Speaker information: Construction Risk Management

Company	Job Title	Name	Speaker Bio	Speaking At
Zurich Insurance Company	Head of Energy, Marine & Construction Claims, Commercial Insurance UK	Amanda Langer	Amanda joined Zurich UK as head of Energy Marine & Construction claims in January 2026, from Marsh where she headed the Construction Claims Practice. Prior to this Amanda has held claims leadership positions at SCOR and Markel International. A Global Claims Portfolio Manager with over 25 years in the London insurance market in the following lines: Construction All Risks, Property, Energy, Casualty, Liability, Professional Indemnity, D&O. Legally qualified with extensive commercial London market and international experience in high value complex claims resolution.	Panel discussion: Delay in start-up claims – navigating the evolving claims landscape for major projects
VINCI SA	Group Insurance MD	Xavier Luscan	-	Panel discussion: Interpreting LEG3 in 2026 – what insurers think and what buyers need to know
Munich Re	Regional Director EMEA Parametric NatCat	Kristian Mangold	Kristian Mangold is a seasoned expert in parametric insurance and structured reinsurance, currently leading the Parametric NatCat efforts for EMEA at Munich Re. He holds dual Master’s degrees in International Business & Politics and International Management from Copenhagen Business School and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Kristian began his career in consulting before joining AXA in Paris, where he focused on climate risk solutions for corporates and developed agricultural insurance programmes across Africa and Asia. At Swiss Re, he worked on both prospective and retrospective structured reinsurance across Property & Casualty and Life & Health.	Workshop: Integrated risk solutions for complex construction projects
Descartes Underwriting	Commercial Director for Iberia and Central Europe	Juan María Marqués Domenech	With over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, Juan María is an expert in designing Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) and parametric insurance solutions. Throughout his career, he has dedicated more than 8 years to technical specialisation within the Construction and Energy sectors, managing complex placements for major infrastructure and energy projects. After leading the parametric strategy at Aon Spain for three years, he currently spearheads Descartes’ expansion across Iberia and Central Europe, where he helps industrial and construction firms strengthen their climate resilience through innovative, data-driven solutions.	Panel discussion: Weathering the future – climate risk, extreme weather and insurance for European construction
Construction Fire Safety Services Limited	Director	Dan Martin	Following an 18-year career in the Fire & Rescue Service, Dan has continued to work extensively across the fire safety and construction sectors, building more than 30 years of combined industry experience. As UK Fire Safety Manager for a leading Tier 1 Principal Contractor, Dan gained deep insight into the real-world challenges of managing fire safety during the construction phase. He has also supported the wider industry through lecturing, the development of virtual reality fire training for site operatives, and contributing to innovative solutions including a reusable temporary fire door system. Now Director of Construction Fire Safety Services Limited, Dan continues to support construction projects nationwide while championing professional development and raising awareness of this critical area of fire safety.	Presentation: The biggest construction loss driver – fire and the future of construction risk control
Zurich US	Head of Construction Property	Patrick McBride	McBride brings a wealth of experience to his current position, having previously served as the Middle Market Broking Leader for the Mid-Atlantic Region at Willis Towers Watson. In this role, he provided strategic leadership and oversight across all lines and industries within the Middle Market sector. McBride returned to Zurich in 2018, initially as the Construction Property Leader for the South region, before assuming his current national leadership role, which he has held for five years.	Panel discussion: Building the digital backbone – managing risk & securing coverage on the new wave of data centre construction projects
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer	Partner	Sarah McNally	-	Panel discussion: Interpreting LEG3 in 2026 – what insurers think and what buyers need to know Panel discussion: Building the digital backbone – managing risk & securing coverage on the new wave of data centre construction projects
Allianz Commercial	European Head of Construction	Matthias Neeff	Matthias has built a distinguished career at Allianz, specialising in large corporate construction and engineering underwriting. He has over 25 years' experience in sales and underwriting. He has held a series of increasingly senior sales and underwriting roles in Germany (Frankfurt and Munich) and Canada (Toronto). He then served as Chief Underwriter and later Regional Head of Large Corporate Construction Business across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Last year he was appointed European Head of Large Corporate Construction Business at Allianz Commercial. In this role, he is responsible for the company's strategy for large corporate construction clients and multinational teams across Europe.	Panel discussion: Building the digital backbone – managing risk & securing coverage on the new wave of data centre construction projects
Complex Claims	CEO	Alan Purbrick	Alan Purbrick is an experienced insurance professional, having worked in the industry for over 30 years. His background is construction, engineering and energy. Alan was the founder and CEO of CCi, a company specializing in providing technical time, cost and engineering solutions on some of the World’s largest insurance claims. He is credited with developing Project Monitoring and techniques for solving large and complex delay claims, particularly in relation to DSU. Alan recently became the CEO of Complex Claims, a leading independent loss adjusting company, with offices in the Middle East and London.	Panel discussion: Delay in start-up claims – navigating the evolving claims landscape for major projects
