The world’s first hybrid vehicle for use in the insurance-linked securities (ILS) sector will lead to increased simplicity and efficiency for ILS fund managers, according to Carey Olsen partner Christopher Anderson, who created the concept with the support of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
The Guernsey hybrid is a protected or incorporated cell company that is both a licensed insurance company and a regulated investment fund. It means ILS managers will no longer have to ‘rent’ cells of protected cell or segregated account companies to act as Special Purpose Insurers (SPIs) and which are often established in a different jurisdiction and operating entirely separately from the ILS manager’s fund.
“For the first time, the Guernsey hybrid provides managers with the opportunity to operate an investment fund and any number of sub-funds and SPIs in one place, supervised by one regulator, governed by one board of directors with one set of service providers and one auditor. No other jurisdiction in the world offers such a unique combination,” said Mr Anderson.
“Guernsey is a world leader in both the investment funds and insurance sectors so the concept of fusing two regulated structures into one vehicle makes perfect sense and is a development that will generate significant cost savings and other efficiencies as well as greater control for ILS fund managers.”
Guernsey Finance Chief Executive Dominic Wheatley welcomed the introduction of the new vehicle: “Guernsey is one of two key players in the ILS transformation market, and as the asset class grows we see Guernsey’s role growing too. Guernsey will continue to be at the forefront of innovation in ILS and this is a perfect example of forward-thinking.
“This thinking builds on Guernsey’s expertise in insurance and ILS and in funds, where we are global specialists in private equity, listed debt and alternative assets, and should lead to Guernsey becoming a natural choice for ILS managers to establish a fund.”
