Six Months Inside ES Risks

A conversation with Paul Tasker

After spending the last eight years building and scaling a business in the RegTech sector, ES Risks COO Paul Tasker joined the business in late 2025.

We sat down with Paul to discuss how the London Market is evolving, why the relationship between insurance and technology has fundamentally changed, and what he believes will define the next generation of high performing businesses.

Julia:

You spent the last eight years in RegTech before joining ES Risks. How has it felt stepping back into a senior role inside a Lloyd’s broker?

Paul:

Familiar in many ways, but also genuinely refreshing.

What has changed significantly is the relationship between technology and insurance.

Years ago, technology businesses often felt slightly outside the market looking in. Today, many have become embedded into the day to day infrastructure of brokers and insurers.

I have had the privilege of watching some excellent startups grow into genuinely recognised names within the technology armoury of the London Market.

The conversation has matured as well. It is no longer simply about digitisation or disruption. It is much more focused on practical improvement, scalability, governance and helping people perform at a higher level.

Julia:

What has stood out to you most during your first six months at ES Risks?

Paul:

The pace of change in leadership thinking.

There is now far greater awareness at C Suite and Board level around areas like operational resilience, data quality, workflow efficiency, governance and AI.

These are no longer niche conversations sitting within IT departments or transformation teams. They are central business discussions.

At the same time, the market still faces many of the same challenges it always has.

There is still too much duplication of effort. Too much manual process.Too much time spent moving information between systems rather than focusing on clients and growth.

For me, the opportunity now is building environments where talented people can spend more time doing high value work and less time battling unnecessary friction.

That is how high performance teams are created.

Julia:

You have seen both the insurance and technology world. Has the market become more accepting of technology businesses?

Paul:

Without question.

The strongest technology businesses succeeded because they stopped trying to “change insurance” and instead focused on understanding how the market genuinely operates.

The London Market is incredibly nuanced. It is built around relationships, expertise and trust, but also layered processes, regulation and complexity.

Technology businesses that recognised and respected that reality have done exceptionally well. What is encouraging now is the level of collaboration between insurers, brokers and technology providers. The relationship feels much more mature than it did previously.

I also think there is growing recognition that technology alone does not create a successful business. People do.

Technology should help good teams become even better. It should remove bottlenecks, improve decision making and allow people to focus on the areas where human judgement and relationships genuinely matter.

Julia:

What do you think are the biggest concerns for modern London Market leaders today?

Paul:

I think there are probably three major themes occupying most leadership teams right now.

Firstly, scalable growth.

Most firms want to grow, but they also know that simply adding more people and more process is not sustainable long term. Leaders are thinking much harder about how to scale efficiently.

Secondly, talent and culture.

Almost every business now talks about being “people first”, but there is a big difference between saying it and genuinely building an environment where people can thrive and perform successfully.

Particularly at a time where there is understandable uncertainty around AI and concerns about people being displaced by technology. The strongest firms will be the ones that use technology to empower their people, not diminish them.

And thirdly, resilience.

That means cyber resilience, governance, regulatory oversight, operational controls and business continuity. Expectations from regulators and clients are materially higher than they used to be. The role of leadership itself has broadened significantly as a result.

Julia:

How do you think “go to market” strategies within the London Market have changed over the last few years?

Paul:

Quite significantly actually, and not just because of technology. COVID and the rise of hybrid working changed relationship dynamics across the market far more than many people initially realised.

Historically, the London Market was incredibly physical. Business was built through proximity. Being in the office, being in Lloyd’s, being visible, having lunches, coffees, bumping into people and building relationships over long periods of time.

A lot of that still matters enormously by the way, but it's not a five day a week thing!

The market has had to adapt to a world where people are not always physically together five days a week. That has changed how firms think about business development, brand visibility and relationship management.

You now see businesses investing far more heavily in areas like digital marketing, content, LinkedIn presence, webinars, events and personal branding than they would have previously.

Years ago, many brokers would have viewed LinkedIn activity or thought leadership content as unnecessary or even slightly uncomfortable. Now it is increasingly part of how businesses stay visible and relevant.

The reality is that if people are spending less time physically together, firms need more touchpoints to maintain relationships and stay front of mind.

Julia:

Do you think that is a positive change?

Paul:

Overall, yes. I think it has democratised visibility to some extent.

Historically, your network was often heavily influenced by who physically occupied the market with you day to day.

Today, younger professionals and smaller firms can build strong profiles and meaningful relationships through channels that simply did not exist previously.

At the same time though, I do think there is a risk that firms sometimes confuse visibility with genuine relationship building. Posting content is not the same as building trust.

The businesses that will stand out long term are still the ones that combine expertise, consistency and strong relationships with modern communication approaches.

It is not an either or situation.

Julia:

Has hybrid working changed leadership itself?

Paul:

Without question.

Building strong teams is harder when people are not physically together as often.

Culture used to develop more naturally through shared environments and constant interaction. Leaders now have to be much more intentional about communication, mentoring, collaboration and team cohesion.

I also think younger professionals require more support than some businesses perhaps appreciate. When experienced people are not physically present as often, there is a danger that learning becomes more transactional and less observational.

That is why I think leadership visibility matters more than ever now.

Not in a corporate sense, but in terms of genuinely being accessible, present and engaged with your teams.

Technology and flexible working are here to stay, and rightly so in many respects. But the firms that build the strongest cultures over the next few years will be the ones that find the right balance between flexibility, performance and human connection.

Julia:

Two of your children are now working within the market as well. Has that changed your perspective at all?

Paul:

Definitely.

It is interesting seeing the industry through their eyes compared to my own experience entering the market.

When I started, learning was incredibly immersive. You absorbed knowledge simply by being around experienced people every day. Sitting in offices, listening to conversations, walking the Lloyd’s building and observing how relationships were built.

The modern market is obviously much more digital and flexible, which brings huge advantages.

But I do sometimes wonder whether younger professionals miss some of the informal learning that came from physical proximity to experienced brokers and underwriters.

Some of the most valuable lessons I learned early in my career probably came from conversations I was not even directly involved in.

At the same time, younger people entering the market today are far more commercially and technologically aware than my generation was at the same stage.

Julia:

And finally, what makes you optimistic about the future of the London Market?

Paul:

I think the market is far more adaptable than people often give it credit for.

For years there have been predictions that technology would fundamentally weaken the London Market, but what I have actually seen is the opposite.

The combination of deep expertise, global relationships and increasingly sophisticated technology creates a very powerful environment. Insurance remains a people business at its core.

The firms that will succeed over the next decade will be the ones that combine strong culture, talented people and modern thinking whilst maintaining the human side of what makes this market work so well. That balance is where the real opportunity sits.