Introducing our 2024 Executive Outlook series

In the 1942 classic film Casablanca, Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, urges the piano player Sam to play the song “As time goes by.” It’s a favourite tune she shares with the lead man in the film, Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart.

Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry similarly shared a tumultuous ‘time gone by’ in 2023.

Starting today, in Canadian Underwriter’s online 2024 Executive Outlook series, you’ll see why many expect next year to reprise the classic tune.

This past year saw natural catastrophes top $3 billion (again); high inflation; high interest rates; geopolitical conflict wreaking non-stop havoc on supply chains and the stability of the global economy; hard insurance markets in both personal lines and commercial lines; rising auto theft; and ballooning labour shortages, to name just a few obstacles.

From Wednesday, Dec. 20, through to Friday, Dec. 29 (with the exception of the statutory holiday on Monday, Dec. 25), 29 Canadian P&C insurance industry leaders will predict how these issues and more will play out next year. They will also discuss approaches for handling these challenges.

A caveat always comes with market forecasts. The line “Play it again, Sam,” was never actually spoken in the 1942 film. We all know, along with Bergman and Bogart, that although time goes by, it’s never the same.

With that in mind, we bring you our 2024 Executive Outlook online series.

These market analyses, presented in alphabetical order by last name, represent the sum total of the leadership pieces submitted to us for our print magazine. Alas, the persnickety dimensions of space meant we couldn’t fit all of them into our paper offering. Fortunately, the world of cyberspace is much more forgiving, allowing us to publish over the holiday break all of the outlook pieces we received.

Yes, we will ‘play it’ all here at canadianunderwriter.ca, for old time’s sake and for the times to come.

From everyone here at Canadian Underwriter, please have a happy and safe holiday season. We will be back publishing our own original news content again on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

Feature image courtesy of iStock.com/winyuu

David Gambrill