Outcomes

The LMF Leaders of Tomorrow Lunchtime Series made a welcome return this week at Level 19, 20 Fenchurch Street, with a full house of young professionals from across the London Market. The series continues to offer free learning and networking opportunities for those in the first 15 years of their Market careers — providing a valuable platform for connection, collaboration and career development. We are extremely grateful to our friends at Allied World for kindly allowing us to host the event at their amazing offices in the Walkie Talkie. Allied World have been a supporter and long time partner on the Leaders of Tomorrow Programme for some years.

The opening session, titled “An MBA in a Lunchtime – Well Almost”, was led by Matthew Rumble CFIRM ACII, a long-standing London Market professional and author of MBA the Easy Way. Over 90 minutes, Matthew shared insights on leadership, strategy and performance, condensing the essence of an MBA into practical lessons tailored for the insurance sector.

Creating a Community for Emerging Leaders

Opening the event, Roger Oldham, Founder of LMF, reflected on how the Leaders of Tomorrow programme has grown over the last few years and provides a “free to access” platform for a complete cross section of the Market.

“We created this community to give emerging professionals a place to learn, connect and build the relationships that will genuinely boost their professional development and confidence. It began as a response to isolation during the pandemic, but it’s evolved into something much bigger — a movement to ensure the next generation of leaders are supported, informed and inspired.”

Roger emphasised the unique format of the lunchtime sessions — short, interactive and inclusive — giving professionals across different firms and disciplines the chance to exchange ideas in a relaxed yet purposeful setting.

Lessons in Leadership

Matthew Rumble opened with a focus on leadership fundamentals, exploring how clarity, calmness and communication underpin effective management. He explained that leadership exists on three levels — strategic, operational and team — and that success depends on communication flowing both ways.

“Leadership isn’t just about setting direction; it’s about maintaining momentum,” Matthew explained. “The best leaders create what I call directional momentum — the ability to keep progress moving even when things aren’t going perfectly. It’s that resilience that sets great organisations apart.”

Drawing from his experience mentoring over 100 professionals in the London Market, Matthew outlined the characteristics of high-performing individuals, including confidence, composure and a proactive mindset. He encouraged attendees to lead by example, trust their teams and stay grounded, even under pressure.

“Confidence isn’t arrogance — it’s faith in yourself and your ability to deliver,” he said. “The most successful people don’t always have all the answers, but they believe they can find them.”

Interactive polls throughout the session invited participants to reflect on their own development and identify the qualities they most value in modern leaders. Traits such as agility, empathy and emotional intelligence ranked highly — signalling a clear shift towards people-centred leadership in the Market.

Strategic Thinking for a Modern Market

The session then turned to strategy, with Matthew breaking down complex business concepts into practical, relatable models. He explained that a sound strategy doesn’t need to be complicated — it simply requires clarity of direction.

He encouraged attendees to think in three dimensions: understanding where their organisation (or career) has come from, assessing where it stands today, and setting a clear vision for where it wants to go. He also underlined the importance of culture as the glue that holds a strategy together, ensuring consistency between ambition and behaviour.

Discussions from the room reflected the current challenges facing insurance leaders — from navigating legacy systems and adapting to new technologies, to managing generational change and maintaining engagement in hybrid work environments.

There was also a lively conversation around the impact of AI on the Market, with many attendees noting both the opportunities and the responsibility it brings for leaders to adapt and learn.

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

The session concluded with a powerful reminder of why programmes like Leaders of Tomorrow matter more than ever. With an estimated quarter of the industry’s senior professionals set to retire in the next 15 years, developing the next generation of leaders is critical to the London Market’s continued success.

Attendees left with new insights, renewed confidence and a shared sense of purpose — equipped with both practical tools and the inspiration to apply them.

The Leaders of Tomorrow Lunchtime Series will continue next month, when Matthew returns for Part Two of “An MBA in a Lunchtime”, diving deeper into the remaining MBA principles — including people, processes and marketing.

Next Session: 13th November 2025,
Location: 20 Fenchurch Street, London
Find out more: Leaders of Tomorrow Lunchtime Series