Paul Craven To Speak At 2024 Convergence
ILS Bermuda announced that Paul Craven, an international speaker and specialist in behavioural science, will be the keynote speaker at ILS Bermuda’s Convergence 2024.
A spokesperson said, “The event will take place from October 7–9, 2024, bringing together industry leaders and innovators to explore the latest trends and opportunities in the insurance-linked securities and alternative risk transfer markets.
“Paul Craven is an international speaker and a specialist in behavioural science – a discipline he defines as “how real people make real decisions in the real world.” His book on this topic will be published imminently.
“Paul Craven has developed a unique perspective on decision-making through his extensive experience and expertise. With almost 30 years in the asset management industry at Schroders, PIMCO, and Goldman Sachs, Paul has also served on the Investment Committee of the £2bn Akzo Nobel pension scheme since 2014. He is a specialist in behavioural science, particularly the business psychology of persuasion, and a Founding Member of the Cialdini Institute. Paul is dedicated to helping business professionals become more influential using the ethical, research-backed strategies of Dr. Robert Cialdini, whose book *Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion* has been endorsed by Warren Buffet and many successful investors and entrepreneurs.
“Paul’s academic background includes an MA [Hons] in History from St. John’s College, Cambridge University. His talks use anecdotes and data to show how human behaviour patterns have remained consistent despite dramatic changes in our world. Additionally, Paul is an accredited member of the exclusive Magic Circle, offering insights into ‘sleight of mind’—how cognitive biases and mental shortcuts can cause the human mind to play tricks.
“Paul’s keynote will explore the behavioural economics of decision-making, which is crucial for analysts, underwriters, and risk executives in the ILS and alternative risk transfer markets. During this session, attendees will learn that understanding and predicting human behavior is as important as the quantitative analysis of risk and return. Paul’s deep understanding of cognitive biases, such as overconfidence, confirmation bias, and loss aversion, can help professionals recognize and mitigate these biases in their own decision-making processes, ultimately driving better outcomes in their investment and risk-taking strategies.
“In summary, Paul’s aim, through his talks, is to fly the flag for behavioural science and demonstrate how to recognise our mental blind spots and – above all – to offer practical advice on how to enhance our business, communication, and decision-making skills. Whether dealing with clients, colleagues, leaders, junior staff, or even working with data, we can all benefit from improving these skills.”
Jo Stanton, Chair of ILS Bermuda commented, “We’re excited to welcome Paul Craven, whose groundbreaking work in behavioural science uncovers how human behaviour shapes market trends. Paul’s keynote promises to unravel the fascinating ways our actions influence economic outcomes and demonstrate that the smallest change can lead to outsized gains. We can’t wait to dive into a session that’s sure to be as enlightening as it is engaging.”
The spokesperson said, “Convergence 2024 is an annual, highly anticipated networking event that delivers insightful sessions and hot topics from some of the best minds in the industry. To register for this year’s event, taking place on October 7–9, visit https://ilsbermuda.com/convergence.
“There are still a variety of sponsorship opportunities at this year’s event. To learn more, please get in touch at: convergence@ilsbermuda.com.”
