As part of our ongoing commitment to provide thoughtful commentary concerning issues impacting captives and the broader insurance markets, we spoke with James Twining, who serves as CEO of Kingsbridge Group, a UK-based commercial insurance broker. We discussed Lloyd's, Brexit, and InsurTech.

Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, Inc., has promoted Bloomington, Illinois-based Nicholas Gurgone to consulting actuary.

Greenberg Traurig, PA, has announced that Julie Mix McPeak will join the law firm's insurance regulatory and transactions practice. Ms. McPeak will serve as one of the founders of the firm's Nashville, Tennessee, location.

Artex Risk Solutions recently announced four key appointments within its international division. The individuals will be responsible for a range of insurance management products including captive insurance and insurance-linked securities.

There is a new report on the benefits to captive insurers of using independent directors and a guide on how to get started. We offer our views on the AIRMIC/AON paper and why captive owners and boards should take notice.

Scholarships for programs of study with the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (ICCIE) include Harry House Captive Insurance Scholarships and the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) Distinguished Scholar Award. The application deadline for all scholarships is June 30, 2019. Award recipients will be announced in August during VCIA's annual conference.

Governor Phil Scott signed legislation on June 10 to enable InsurTech experimentation and innovation in Vermont. Among other things, the insurance and securities bill (S. 131) creates an InsurTech "sandbox," which will allow more research and development in this area with specific guidelines.

While only a small percentage of employers use their captive insurance companies to cover their cyber risks, the premiums flowing into captives to fund the coverage is soaring, according to a new analysis.

Management Services International (MSI) has just released its latest podcast titled "Captive for Dummies, Q & A from Brokers, CPAs, and Clients," which is immediately available free of charge at the MSI podcast library.

The Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA) recently launched a "NEXTGen—young & new professionals" task force, which will begin meeting over the summer with recommendations expected in the fall.