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An interview with the Lady Mayor of the City of London - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers An interview with the Lady Mayor of the City of London by Gavin Souter Dame Susan Langley Political Risk , Regulation United Kingdom Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. , Lloyd's of London Feb 17, 2026 Dame Susan Langley is the Lady Mayor of the City of London, the square-mile district that is the center of the United Kingdom’s financial sector. She is also nonexecutive chair of Gallagher U.K. Among her roles before becoming Lady Mayor late last year, she was director- North America and market development at Lloyd’s of London and chief operating officer at Hiscox. Currently visiting the United States, she spoke last week with Business Insurance Editor Gavin Souter about the role of London as a global insurance center, and regulatory and cultural changes in the city. Edited excerpts follow. Q: What are you hoping to achieve on your trip to the United States? A: We’re going to Miami, Austin and Dallas. I don’t think any Lord Mayor has been down to that area since 2016, so it’s slightly exploratory. The role itself is 50% overseas. You travel as an ambassador — it’s relationship building, speaking at conferences and events and taking delegations to meet companies they wouldn’t otherwise get access to. It’s essentially taking an investment portfolio to various asset owners. I’ve already been to New York, but we wanted to come to Miami, because it’s obviously a LatAm hub, and particularly Austin and Dallas. When you look at the flow of talent and capital and the number of companies relocating there, we felt it was a really important place to come to. I’m meeting a whole range of people — asset managers, insurance, regulators, political leaders. It’s about talking about the City of London, seeing what’s happening locally, and asking whether there are opportunities we can work on together. Q: With your insurance background, how are you presenting London as an opportunity for U.S. companies? A: I’m really proud of the insurance industry, but we’re a bit British about it — we don’t sell our strengths. Someone mentioned almost offhand that the London market has doubled in size over the last 10 years, while most people would be shouting about that. I’ll be highlighting London as the global specialist market, supported by all the talent, the ecosystem, the expertise and innovation. And I think it’s becoming more important than ever because of emerging risks — risks we don’t fully understand yet. That’s London’s sweet spot. Whether it’s AI or geopolitics, risks are coming out that we can’t even define at the moment and I think London is probably the only center placed to handle and underwrite those. Q: Do you think there need to be regulatory changes to help attract more U.S. business? A: I do, and we’re beginning to see those take shape, although many are still in consultation. While the first approach was not to add more regulation rather than roll back, they’ve started to roll back some of them. We’re seeing this globally — even Europe is talking about simplification. The trouble with the process of regulation is that each year you review a process, you refine it, add another paragraph and never strip it back. Now we’ve got multiple layers of the onion and it’s hard to simplify. I don’t like the word deregulation because one of the U.K.’s strengths is stability and the rule of law. You don’t want deregulation, you want simplification. Incremental change is difficult. I think we need to be bolder and look globally at what works elsewhere and ask whether we can replace parts entirely. The City feels things are moving in the right direction, but personally, I think we can be braver. Q: Are there specific regulatory issues for insurance? A: There’s so much regulation affecting insurance that I’m not going to pick one. I think you have to look at it holistically and ask: What is the purpose of this regulation and is it achieving that outcome? Being principles-based is giving us an advantage over Europe at the moment. Q: With geopolitical volatility and emerging risks, is London offering what clients need? A: I think it is. It comes down to risk managers and underwriters. Some risks are hard to quantify. But where risks are known and quantifiable, London is the place because we’re far more innovative, we write bespoke policies, we can have conversations and tailor coverage and that’s a rare skill. Insurance is becoming more important than ever. It’s an uncertain world, and we have to understand the risks we’re insuring against. The insurance industry just carries on quietly, in its very British way, bringing together global risks. This year, we’re launching Global Risk Week, with a summit on May 12 for CEOs and chief risk officers. It’s not about insurance, it’s about risk: geopolitical, climate, AI and cyber. The market is holding events around that week with clients and others, creating a real focus on global risk. I think that will help highlight London’s expertise, especially post-COVID, when people don’t travel as much. Q: London has faced scrutiny over workplace culture and diversity. Where do things stand now? A: I’ve never experienced those issues personally, although I’m not saying they don’t happen. I talk a lot about opportunity. I was born in the East End. My dad was an electrician and told me anything was possible. Somehow, I’m sitting here as Dame Susan Langley and Lady Mayor of the City of London. That happened because people in the City supported me and helped me along. I once said we need to ‘unsquare the Square Mile.’ People are often frightened of London — they think they don’t speak right, don’t dress right, don’t have the right background, and I say, “For goodness sake, look at me.” Specialty insurance is harder to balance, especially when people take time out for family and have to rebuild client relationships. But the market really tries, and it’s finding ways for women to come back. I’ve also realized how important representation is. I never needed to see someone do a job to want it — I just went for things. But women tell me their daughters now want to be Lady Mayor, or that they finally feel they belong in the City. So, I’ve realized that in this role I have to stand up and say: “This city is for everyone. You have to step forward, but I’m living proof that you can succeed and everyone I’ve met has tried to help me.” Related News Sompo’s profit doubles to $3.4B February 16, 2026 IAG sees pricing pressure after bushfires, storms February 16, 2026 Nestlé runs plants 24/7 after contamination recall February 16, 2026 Tokio Marine posts $2.5B non-life profit February 16, 2026 Brasil Re’s net income jumps 35%, premiums tumble 12% February 16, 2026 Mapfre Re to open India branch February 16, 2026 MS Amlin’s premiums surge 380% February 16, 2026 Dual, Scor to expand Brazil corporate coverage February 16, 2026 Kuwait Re’s profit leaps 41% February 16, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. 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