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Learn about our structure, history and commitment to diversity and compliance
At the forefront of marine insurance
The International Union of Marine Insurance, known as IUMI, is an association established for the purpose of representing national and market marine insurance and reinsurance associations on all aspects impacting on marine and transport insurance. In this section you can read about how we are structured and governed; our unwavering commitment to diversity and compliance; and delve into our 150 years of history.
IUMI Council
The IUMI Council meets once a year and comprises the appointed Council Members from each Member Association. The Council decides on IUMI finances and audits, general policy issues and elects the IUMI President, Vice President and members who make up the Executive Committee as well as the IUMI Technical Committee members and the Nominating Committee members.
President and Executive Committee
Once elected, IUMI’s President also becomes Chair of both the Council and the Executive Committee, and presides over all IUMI meetings. He or she is also an ex-officio member of all Technical Committees. The President has the authority to sign for and on behalf of IUMI and coordinates all its activities.
The Executive Committee is responsible for the administration and management of IUMI in accordance with the general policy determined by the Council. The Executive Committee appoints the Secretary General, the Liaison Officers and is entitled to facilitate the formation of Representative Forums. The Executive Committee is limited a President, Vice-President and six members who are elected for two years and may be re-elected once for another two years.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee comprises between five and nine members from different Member Associations elected by the Council for a limited tenure. This Committee nominates candidates for the posts of President, Vice President and members of the Executive Committee.
Secretary General
The Secretary General and the IUMI Secretariat in Hamburg are responsible for the administrative and financial requirements of IUMI and assist the President and Executive Committee in running the Association. The Secretary General and the IUMI Secretariat work together with the IUMI membership and the IUMI Affiliates on relevant policy issues at the IMO, EU and elsewhere.
Technical Committees
The Technical Committees are responsible for managing IUMI’s interest in specific areas of the marine insurance industry.
Each Technical Committee comprises representatives from at least three Member Associations elected by the Council. Individuals who serve on these Committees are appointed by their respective Member Associations for election. The tenure of membership is limited to three years, re-election is possible.
These Committees follow trends and developments within their respective areas, analyse markets, insurance cover and clauses, losses and loss patterns, loss prevention and current and proposed legislation.
Current Technical Committees can be seen here
Representative Forums
The Executive Committee is entitled to create Representative Forums for a limited or unlimited period of time. The Forums shall work on certain special areas of interest for the IUMI membership.
Members of the Forums are appointed by the IUMI Executive Committee for a limited tenure. The Chairs report to the Executive Committee.
Current Forums can be seen here
Liaison Officers and Observers
IUMI’s position as an international organisation within the framework of today’s complex maritime marketplace requires it to maintain close relationships with a wide range of governmental and non-governmental organisations and agencies. These are IUMI Affiliates and can be seen here
IUMI has appointed a number of Liaison Officers who closely follow the operations of these affiliate organisations and report back to the Executive Committee and Secretariat.
Our commitment to diversity
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are core to our mission and shall define who we are at IUMI. To address the challenges of a complex—and increasingly diverse—world, we must ensure every person has an opportunity for a voice and a seat at the table. We are committed to creating a diverse organisation where everyone feels represented and respected. We are working hard to embed these values across our work at IUMI.
IUMI is a not-for-profit association representing its members, the national (marine) insurance associations from around the globe. In our capacity as a global umbrella organisation for marine insurers we are committed to the highest ethical and legal standards and fully subscribe to the principles of transparency, honesty and integrity. IUMI’s success depends on the trust stakeholders and policymakers have in its undertakings.
IUMI requires its members and employees to conduct themselves in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The cornerstone of compliance for any organisation is the unequivocal directive that all laws, regulations and internal instructions must be observed. IUMI’s compliance guidelines specify rules to warrant integrity by ensuring compliance with ethical business practices and moral behaviour.
Download IUMI’s Compliance Guidelines: IUMI Compliance Guidelines
We are governed by our Articles of Association.
The complete Articles including all revisions are available to download: IUMI Articles of Association
The International Union of Marine Insurance
150 years at the forefront of marine risk: A brief history
Pre 1874: Before IUMI
It is widely thought that marine is the oldest form of insurance perhaps dating back as early as the Mediterranean trading colonies of around 1200BC. The mid-fourteenth century is when we first saw a formal insurance policy we would probably recognise today. In those days, cover was placed locally and it was only in the late eighteenth century that local insurance associations began to emerge, notably in Hamburg, UK, France, Austria and the USA.
International trade was growing, sail was giving way to steam and there was an increasing demand for greater insurance uniformity.
1874: IUMI is born
The rapid growth in global trade led to the formation of a large number of insurance companies all fighting for market share. Rules and policy conditions were haphazard, rates became severely depressed and many companies simply collapsed.
The remedy was to create an international association for underwriters. Two German insurers took the initiative and, on 8 January 1874 in Berlin, 39 companies came together representing Germany, Austria, Russia and Sweden. The association became the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and its main purpose was “to work with complete objectivity and with all considerations of competition excluded towards the elimination of all technical deficiencies and the encouragement of legislative improvements.”
To achieve internationality, Berlin was chosen as the meeting venue for the first year only. Membership was confined to those “conducting marine insurance for their own account” ensuring only primary insurers were eligible. Reinsurers were later admitted.
1874-1914: The formative years
IUMI’s formative years were spent collecting and making available background material required for briefing member companies in establishing and clarifying the legal basis of marine insurance. IUMI also involved itself in vessel classification, loss prevention and setting tariffs. Statistics on accidents at sea were published from 1879 onwards.
