Lodgepine Capital Management

Andrew Barnard and Brent Slade, the two most senior executives from Lodgepine Capital Management Limited, the in run-off start-up retrocession investment manager owned by Markel Corporation, are departing the company.

Markel Corporation has full-confidence in the ability of its insurance-linked securities (ILS) specialist manager Nephila Capital to deliver results over the long-term and looks forward to realising more synergies with the ILS operation, according to Co-CEO Richie Whitt.

Assets under management at Markel’s flagship insurance-linked securities (ILS) operation Nephila Capital dropped by roughly $1 billion during the second-half of 2021, as the effects of natural catastrophe activity and redemptions dented the ILS fund managers scale.

Markel Corporation has decided to wind down its retrocessional reinsurance focused insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund manager, Lodgepine Capital Management, citing retro market headwinds and a challenging fundraising environment.

Markel Corporation intends to continue to cede retrocessional reinsurance business to its Lodgepine Capital Management start-up retro ILS investment manager and expects the full retro book to transfer to the ILS model in time, Co-CEO Ritchie Whitt said today.

In the last quarter of record, revenues earned from its flagship insurance-linked securities (ILS) operation Nephila Capital rose for parent Markel Corporation, but assets under management at Nephila Capital declined heavily in Q3, dropping by $500 million to $9.3 billion by the end of September.

New opportunities for Nephila Capital to grow its insurance-linked securities (ILS) business are expected to come to fruition over the next year through bespoke offerings and ESG portfolios, while Lodgepine’s first retrocession ILS fund launch is just the start, according to Markel Corporation Co-CEO Richie Whitt.

Lodgepine Capital Management Limited, the retrocessional reinsurance ILS fund management unit of Markel Corporation, launched its first insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund featuring third-party capital at July 1st 2021 with just under $100 million in assets.

Lodgepine Capital Management Limited, the retrocessional reinsurance ILS fund management unit of Markel Corporation, had a “terrific” year in 2020, delivering double-digit returns on its portfolio which largely avoided any loss impacts during the period.

Markel Corporation hopes to see fresh inflows coming into its insurance-linked securities (ILS) business in the second-half of 2020, as the capital markets become less volatile and investor confidence recovers, according to Co-CEO Richie Whitt.