Tom Bailey, executive director of Tempo Underwriting, has a theory about what it takes to build a business based on the reinsurance MGA model.

“For a reinsurance MGA to be successful and to have a strong offering, you have to be very, very focused in a niche, as we are. I think a general reinsurance offering is going to be much tougher for an MGA,” said Bailey, who leads a London-based MGA that focuses on cross-class emerging market treaty reinsurance as well as professional lines, including D&O and professional indemnity on a direct and facultative basis.