EMB in Japan

The youngest member of the family, EMB Japan has opened its doors at a pivotal time in the country’s development. The domestic market is a very mature one and offers little opportunity for expansion. As a result, Japanese insurers are increasingly looking overseas to grow their business.

The change of strategy brings with it new challenges and risks, as well as great opportunities. Getting the right balance between expansion and profitability is the key to success. We believe that our expertise and our software are ideally suited to help insurers make it a happy experience, enabling them to understand and control their exposures and optimise their strategies.

At the same time, the regulatory authorities are moving to a new risk-based supervisory framework comparable to Solvency II. Unlike their European counterparts, it is expected they will opt for a step-by-step approach, but the issues are just the same. EMB’s unrivalled experience of financial modelling, combined with our software products, is well suited to help insurers and reinsurers make the necessary adjustments.

EMB Japan offers a full range of non-life actuarial services, including pricing and reserving. We already have very good relations with Japanese insurers and reinsurers through their London operations and look forward to being of service in their home country. 

Fuminori Ogawa is managing director of EMB Japan. A fully qualified actuary, he started his career with Tokio Marine in 1982 and has since had a range of jobs in both the company and consultancy sectors.

“It’s a very interesting time to be getting into the Japanese market,” he says. “The challenges that insurers face are changing. Many of them are becoming quite aggressive as they seek to expand, and the question is how to ensure this approach is sustainable. I believe the situation makes the expertise we can offer even more relevant going forward.”

Osamu Takahashi works as a consultant. He has wide non-life actuarial experience within the Japanese insurance industry, including a Japanese company and the Tokyo offices of a number of multinational insurers.

Fuminori and Osamu are excited by the potential of EMB’s software products to help Japanese firms prosper in the new commercial and regulatory environment. 

For more information about EMB Japan, see biographies or www.embjapan.co.jp