An upturn in shipping and energy – a wish-list to Santa from Skuld

One of the more specialist firms to answer our Christmas questionnaire was marine insurer Skuld, whose chief executive included on his wish-list to Santa an upturn in the shipping market and further diversification.

We would very much like to see a further upturn in the shipping market. Our optimism is cautious in some sub-segments, but we expect continued improvement, which will be good news for our members,” said Ståle Hansen, president and CEO, Skuld.

“Similarly, we wish for continued improvements in the energy sector, which has taken a battering. On the insurance front, just as we have seen indicators of overcapacity in shipping, we all recognise excess capital in the insurance market. The removal of some capacity would be a positive development.”

He added that on the corporate side, Skuld follows a clear long-term strategy focussed on diversification, both geographically and within the product range. He said the business is always assessing opportunities, but there’s nothing concrete on its agenda today.

“Because we are a rather specialised service provider, we hope to continue attracting the best talent in the industry. We strive relentlessly to offer even better service to our members and clients each year, but delivery is only a product of the people we employ,” he added.

This is just a snapshot of what executives told us in our Christmas questionnaire. For the full comments from all 16 executives that took part in our survey, please click here.