Fortune Favours The Brave

Hosted by Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd

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Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

A regular podcast for business leaders exploring how businesses can harness risks and use them to their advantage. In each episode Howden Insurance Brokers will discuss a topical challenge or issue and what business leaders can do to overcome it. https://www.howdengroup.com/uk-en

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60 recent

October 27, 202651 min

Beyond the final whistle - episode one

A courtroom can change how medicine gets practised long after the final whistle. We sit down with orthopaedic surgeon Professor James Calder, professional rugby player Sebastian Negri, and medical defence lawyer Majid Hassan to revisit the Ebanks-Blake case and unpack what it reveals about clinical risk in elite sport. When the scientific literature supports one approach, but a judge prefers another expert’s view, the consequences can ripple through every future decision a clinician makes. We talk candidly about ankle injuries, arthroscopy, microfracture, and the realities of treating athletes who are racing a selection window, a contract, or a tournament. James shares the stress of litigation and how an adverse outcome can push even the most experienced surgeon towards defensive medicine. Majid explains why indemnity, early legal input, and a well-prepared witness statement can be as crucial as the operative plan, and why clinical notes often become the foundation for everything that follows. Sebastian brings the athlete’s perspective to the centre: your body is your asset, trust is part of recovery, and clear communication between surgeon, club and physio team can steady the mind as much as it steadies the joint. We also explore practical improvements, from better documentation to recorded consent conversations and AI transcription, plus what “bespoke” insurance and education might look like for clinicians working in high-pressure sports medicine. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review if you want more straight-talking conversations on elite sport, medico-legal risk, and safer ways to deliver performance-focused care.

October 22, 202615 min

Protecting care in an age of uncertainty

When it comes to protecting your care business, is the cost of insurance taking priority over what your policy actually covers? With rising employment costs, funding pressures and changing regulatory requirements, care providers face difficult decisions about where to focus their resources. But ensuring insurance remains fit for purpose is an important part of protecting the long-term resilience of their organisations. In this episode of Fortune Favours the Brave , Richard Lawson, Senior Corporate Account Executive at Howden, is joined by Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, and Jonathan Taylor, Divisional Director, Head of Corporate Risks, Health & Care at Howden, to discuss why insurance should be more than an annual renewal exercise. Together, they explore some of the common gaps in insurance cover, from underinsured buildings and inadequate liability limits to the implications of delegated healthcare tasks. They also discuss the importance of understanding commissioner requirements, demonstrating effective risk management and keeping insurers informed as care services evolve. The conversation then shifted to the value of ongoing conversations between providers and insurance brokers, not just when policies are due for renewal, but whenever a business is planning for the future. For care providers and business leaders navigating an increasingly complex operating environment, this episode offers practical insights into reviewing insurance arrangements, managing risk and building greater resilience.

October 22, 202620 min

What keeps Life Science D&O Underwriters awake at night?

One Phase 3 readout can add years to a company’s future or erase it in a morning and that swing is exactly where D&O insurance, securities litigation and leadership decisions collide. Patricia Ramos , Director, North America Commercial D&O at Howden, sits down with life science D&O underwriters, Millie Refalo , Senior D&O Underwriter at Indigo, and Marshall Burns , Senior Underwriter, Management Liability at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, to unpack what truly raises concern when a biotech is public, pre-revenue, and living milestone to milestone. We walk through the underwriting basics that set the tone quickly: market capitalisation, where the lead programme sits in the clinical trial journey, and how long the company has been trading publicly (including IPOs and reverse mergers). From there, we get specific about concentration and catalyst risk, why a single asset story can be so fragile, and how “priced for perfection” valuations make even small delays or slightly weaker data feel like a breach of trust to investors. The FDA and the shifting regulatory landscape come up repeatedly, but not as a simple “approval risk” narrative. The sharper point is disclosure: how management builds flexibility into timelines and funding, what gets said on earnings calls, and when a hypothetical risk becomes a real one that needs updating. We also dig into the funding reality for clinical-stage life sciences after the post-2021 market tightening, including cash runway assumptions, access to follow-on capital, and why debt can look like a trap. Finally, we tackle AI-driven drug discovery and the growing fear of AI washing, plus practical renewal advice: be prepared to explain the downside with the same clarity as the upside and aim for wording and carrier continuity through pivotal development stages. If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with your team, and leave a review with the risk question you want us to tackle next.

August 3, 202626 min

Life Sciences: Under the microscope

A single FDA question, a missed clinical endpoint, or a manufacturing snag can wipe billions off a market cap in minutes, and in life sciences that kind of volatility often comes with a second hit: a securities class action. We sit down with Kevin McRoy, Executive Vice President at RT Pro Exec and author of The D&O Diary, and John Connolly, Executive Managing Director at Howden USA, leading our North American life sciences practice, to unpack why biotech, pharma, and medical device companies remain such frequent targets, and why courts still dismiss these claims at a higher rate than in many other sectors. We dig into what the numbers really mean for leadership teams, investors, and D&O insurance buyers: the difference between a speculative developmental stage business and an actual fraud narrative, how the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act shapes pleading standards, and why scienter is often the hill plaintiffs struggle to climb. We also explore why more filings are landing in the Third Circuit and what makes that forum distinctive, from its familiarity with FDA-related complexity to its intolerance for selective or weak disclosure. If you work in life sciences, risk, legal, finance, or insurance, this is a clear-eyed guide to how these lawsuits form and how to reduce avoidable exposure.