By 1913, membership had grown to 114 marine insurance companies from 13 countries. IUMI was also busy forming partnerships with other related bodies such as the Comité des Assureurs Maritimes, Comité Maritime International (CMI), Lloyd’s Underwriters Association, Institute of London Underwriters and the Association of Marine Underwriters (later to become the American Institute of Marine Underwriters).
Despite this, by its annual meeting in Baden-Baden in 1913, IUMI was still thought of as a German association due to its location, management and propensity of German members.
1914-1918: Standing still
The outbreak of war in 1914 and the isolation of Germany eliminated any practical possibility of IUMI continuing activities other than an analysis of the fundamentals of marine insurance and continuing with preparing marine insurance statistics as far as was possible.
1920: Restart
International activities were restarted in 1920, again in Baden-Baden. Attendance was sparse with no representation from France, UK, Russia or any country that had been at war with Germany. However, by 1923 and with much perseverance, 219 member companies from 22 countries were now in membership. This was largely due to a brisk wave of new company launches during the war and which had survived afterwards.
Unusually for the time, in 1921, IUMI appointed a female Secretary General, Margareta Frenzl. Two years later, Swede Axel Rinman, the first non-German President was elected. This was to herald the start of IUMI becoming a truly international body. In 1926 a number of companies from the UK market had joined as members and in 1934, IUMI held its annual meeting (and its 60th anniversary celebrations) in London.
By 1939, membership stood at 203 companies from 24 countries.
1939-1946: Standing still – again
All IUMI activities halted for the duration of the war. Only two of the 14 members of the secretariat survived the conflict and the association’s office in Berlin and all its files and documents were destroyed.
1946: A pivotal moment
IUMI was reactivated in 1946 with a meeting in Sweden that was attended by 13 marine insurance associations from 11 countries – Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
Here it was discussed that instead of an association for insurance companies, IUMI would become a global umbrella organisation for national marine insurance associations with each country being given a seat and vote on the council. This was agreed at a council meeting later the same year in Zurich. It was further agreed that IUMI would be defined as a forum for the discussion of matters of business and for the exchange of information. The annual meeting would be retained and brokers and agents (who had previously been invited to attend) would no longer be invited. IUMI re-located to Zurich.
1947-2012: Growth and expansion
Five additional associations – Austria, Hungary, India, Italy and Portugal – joined in 1947 and by 1949, 34 associations were in membership. Significantly, at the UK annual meeting (in Eastbourne), Germany was readmitted as a member and Japan joined for the first time.
During this time, the board became the Executive Committee and a Nominating Committee was created. A number of technical committees were also established to handle the bulk of the work. In 1952, IUMI recruited its first Secretary General (Peter Alther) since the outbreak of WWII.
IUMI activities focused on establishing relationships with relevant international associations and tackling technical insurance matters especially emerging risks and loss prevention.
By the end of the period, membership had grown to 44 associations.
2013 to date: A new era
For the last ten years, IUMI has been operated by the same Secretary General (Lars Lange) overseen by Presidents from Norway, Germany, UK and now France. The committee structure created in the late 1940s/early 1950s has stood the test of time and – albeit with some modification – continues to operate today. What has changed during this time is IUMI’s influence on the global stage. The association has successfully shifted gear from an organiser of an annual conference to a working body that makes a real and tangible impact on a range of insurance and shipping issues. Under the current leadership, IUMI has grown markedly and is now rightly recognised as the true voice of global marine insurance at national, regional and international levels. In addition, IUMI is represented in Asia through its hub in Hong Kong; it runs a thriving and well-attended educational programme; and it has grown and strengthened its statistics output.
IUMI currently represents 42 national and marine market insurance and reinsurance associations.
Former Presidents
1874-1885 Gustav Hartmann (Germany)*
1885-1892 Friedrich Buschius (Germany)*
1892-1900 Theodor Lange (Germany)*
1900-1912 Peter Reusch (Germany)*
1912-1923 Arthur Duncker (Germany)
1923-1937 Axel Rinman (Sweden)
1937-1954 Carl Briner (Switzerland)
1954-1958 H.J. Quirino da Fonseca (Portugal)
1958-1962 L. Rostock – Jensen (Denmark)
1962-1966 H. Ph. Rogaar (Netherlands)
1966-1970 Hans Chr. Bugge (Norway)
1970-1974 Alwin Kunzler (Switzerland)
1974-1978 Ake Thorstensson (Sweden)
1978-1982 Walter Rostock (Germany)
1982-1985 Enrico Orlando (Italy)
1985-1988 Anton W. Kamp (Netherlands)
1988-1991 Maurice F.L. Jaques (Canada)
1991-1994 Bo Wahllof (Sweden)
1994-1997 Nicholas Adamantiadis (Greece)
1997-2000 Georg Mehl (Germany)
2000-2003 Richard D. DeSimone (USA)
2003-2006 Patrick de la Morinerie (France)
2006-2010 Deirdre Littlefield (USA)
2010-2014 Ole Wikborg (Norway)
2014-2018 Dieter Berg (Germany)
2018-2022 Richard Turner (UK)
2022-present Frédéric Denèfle (France)
* Founding members
Former Secretaries General
1875 – 1910 Rudolf Ulrich
1911 – 1921 Dr. Paul Brüders
1921 – 1933 Margareta Frenzi
1934 – 1935 Theodor Freiherr von Ritter
1935 – 1942 Hans Hoppenstedt
1952 – 1985 Dr. Peter Alther
1985 – 1992 Emanuel Burckhardt
1992 – 1997 Dr. Alexander von Ziegler
1997 – 2002 Stefan Peller
2002 – 2012 Fritz Stabinger
2013 – present Lars Lange
