On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley is joined by Brian Posner, a seasoned investor, operator, and board director with deep experience across insurance, financial services, and public company governance, including 15 years at Arch Capital. Brian shares how his career evolved in unexpected ways, from thinking he would become a doctor to building a foundation in finance, investing, and leadership. He reflects on his formative years at Fidelity, including working directly with Peter Lynch, and explains why understanding insurance starts with the balance sheet, then cash flow, and only then the income statement. He unpacks what great insurance investing looks like in practice, from spotting hidden leverage to focusing on tangible book value growth over headline earnings. The conversation then moves from investing to governance. Brian explains how his first board appointment at Sotheby’s came about as a governance solution during a crisis, what he learned from that high-stakes experience, and why he took Henry Kravis’ junior senator advice seriously: listen, pick your moments, and build influence before trying to drive outcomes. Brian outlines how he approaches joining any board like an investor, absorbing context, understanding risks, and finding the best way to add value without coming in “guns blazing.” Nick and Brian discuss what separates effective boards from ineffective ones. Brian describes the secret sauce as directors who understand the business of the business, ask great questions, look around corners, and bring deep respect into deliberation. He argues the best boards treat governance as a perpetual conversation, not four or five isolated meetings per year, and explains how chairs and committee chairs can create alignment by facilitating information flow, preparing both management and directors for the real discussion, and avoiding unnecessary surprises. Looking forward, Brian shares what boards should be paying closer attention to, including geopolitical risk, rule of law, and the sanctity of contracts, particularly critical in insurance. He also offers his view on the next generation of board leaders: breadth matters, reading and learning matter, empowerment matters, and in a fast-moving world, knowing when to slow down can be a strategic advantage. He closes with practical advice on winning that first board role by building relationships, being targeted, and using a less is more approach, often by asking the one question that reframes the decision. Connect with Brian Posner on LinkedIn to follow his work. The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search. We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent. Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda. Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.
