Key insights

  • The role of insurance brokers is expanding. Increasingly, they're called upon to help organizations anticipate, quantify and manage risks.
  • Businesses are using insurance more strategically as a tool to support innovation and growth. Coverage decisions are more closely tied to business model changes.
  • Deep knowledge in their sector and strong industry relationships are valuable assets that brokers bring to the table. With these assets, they can develop tailored solutions that address unique risks.

In today's complex and rapidly evolving risk landscape, organizations are exercising crisis response capabilities more frequently. As threats become more interconnected and unpredictable, the role of the broker is expanding to meet growing demand for strategic risk advice.

Organizations increasingly value the role of insurance brokers and their ability to interpret market trends, spot emerging exposures and help clients navigate uncertainty with confidence.

During the pandemic, nearly one in four companies shifted their business models — many with the support of brokers and insurers that provided the tools and reassurance needed to manage the transformation.

After years of cascading disruptions, clients increasingly look to their brokers for guidance.

"They trust us," says Glenn Drees, managing director, Food and Agriculture practice at Gallagher. "When we have a strong relationship with clients, they value our ability to identify and quantify risks and offer more treatment options than before. And when something goes horribly wrong, we're there to help them get back in business as quickly as possible."

Gallagher insurance brokers reflect on being that trusted partner

How risk and insurance facilitate innovation and growth

Sixty percent of respondents to the Gallagher Global Business Risk Evolution Survey reported that the steps they took to increase growth had an impact on their insurance program.

Of this group, nearly all were guided by a broker when making decisions about new coverage arrangements.

This evolution reflects broader shifts in the insurance industry. Since the pandemic, commercial insurance products have increasingly provided pre-loss and crisis response solutions, in addition to indemnification.

At the same time, underwriters are becoming more demanding. While quality data and evidence of loss controls have always been a condition for large corporates seeking protection, mid-sized companies are increasingly expected to provide detailed renewal submissions.

With their specialist knowledge, advanced analytics and forecasting tools, brokers have a critical role that goes beyond insurance placement. This role includes helping organizations anticipate risk, improve operational flexibility and embed resilience into their growth strategies.

"The days when brokers were simply paid for transactional services are behind us," says Will Sheldon, managing director and Global Brokerage leader of Gallagher's Healthcare practice. "Now, it's about the additional value we can bring — leveraging data, analyzing trends and compiling management reports that can guide continued investment and decision-making."

Brokers have become essential partners in navigating uncertainty and building strong business strategies. Michael Burg, executive vice president and managing director, Manufacturing practice at Gallagher US, notes there's now a much higher demand for brokers to demonstrate deep industry expertise, foster industry-specific market relationships and deliver innovative products and solutions.

"The polycrisis has elevated the importance of the role brokers play in structuring appropriate insurance programs," says Burg. "It's a shift that aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering tailored, industry-focused solutions."

The rise of the data-driven insurance broker

In many ways, the pandemic accelerated the demand for risk data and advice from insurance brokers. At the same time, it fueled the technological transformations that made it possible for risk advisors to meet these evolving needs.
"COVID changed the sales and client philosophy," explains Daniel Smith, regional director of Strategic Growth at Gallagher. "With COVID, it became clear that being in person wasn't always necessary and that allowed us, internally, to be more efficient with our time. It also increased client demand for digital resources and the expectation for turnaround time and responsiveness has significantly increased.
"For example, instead of traveling to a client's location to review all their open claims and discuss next steps, we've developed a dashboard that keeps their claims information up to date on a monthly basis," he continues. "It allows them to access the data they need right at their fingertips, which we'll still walk through with them.
"Insurance can sometimes feel antiquated, but it's changing," he adds. "It's all about eliminating redundancy and digitizing the client experience."

What Gallagher risk professionals say about their evolving role

Insurance as a strategic pillar in post-pandemic business resilience

The past five years have served as a master class in crisis management and resilience, as Gallagher's business resilience survey shows. As companies adapted to the polycrisis and a new global landscape, they've emerged stronger and better prepared.

Most business leaders reported feeling better equipped to manage risks than they did at the onset of the pandemic.

The perception that risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin has reshaped how businesses approach shocks and volatility. Organizations' strategic embrace of insurance as a tool — not just for protection, but for facilitating innovation and growth — reinforces this belief.

Insurance take-up has surged across the board since the pandemic. Almost half of the businesses surveyed reported buying more insurance coverage, and 39% affirmed expanding into new insurance products. This trend reflects a broader strategic pivot: Companies that diversified their revenue streams during the pandemic enhanced their insurance portfolios to protect these new income sources.

In this evolving context, the commercial insurance broker emerges as an essential risk partner for business leaders, offering tailor-made products and services that respond to the unique needs of both established and emerging companies.

If the polycrisis is the new normal, it becomes clear that no business operates in isolation. Insurance, in this context, serves as a compass, empowering companies to thrive amid uncertainty.

Robust risk management strategies are no longer optional; they are foundational to corporate resilience driven by innovation and, ultimately, growth. This conclusion is especially evident in global scenarios such as supply chain disruptions, where the ability to build long-term operational endurance becomes a decisive factor.

Ultimately, the survey findings illustrate a resilience playbook grounded in strong leadership, adaptability and risk management. At its core lies the broker as a strategic ally in planning, execution and long-term success. Their expertise helps translate risk in a dynamic and ever-changing environment into opportunity, ensuring that resilience strategies are maintained, tested and finessed over time.

Published January 2026