FORTY Under 40: Luke Renz

Looking back at your journey over the past year, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and how has becoming a FORTY Under 40 finalist influenced your perspective on that achievement?

The year has gone by quickly; while no single accomplishment outshines the rest, I am truly grateful to be able to speak at multiple conferences, contribute to international publications and to have made the FORTY under 40 list this year. Being featured among the best captive insurance professionals is an honour and continues to push me to be the best I can be for my company, and for the industry.

“We are often crafting one-off solutions for major accounts that couldn’t find success elsewhere due to the complexity of their operations and unique risk profile.”

What key challenge did you face in your work this year? How did you overcome it and what did it teach you about leadership at this stage of your career?

Transitioning to the captive space from standard commercial insurance and from a leadership and sales role in the past was a key challenge to overcome. Learning, growing and establishing network of relationships across all service providers within the industry has not only been a challenge, but a source of great fulfilment.

The learning curve in the captive space can be difficult as we are not just contemplating standard insurance policies, we are often crafting one-off solutions for major accounts that couldn’t find success elsewhere due to the complexity of their operations and unique risk profile. I’ve talked at length in the past about creating “win-win solutions”, with my current role I am often coordinating multiple service providers throughout the captive process, being able to lead and coordinate this process continues to teach me that consistency, transparency, and the genuine desire to align all interests with best practices truly creates these win-win solutions for all involved.

In what ways have you tried to push innovation or rethink traditional approaches within your sector, and what impact has that had on your team or organisation?

Every opportunity that lands on our desk is a chance to learn something new. As a captive MGA, we get to look at things from angles the standard market doesn’t always consider, which makes the work a lot more interesting. Being able to sort through opportunities, pull the right people together and think creatively so nothing gets overlooked gives us access to some pretty unique situations.

Sometimes an account doesn’t look great at first glance, but once you dig in, you start finding strengths or opportunities that weren’t obvious upfront. When you look beyond just premium and loss summary, things like policy limits, how previous losses were managed, proposed captive retentions/risk tolerance, safety programmes, fleet safety and everything in between, you start to see which insureds are strong performers, even if they didn’t seem like viable captive candidates at first. That broader view is often what turns an immediate declinature into a very successful captive programme.

How do you see your role evolving over the next three to five years, and what initiatives are you most excited to pursue as you continue to grow professionally?

The next five years present infinite opportunity. The captive industry continues to grow and will continue to do so as large, high-performing operations look to find alternative solutions to standard insurance. Along with many internal professional development goals, I am anxious to continue learning, pursue additional professional designations and to eventually start teaching the next generation of captive professionals. As a small, niche industry, we must continue to ensure all involved are aligned with best practices and stay on top an evolving regulatory landscape, especially as AI continues to be a focal point across all industries.

Many of the FORTY Under 40 winners are recognised for both business success and broader impact – how do you balance professional excellence with contributions to your community or industry landscape?

My goal within the industry is to contribute as meaningfully as possible. Whether through committee involvement, conference speaking engagements, or creating educational content whenever the opportunity arises, I’m committed to advancing my own development while supporting others along the way. The captive industry has opened doors I never thought possible. Sharing that journey and helping bring the next generation into the fold is essential to sustaining the momentum and long-term success of our industry.

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