Spotlight on Claims: Adam Barker
At Alta Signa, our in-house claims function is a true unique selling point - providing our carrier and broker partners with the confidence that complex European financial lines, marine and cyber risks will be managed with expertise, efficiency and transparency.
We were delighted to catch up with Adam Barker, General Counsel and Claims Director at Alta Signa, to hear his perspective on building a best-in-class claims capability within the MGA model.
Adam brings over 30 years of experience in private practice and senior in-house roles to Alta Signa. He trained and practised as a barrister, solicitor and US attorney, working in both London and New York for a global law firm, where he also served for a decade on the firm’s management committee. Moving in-house, Adam went on to act as General Counsel, Deputy Chairman and Claims Director for several insurance start-ups, building governance frameworks and helping to resolve complex commercial disputes.
He has also held prominent industry positions, including Chair of the European Chapter of PLUS and International Vice President of the International Association of Defense Counsel, and is recognised as a specialist in Lloyd’s, company and MGA corporate governance.
At Alta Signa, Adam combines his dual role as General Counsel and Claims Director, where he has been instrumental in building out a robust, client-focused claims function to support the MGA’s niche European financial lines, marine and cyber business.
Q: Adam, you’ve been with Alta Signa since the business launched over five years ago. What was your vision for building the claims function, and how has it developed?
My first priority was to create a claims framework that was efficient, transparent, and gave our carriers real confidence. Setting up our own claims technology with Insly was pivotal. We spent months tailoring it for the niche, complex claims we handle. The second game-changer was adding talented resource - and this came in the form of Marie Letpelier, who brings multilingual support and strong marine expertise - an absolutely vital skillset as our pan-European portfolio expanded into that class.
Q: Why is an in-house claims capability such a strength for an MGA?
For an MGA, claims can’t be an afterthought. Having a dedicated in-house function means brokers and carriers know they’ll get a fast, informed response from people who understand the risks and jurisdictions involved. That reassures brokers when they’re speaking to clients, and it reassures carriers that we can manage complex notifications professionally. Importantly, our claims and underwriting teams work separately - but never in silos. We share knowledge constantly, which helps spot trends and improve decision-making.
Q: What claims trends are you seeing across your core lines - Financial Lines, Marine and Cyber?
Regulatory notifications remain a major theme in Financial Lines, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands, where litigation is common. Many of these claims don’t reach our excess layers but they still need careful monitoring. Brokers often notify the entire programme, and even if the primary layer is hit, we still want visibility across the stac: k. Marine claims have become more prominent as our book has grown, and cyber is a space we’re watching closely, though volumes remain modest compared to Financial Lines.
Q: How does the claims function support underwriting?
Our underwriters need to know what claims look like in practicefrequency, severity, jurisdictional nuances. We feed that intelligence back to help refine risk selection, pricing and even product design. It’s not just about managing losses; it’s about making the whole portfolio stronger. Claims data also helps us track regulatory developments across Europe and give early warning on potential shifts.
Q: Looking ahead, where do you see the claims function evolving?
It’s about continuous improvement. We’re enhancing the claims system with integrated diary tools and new categories so we can track and analyse trends as we scale. Technology will play a bigger role, but so will people - local language skills and cultural understanding are critical when dealing with European notifications. Finally, closure remains a big focus: out of 125 notifications in the past five years, only 65 remain active. In complex claims, that’s a strong record. Prompt, fair resolution is what gives real value to brokers, carriers and clients alike.
Many thanks to Adam for taking the time to talk with us!
Further reading:
Spotlight on Claims with Marie Lepelletier