Professionals with extensive London market claims experience falling

The number of professionals in the Lloyd’s market with extensive claims experience is falling, as the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and mid-career pressures continue to rise.

This is according to new research from the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA), published yesterday (16 July 2026), which found that the percentage of employees at managing agents with more than 15 years of claims experience has dropped from 37% in 2023 to 31% in 2025.

The LMA said that the dwindling talent pool was leading to a higher risk of “poaching” occurring between companies, as well as a noticeable shift towards outside-of-industry hiring strategies.

Such outside-of-industry hiring strategies are also apparent at the junior end of the talent pipeline, with the number of junior roles staffed by new entrants – including university graduates and school leavers – up from 37% to 52% over the same period.

Growing story

Janine Powell, claims director at the LMA, said: “Claims has a growing story to tell as a career destination and the future of claims depends on getting the balance right.

“It’s great we’re attracting new talent and must continue initiatives to do so, but we cannot afford to lose the depth, judgement and experience that sit within our mid-career professionals.

“What’s evident is the digitalisation of claims. If we embrace AI and automation in the right way, we free up space for higher-value work and create a genuine demand for new technical professionals, opening doors to different talent pipelines.

“What being a good claims professional looks like is shifting. However, what isn’t is the human dimension of the role.

“The survey shows that the critical aspects of a claims professional are both technical and relational. The market’s aim now should be to develop claims professionals who can combine technical and human insights, as both are essential to the evolving market.”