edition 15

Editorial

The sea. The boundless, terrifying, magnificent, mysterious sea of pirates and buccaneers, scary monsters, and seductive sirens; the unknown vast ocean of the Portuguese intrepid navigators of the 15th century, who dared go beyond all that was known and return as conquerors.

By José Manuel Fonseca

The sea of today, an open communication route across different nations, the home of inexhaustible resources but also the victim of mankind’s greed, aggression, and climate change.

In this edition of FULLCOVER the sea will envelop you, beginning with the cover. In our new dossier we will take you on a journey through the past, present and future of marine and transport insurance and its logistics. From the history of marine insurance through to current developments and what they mean for world trade; how a stranded ship blocked the world’s supply chain to reflections on the scourge of piracy and maritime security; from pollution covers to the use of renewable energy in transport, not forgetting how new technologies are impacting a centuries-old reality, and its adatation to these new, challenging times.

FULLCOVER 15, however, has much more in store for you. Like the interview with David Ross, CEO of The Ardonagh Group, the UK’s largest independent broking group and a top 20 global broker. It expanded in 2021 through acquisitions in the US and Australia, ending the year with the agreement to buy the MDS Group, an operation I strongly believe will have a deep and positive impact on our organisation, marking the beginning of a new era, motivating, and inspiring us to go further together. We’ll get to know David Ross personally and as a professional and learn about the group he’s leading, the amazing speed at which they are expanding their footprint and their plans for the future.

Other articles are certain to stir your interest, such as Bernardo Pires de Lima’s geopolitical analysis, including an overview of the drivers behind the timing of Putin’s shocking invasion of Ukraine, Tim Marshall’s perspective on how geography impacts and explains the world we live in, the importance of client advocacy when it comes to a claim, and the increase of inequality in the wake of the pandemic. We talk to José Ramos, Member of the board of directors of Salvador Caetano Group, a longtime partner of MDS, on how a Portuguese company that began importing cars from Japan has become a specialist in moving solutions.

Enjoy FULLCOVER while listening to Claude Debussy’s masterpiece “La Mer” (The Sea) here.

 
 
Illustrations  ©Studio Dobra

AUTHORS

José Manuel Fonseca

José Manuel Fonseca

CEO - MDS Group

José Manuel Fonseca is a renowned risk management expert, with more than 35 years of experience in the insurance and risk management industry.
He was Vice President of FERMA (Federation of European Risk Management Associations) for several years. He founded Apogeris, the Portuguese Risk Management and Insurance Association, which he chaired for 15 years.
He also founded Brokerslink, a global broking company that manages a network of brokers and speciality risk and consulting firms.
Prior to joining MDS he was responsible for launching bancassurance in Portugal, founded a pension fund management company and was President of a Portuguese insurance company.
José Manuel Fonseca was honoured as Broker Leader of the Year 2018 by FERMA.