Hugh Reimers

Freight & Trading Weekly Special Feature

February 2000

HISTORICALLY INSURANCE has provided the only form of risk financing. At the same time, risk strategies in the past did not generate profit simply because they had narrowly focused on limiting risk itself.

"Risk finance originated in the traditional insurance industry and we have had to look at ways and means of changing it to the benefit of the user," says Eikos director Hugh Reimers.

It was through the innovations of the risk financiers of the 1970s and 1980s that risk was seen as something that could be used to advantage, he says.

This outlook transformed the insurance discipline, with the result that Eikos is now developing and redefining risk finance mechanisms.

"What sets us apart is that we have broken with the conventional approach of compartmentalised solutions by gaining a clearer understanding of the client's strategic goals and applying innovative integrated solutions," he says.

"What we have done is to balance the risk-reward relationship in a client's business and have sought to tip the scales in favour of reward. The philosophy behind this is to put together carefully planned small teams using core expertise, but drawing from outside when necessary. For the past 15 years the individual members of these teams have been innovators in risk financing and in the transportation sector."

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