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Casus Underwriting managing director Stewart Croker says Broker Expo 2026 is a chance for brokers to discuss real construction risks, understand the insurer’s appetite and find the right underwriting contact. His advice to attendees: arrive with a plan, but leave room for conversations they did not expect.
What will Croker discuss at Broker Expo 2026?
Croker says Casus is focused on construction and wants to hear from brokers about the opportunities they see and how the underwriting business might help them place more construction business. He encourages attendees to bring specific risks and questions so they can talk about Casus’s appetite, approach and where it may add value.
That makes the conversation practical: brokers can put a real risk in front of the underwriting team and ask whether it fits, rather than relying on a general introduction. Croker’s emphasis is on identifying relevant appetite and getting to the right underwriter quickly.
How should attendees make the most of the Expo?
Croker’s advice is, “Have a plan, but don’t overplan it.” He recommends knowing whom you want to see and bringing specific risks or opportunities, while leaving time for unexpected discussions. He also urges attendees to speak to people rather than stand aside answering email.
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In practice, that means balancing targeted meetings with enough flexibility to follow a useful conversation. A concise set of questions and a clear example of a risk can help make those conversations more focused.
Why does Croker expect “appetite” to be a recurring word?
Croker expects AI to attract attention at the event, but predicts that “appetite” will remain important. Brokers need to know who is willing to consider a particular risk and how to reach the appropriate underwriter, he says. “For brokers, knowing who genuinely wants to look at a risk, and being able to get to the right person quickly, remains incredibly valuable.”
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This is Croker’s view of what brokers need from insurer relationships, not a measured forecast of how often a word will be heard at the Expo. His point is that technology and industry discussion do not remove the practical need to match a risk with an underwriter prepared to assess it.
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Croker says AI and automation are beginning to be used in practical ways, especially to reduce repetitive administration and improve how information is captured and presented. He sees risk understanding, judgement and relationship-building as work people should continue to do.
He does not identify a specific system or quantify adoption across the market. His distinction is about the kind of work technology can assist with: streamlining routine tasks while leaving the assessment of a client’s risk and the human conversations around it to people.
What lesson does he have for new broking professionals?
“Learn how to understand a risk, not just how to process one,” Croker advises. He recommends asking good questions, understanding what the client needs, explaining the risk clearly to an underwriter and building relationships.
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That sequence links client knowledge to placement: a broker needs to understand the exposure well enough to communicate it accurately, and to know whom to approach. Croker describes insurance as “still very much a people business.”
Who does Croker credit, and what does he expect in 2027?
Asked who had “played a blinder,” Croker credits independent brokers collectively. He points to their client knowledge, advice and insurer relationships as valuable amid market change. This is his assessment, rather than an independently measured comparison of broker types.
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Looking to 2027, Croker expects clients to keep needing advice as businesses and risks become more complex. He sees technology as a way to improve efficiency, not to remove the value of good advice. These are his outlook and judgement, not a quantified forecast.
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This article is based on Insurance Age’s countdown interview with Stewart Croker, published 2 October 2026 ahead of Broker Expo 2026: Insurance Age.
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