July 23, 202630 min

SAFER seas: Protecting seafarers and their families

While seafarers are the backbone of global trade, the pressures they face – both on board and at home – are often overlooked. Life at sea demands resilience, sacrifice and long periods away from home, often under challenging and uncertain conditions. In this episode of Fortune Favours the Brave, our host Captain Hari Subramaniam , Chief Commercial Officer for Marine, Cargo & Logistics at Howden, is joined by industry experts Captain Karen Davis and Nina Edy . Together, they explore the critical link between seafarer wellbeing, operational safety and the long-term sustainability of the maritime industry. From mental health and isolation to financial insecurity and evolving geopolitical risks, the panel discusses how these factors can affect wellbeing, decision-making and performance at sea. They also discuss why supporting seafarers on leave as well as families ashore is just as important as supporting seafarers on board, with Howden's SAFER at Home offering providing reassurance and security during periods when seafarers may otherwise be left vulnerable. Ultimately, this is a conversation about prioritising the humans at the heart of shipping. We explore what more the industry can do to support the seafarers and families who keep global trade afloat. If you're interested in seafarer wellbeing, marine insurance or the future of shipping, please visit our website or speak to Captain Hari.

July 23, 202630 min

Understanding cyber risk in social care

As digital technology becomes increasingly embedded in the delivery of care, cyber security has become a critical business risk for social care providers of every size. From electronic care planning and medication management systems to payroll, rostering and resident records, a cyber incident can have far-reaching consequences for operational continuity, financial stability and, most importantly, the people who rely on care services every day. In this latest episode of Fortune Favours The Brave, Richard Lawson, Senior Account Executive, Howden, is joined by Neil Hare-Brown, cyber security expert and CEO of STORM Guidance, alongside Jonathan Taylor, Divisional Director, Head of Corporate Risks, Howden, to explore the growing cyber threat facing the social care sector and discuss practical steps providers can take to strengthen their resilience. Together, they examine the current cyber risk landscape, the most common attack methods targeting care organisations, and the potential impact of data breaches, ransomware and phishing attacks. The discussion also covers how providers can build a stronger cyber security culture, improve incident preparedness, understand the role of cyber insurance, and meet increasing expectations from regulators, insurers and stakeholders. Whether you're a care home owner, director, registered manager or risk professional, this episode offers practical insights to help you better understand today's cyber risks and the actions you can take to protect your organisation.

May 15, 202637 min

Litigation For The Greater Good

Most people assume justice is available if you have been wronged. The harder truth is that many of the biggest harms are invisible, shared across millions, and too expensive to challenge alone. We explore how litigation for the greater good actually works when the defendants are well resourced, and the real losses sit inside things like pensions, consumer purchases, or communities harmed by environmental damage, and the defendants are well resourced. Hosted by Anna Gilbert , Divisional Director within Howden's Litigation Risk Management team, and joined by Hausfeld lawyers Lucy Pert and Simon Bishop , together they unpack the idea of “law as a force for good” beyond the usual soundbites. We talk through climate and human rights style claims, but also the less obvious cases that still protect society: emissions litigation, competition and consumer redress, and securities claims where misleading markets can affect huge groups of investors and everyday pension savers. Along the way we discuss how claimants are identified when they don’t even know they’ve suffered harm, and why collective actions and group litigation can be the only realistic route to accountability. We also get practical about the machinery that makes these cases possible. Third-party litigation funding, ATE insurance and newer own-side cost insurance can shift risk off balance sheets and open the door to fairer pricing and more options. We look at how regulators and private enforcement interact, why deterrence matters, and what might change next, from procedural reform for collective redress to the growing role of AI in securities disclosures and trading. If you’re curious about litigation funding, legal costs risk, collective redress, or how insurance supports access to justice, please visit our website or get in touch with Anna Gilbert.

March 18, 202630 min

Getting cover right: The insurance implications of delegated healthcare tasks

The adoption of delegated healthcare tasks in the care sector has been occurring for many years, and the pace of change will only accelerate. In this episode we talk delegated healthcare tasks: what they are and why they only make sense when they benefit the person receiving care. Hosted by Richard Lawson, Senior Account Executive at Howden Health & Care. We sit down with Melanie Weatherley MBE, Co-Chair of the Care Association Alliance, and David Taylor, Executive Director and Head of Howden UK Health & Care to discuss the uncomfortable questions: who is competent, who is supervising, and who is actually liable when something goes wrong? From an insurance perspective, we break down why delegated tasks are hard to define, how treatment-only policies can leave dangerous gaps, and why medical malpractice insurance is often the safer foundation when clinical delegation is on the table. The big takeaway is transparency: tell your broker and your insurer what you do, what you might do, and what controls you have in place, because CQC scrutiny and real claims both punish silence. This episode is a must listen for anyone that works in social care leadership, risk or compliance.

February 25, 202633 min

The impact of AI on accountants

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work from every direction. It’s creating new opportunities for efficiency and insight, but as our dependence on it increases, so does the potential for risk. In this podcast, Howden Claims Director Neil Williams is joined by George Smith and Graham Reid from RPC to explore: How AI can potentially help accountants? What do the regulators think of firms using AI? What are the risks of using AI? What can be done to limit or mitigate those risks?

December 16, 202534 min

How care homes build claims defensibility and trust

Insurance claims can be stressful, but they don’t have to be chaotic. In this episode we dig into claims defensibility to show how strong culture, clear documentation, and open communication can turn difficult moments into credible, manageable cases. Hosted by Richard Lawson, Senior Account Executive at Howden Health & Care, our latest care sector podcast provides practical steps to help care providers to reduce risk and protect their residents. With the expertise of Rishi Jawaheer, Director of the Jawa Group and Sabrina Meetaroo, Divisional Director, Head of Legal, Risk & Claims Advocacy, Howden Health & Care. We discuss what you need to do from the first hour after an incident, how to manage CQC scrutiny and the importance of staff training. The conversation then moves to outline the insurance considerations you need to make. Finally, we provide a summary on the role of digital tools can have to improve care management and discuss the importance of collaboration across providers, insurers and regulators.