Aon	Managing Director, Construction & Infrastructure	Simon Simpson	Simon has considerable risk and insurance experience in the construction sector both globally and in the UK which has been gained from nearly 34 years in the industry. Prior to taking on the position of Business Leader, Simon has managed the delivery of service for major contractors and projects with complex and demanding requirements. His knowledge and ability to manage both the strategic and operational delivery of service are recognised within the insurance industry. Simon’s role now includes the responsibility for both UK Construction and Infrastructure and the provision of technical and broking support to the Aon network globally. Also included as part of Simon’s team is Aon’s surety offering for both construction and commercial risks.	Panel discussion: Interpreting LEG3 in 2026 – what insurers think and what buyers need to know
Port of Rotterdam N.V.	Risk & Insurance Manager	Nanda Smeets	Nanda has been working at the Port of Rotterdam for eight years, holding various positions before stepping into the role of Risk and Insurance Manager last year. As the first person to hold this position within the company, Nanda is fully responsible for establishing and shaping the role, developing a structured approach to risk management and insurance. Nanda holds a law degree from Leiden University and brings strong analytical and strategic skills to the field of risk management. Before joining the port, Nanda lived and worked in Santiago, Chile, for 2.5 years, gaining international experience in legal and business environments. Passionate about ensuring resilience in complex operations, Nanda focuses on managing risks and insurance solutions that support the port’s long-term success.	Workshop: Beyond the shoreline – managing risk in complex marine construction projects
Aon	Chief Commercial Officer, Construction & Infrastructure	Tariq Taherbhai	Tariq is the Chief Commercial Officer for Aon’s Global Construction & Infrastructure (C&I) industry specialty. In his role, Tariq is tasked with developing and implementing the global growth and marketing strategies for the specialty. In addition, Tariq works with other leaders to ensure that the full capabilities and expertise of Aon are properly delivered to the firm’s global C&I clients. Tariq has significant experience with project finance and public private partnerships, having advised on multiple large, complex projects over the past two decades. Before joining Aon, Tariq was vice president of the project legal group at Infrastructure Ontario, with responsibility for all legal and procurement matters related to public private partnerships procured by the Province of Ontario, Canada.	Panel discussion: Operating in a crisis – the importance of resilient risk management & collaboration
Aon	Global Head of Political Risks and Structured Credit	Sarah Taylor	-	Presentation & panel discussion: Managing economic & geopolitical risk in European construction
Aon	Global Claims Leader, Construction & Infrastructure Industry Specialties Claims Leader, Asia	Clarence Ting	Clarence has been working in insurance since 2003. During this time he has been effectively managing Energy, Construction, Machinery Breakdown, Delay Start-Up and Business Interruption claims globally. Prior to joining Aon, he worked with global reinsurance firms leading their major and complex losses in the region. In his current role, he is a member of Aon’s Global Construction & Infrastructure Leadership team and a member of the Global Claims Leadership team delivering significant client value through Aon’s escalation protocols, and dedicated Claims Advocacy. Clarence is empaneled with the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID).	Panel discussion: Delay in start-up claims – navigating the evolving claims landscape for major projects
K&L Gates LLP	Partner, Head of Insurance Coverage	Sarah Turpin	Sarah Turpin is a partner in the Insurance Recovery and Counseling practice in London and joint global practice group coordinator. She represents policyholders seeking coverage under a broad range of insurance policies, including Professional Liability, Directors’ and Officers' Liability, Property/Business Interruption, Construction All Risks/DSU, Public/Product Liability and Cyber and Technology Risks. She acts for policyholders in relation to disputed insurance claims, if necessary, through mediation, litigation, or arbitration, and advises on claims notification and claims management issues. Sarah also advises on policy wordings at the pre-contract stage and on the inter-action between local and global policies.	Panel discussion: Weathering the future – climate risk, extreme weather and insurance for European construction
K&L Gates LLP	Partner, Construction Disputes	Matthew Walker	Matthew Walker is an international arbitration, litigation, and dispute resolution partner who focuses on construction law. Matthew acts as arbitrator and counsel in arbitration and has co-authored many leading practitioners' guides to arbitration in Qatar, including for LexisPSL, GAR Know How, Lexis Middle East, and Practical Law for Thomson Reuters. This has seen Matthew recognised in Who's Who Legal as recommended for arbitration in Qatar, as well as Thought Leader for construction. Matthew was awarded Lexology's Client Choice Award (voted on by clients) for 2024 for Arbitration & ADR in Qatar and is listed as a Global Elite Thought Leader by Lexology for his Client Choice accolade. He has been ranked in the UK by Chambers & Partners as Band 3 for Construction: International Arbitration (UK-wide) for 2025 and is recognised in The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2024 as a Recommended Lawyer for international arbitration in London, as well as for insurance litigation (policyholder), and construction: contentious and non-contentious.	Panel discussion: Delay in start-up claims – navigating the evolving claims landscape for major projects
Howler Global Ltd	Associate Director	Martin Woodfield	Martin Woodfield brings 18 years of construction and fire risk expertise to the forefront of project resilience. As Associate Director at Howler Global Ltd and a member of the PAS 9970 technical committee, he advises leading developers and contractors on integrating early fire detection into strategic risk control — transforming fire safety from a compliance obligation into a critical layer of project protection.	Presentation: The biggest construction loss driver – fire and the future of construction risk control Workshop: The hidden threat – construction fire risk and the case for early alerts