High quality, relevant data, and the insights that the insurance market can gain from it, has long been seen as the cornerstone of competitive advantage, innovation, and long-term resilience. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Managing General Agent (MGA) sector, where the combination of niche expertise, agility, and technology has created a hotbed of underwriting insight.
MGAs are agile product innovators and distribution specialists, and also some of the most insightful holders of performance data in the insurance value chain. With the ability to develop and distribute highly tailored products at speed, MGAs sit at the front line of risk selection, pricing, and claims trends. This proximity to the market means that access to uniquely granular data is critical for most MGAs’ business models - providing unique value to their broking partners, insurers, and the wider ecosystem, indeed quality and breadth of data is non-negotiable with their capital partners.
The best MGAs today are far more than delegated authority entities - they are data-driven underwriting businesses. They use advanced analytics, machine learning, and digital platforms to identify trends early, refine pricing models, detect adverse selection, and spot opportunities. This allows MGAs to move from a “detect and repair” model to a “predict and prevent” approach that aligns well with the broader shift toward proactive risk management.
Importantly, the quality and depth of data MGAs accumulate, often in specialist or emerging risk classes - can plug meaningful gaps in insurers’ own understanding of evolving exposures. In fast-moving areas like cyber, parametric, or climate risk, where historical data is limited or quickly outdated, real-time MGA performance data can offer underwriters a live feedback loop. This is immensely valuable not only for improving underwriting results but also for informing risk appetite and capital allocation.
Likewise, brokers benefit from this data in their efforts to navigate a more complex market and deliver solutions tailored to client needs. Understanding the performance of MGA-led programmes allows brokers to make more informed placement decisions, offer strategic risk advice, and better evidence value to clients.
At the MGAA, we recognise this shift and the responsibility that comes with it. As the sector’s trade association, we are actively developing new tools and platforms to help MGAs harness, share, and benchmark their data. This includes connecting MGAs with our ecosystem of suppliers who specialize in supporting their business models, often harnessing cutting edge technology and data-analytics as part of their support.
At market level, one of our goals is to enable responsible and secure aggregation of data at a sector level - creating insights that can help raise the bar for performance, compliance, and market collaboration. A key priority in 2025 is the development of an enhanced data-sharing and analytics platform for our members. This platform will provide a secure, anonymised environment in which MGAs can contribute performance data and, in return, gain access to sector-wide benchmarking and trend analysis. It will also enable us to work more closely with regulators and capacity providers to provide a more transparent view of how the MGA market is performing in aggregate.
This matters more than ever as market conditions continue to shift and capacity providers become increasingly selective. Demonstrating robust performance, backed by data, will be a critical factor in securing and maintaining partnerships. For new entrants, especially those with digital-first or AI-led models, data transparency will be key to proving credibility.
The MGAA’s vision is to foster a collaborative ecosystem in which data-driven insights support innovation and sustainability. As part of this, we are also investing in initiatives that promote best practices in data privacy, governance, and AI use - ensuring that innovation doesn’t outpace responsibility.
The MGA model continues to gain momentum because it offers the flexibility and speed the modern insurance market demands. But as our influence grows, so does our opportunity - and our obligation - to bring real value through information. Data may be our greatest untapped asset as a sector, and we are committed to helping our members use it not just to improve their own outcomes, but to strengthen the market as a whole.
