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Broker facilities expand as tech, alternative capital reshape capacity - 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 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe 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 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe 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 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe 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 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Broker facilities expand as tech, alternative capital reshape capacity by Gavin Souter Agents and Brokers , P/C Insurers Aon , EPIC , Liberty Mutual , McGill , Willis Towers Watson , Zurich Oct 6, 2026 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Broker facilities that automatically or rapidly provide following capacity are expanding as brokers seek to speed placements, use data to package portfolios of risks and tap additional sources of capital, but insurers say underwriting discipline remains critical as the structures grow. The growth and evolution of facilities was a main discussion topic this week at the Insurance Leadership Forum, sponsored by the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. High-profile facilities include Marsh’s Fast Track, Aon’s Client Treaty, Willis’ Gemini, Howden’s Auto Tracker and McGill and Partners’ Auton. Facilities take various forms, including portfolio facilities that provide capacity across books of business, global retail facilities and more specialized facilities focused on particular regions, industries or products, said Pat Donnelly, Chicago-based head of risk and broking for North America at Willis. “It makes it more efficient. It provides optionality,” Mr. Donnelly said. Many of the facilities were developed in London, but brokers are building U.S. and regional versions using local capacity, executives said. EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants is already developing facilities using both London and U.S. insurer capacity, said Atlanta-based Steve Denton, CEO of Galway Retail Services. Galway Holdings is EPIC’s parent. The brokerage has a property facility for its risk management business, is working on a casualty facility and has developed facilities for specific industries, including real estate. “The carriers are very interested in conversations around portfolios of premium,” Mr. Denton said. “Where we can package and look at the whole portfolios, that’s a very attractive conversation for both parties.” Improved data has been critical to developing the facilities, said Marc Kunney, San Francisco-based president, risk management and national specialties, at EPIC. Improved access to structured exposure and loss data allows insurers to analyze entire portfolios rather than underwriting each account individually, Mr. Kunney said. That has made facilities more attractive to insurers seeking to deploy capacity efficiently across larger blocks of business. For policyholders, facilities can fill portions of programs quickly and sometimes provide pricing discounts because insurers can reduce underwriting expenses, he said. In layered property programs, having insurers agree in advance to follow underlying policy terms also can reduce potential claims disputes between layers, Mr. Denton said. Aon, which has several facilities, is developing others, including a global operational property facility providing up to $10 billion in capacity for data centers, said Ryan Barber, New York-based global head of property at Aon. The facility is expected to be available by Dec. 1 and will be implemented regionally in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific, he said. The facility will use a manuscript form developed for the data center industry and allow coverage for on-site power generation to be added to the facility, Mr. Barber said. Facilities allow brokers to more efficiently match risks with capital, including investors that want exposure to insurance risks but do not want to build the underwriting and claims infrastructure of traditional insurers, he said. Large insurers that provide lead terms remain critical to the process, Mr. Barber said. “I don’t think these facilities in any way detract from what they’re doing. In fact, I think they become more important as the stewards that are actually underwriting the risk,” he said. McGill and Partners has used its facilities and digital placement capabilities to dramatically reduce the time required to complete complex placements, said London-based founder and CEO Steve McGill. In one recent case, a client preparing to send a shipment through the Strait of Hormuz told the broker at about 4 p.m. on a Friday that it needed war-risk coverage confirmed within 10 minutes because a U.S. Navy escort was ready to accompany the vessel, he said. McGill had obtained lead terms and used its digital capabilities, including its Auton follow facility, to complete the placement within 10 minutes. When the vessel’s captain requested proof of insurance, the broker issued a certificate within another five minutes, Mr. McGill said. “It’s a bit of an extreme example, but it just shows you the responsiveness now and the value that’s created by having the ability to access high-quality lead underwriting capacity, and very quickly build out the support,” he said. Insurers’ view Insurers acknowledge that facilities are likely to continue growing. Liberty Mutual participates in various facilities and has done so for years, said Marc Orloff, Boston-based president of global risk solutions, North America. Index facilities can give insurers access to diversified portfolios of risks, he said. Zurich North America also participates selectively, said CEO Alex Wells. “We understand where our world is growing, and we want to make sure that we’re thinking about it in the right way and we’re growing with it where it’s appropriate,” he said. Facilities are attractive when they continue to recognize the value of underwriting expertise, but less so when risks are homogenized and insurers are essentially asked only to supply capital, he said. An insurance executive who did not want to be identified said facilities are likely to continue growing, but the larger blocks of business they offer could tempt insurers to pursue premium volume at the expense of underwriting discipline. “If people start chasing premium, they could really hurt,” the executive said. 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