Welcome to the June edition of Member Matters. As we cross the financial half-year mark and look ahead to the 2025/26 protection renewal, it’s a timely moment to reflect on our progress and share important updates.

This edition covers a range of developments, including insights from a recent trip to London to meet with reinsurers, an update on the transition of our Cyber Protection provider, and continued opportunities to engage with your Risk and Audit Committees.

We also share details on upcoming webinars in our education series – a key part of our commitment to supporting Members beyond risk protection.

Looking Ahead to the 2025/26 Protection Renewal

Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to travel to London alongside Tobias Pfau, our Chief Underwriting Officer, to meet with several of Unimutual’s key reinsurance partners. These in-person engagements are an essential part of our renewal process – providing the space to have open, informed conversations, and to ensure our partners understand the strength of our Mutual and the unique environment that our Members operate in.

While it’s too early to discuss pricing or terms, what we can share is that our conversations were positive and encouraging. Reinsurers continue to view Unimutual as a well-managed, stable and forward-thinking Mutual with strong fundamentals. In fact, there is growing interest from new international reinsurers looking to participate in our programme. This is a positive indicator of Unimutual’s standing in the market and a potential opportunity to enhance capacity and competitiveness.

We used our time in London to also reinforce what sets Unimutual apart – our specialised focus on the higher education and research sector, our Member-owned, Member-governed model, and our long-term strategic vision.

To support these efforts and help secure the best possible renewal outcome, we ask for your support in providing complete and accurate data via the ReSure system by Thursday 31 July 2025. Early and comprehensive data submissions allow us to model exposures accurately, engage with the reinsurance market from a position of strength, and deliver better terms for all Members. If you have any questions on providing the renewal information please contact [email protected].

We’ll also be holding our annual Renewal Update Webinar on Tuesday 29 July 2025. This session will give you an early view of the renewal landscape, market trends and what to expect. Invitations will be sent in the coming weeks, but please save the date in your calendar.

Cyber Breach Response – Transition to Atmos

As mentioned at our Annual Conference, AXA XL has transitioned its nominated cyber breach response provider from Clyde & Co to Atmos, effective 1 June 2025.

From this date, all breach response activity via the AXA XL Incident Response Hotline will be managed by Atmos. Importantly, the hotline number remains unchanged, ensuring continuity of access for Members.

Atmos is a globally recognised cyber response firm with deep expertise in managing complex incidents across education, research and other knowledge-intensive sectors.

Data shows that pre-onboarded organisations not only respond more quickly and effectively to incidents but also reduce response costs and brand impacts.

To support Members in making the most of this transition, Unimutual has arranged a complimentary onboarding session with Atmos for all Members who have Cyber Protection through the Mutual. These sessions will give your teams a clear understanding of what to expect during a cyber event and how to respond decisively under pressure.

A detailed brochure is available here, and we encourage you to take advantage of this valuable opportunity.

Members who prefer to retain Clyde & Co as their breach response provider are free to do so. AXA XL continues to recognise Clyde & Co as an approved provider, and this change does not affect your ability to choose the firm that suits your needs.

For any questions about this transition, please don’t hesitate to contact Tobias Pfau directly at [email protected].

Continuing Education – 2025 Webinar Series

One of the strongest pieces of feedback from our recent Annual Conference was the value Members place on learning and development opportunities. As a result, we are continuing to invest in our webinar series, which covers a diverse range of contemporary topics relevant to risk, insurance and the operating environment of the higher education and research sector.

We recently held a well-attended session on AI Risk Management, which is now available to view in the Members section of our website.

Coming up next:

• Battery Storage: Risk and Opportunity – Wednesday 25 June 2025
• Student Safety in an Evolving Environment – Thursday 21 August 2025

These sessions are a great way to stay informed, build internal capability and hear from subject matter experts. If you need assistance registering, or aren’t receiving invitations via email, please contact us at [email protected].

CEO Presentations to Risk & Audit Committees

Following the success of last year’s engagements, I would like to again offer Members the opportunity for a CEO presentation to your Risk or Audit Committees.

These tailored sessions are designed to add value to your governance processes, offering insights into Unimutual’s 5-year strategy, global reinsurance trends and key sector risks. They also serve as an open forum to answer questions from your committee members and executive teams.

Several Members have already taken up this opportunity in 2025. If this would be helpful to your institution, please let us know at [email protected], and we’d be pleased to arrange a suitable time.

Welcoming Jade Wahlen – Senior Casualty Underwriter

We are delighted to welcome Jade Wahlen to Unimutual as our new Senior Casualty Underwriter.

Jade brings a wealth of experience to the Mutual, joining us from Guy Carpenter, where she held the role of Vice President, Facultative. She was responsible for managing and expanding the property and casualty facultative portfolio across Australia and New Zealand.

Jade has a strong background in casualty insurance, cyber risk, and alternative reinsurance solutions, making her a valuable addition to our underwriting team.

Prior to her time at Guy Carpenter, Jade worked at Willis Re where she supported major casualty accounts in the Australian and New Zealand markets, including clients such as Suncorp, Vero Liability, FMG, and IAG. Her expertise and insights across both the local and international reinsurance landscape will further strengthen Unimutual’s underwriting capability, particularly as we continue to evolve our casualty offering in line with Member needs.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Jade to the Unimutual team.

Thank You

As always, we thank you for your continued engagement, collaboration and feedback.

Unimutual exists solely to serve its Members – and your involvement helps us remain strong, focused and fit for the future.

If you have any questions or ideas on how we can better support you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We look forward to working closely with you in the second half of 2025 and beyond.

Warm regards,

Geoff Henderson
Chief Executive Officer

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