Expert profile – Dr. Gerry Lemcke, Head of Technical Sales for Public Sector Solutions at Swiss Re.

What is your role and where do you work?

I am Head of Technical Sales for Public Sector Solutions (PSS) at Swiss Re, based in Zurich, Switzerland. PSS is the industry’s first and still largest team dedicated exclusively to public sector risk transfer. We work across different business units, including direct and reinsurance operations, and draw on Swiss Re’s global capabilities and capacity.

I work with governments, public entities, development organisations and multilateral institutions worldwide. My focus is on helping clients manage the financial impact of natural catastrophes and climate risks through risk financing and insurance solutions. The aim is to strengthen fiscal resilience and support faster, more predictable recovery.

I lead a team of nine specialists covering index-based and parametric solutions. This includes everything from integrating new data sources, such as satellite technology, to structuring, pricing and placement. The sales aspect reflects our close and ongoing engagement with clients. Our work goes well beyond analytics.

What is your expertise, specialism or main area of interest?

My background combines natural sciences and risk management. I trained as a geologist and hold a PhD in environmental physics, which gives me a strong foundation in natural hazards and physical risk. Over nearly three decades, I have worked across catastrophe modelling, underwriting, product strategy and capital markets.

Today, I focus on public sector risk transfer, particularly parametric and index-based solutions. These approaches provide rapid and transparent liquidity after extreme events. They are especially relevant where traditional indemnity insurance reaches its limits, whether due to affordability, capacity or the nature of the exposure.

Is there a particular aspect of your work you are interested in or passionate about?

I am motivated by the role of risk transfer as a practical policy tool. For governments, disasters are not just insurance events. They are fiscal, social and economic shocks. Effective risk financing helps protect public budgets, maintain essential services and reduce long-term disruption.

I am particularly interested in solutions that go beyond conventional insurance, such as insurance-linked loans (ILLs), which connect disaster financing with broader development objectives. A key priority for me is making sure these solutions are accessible and work in practice, especially for vulnerable and underserved communities.

At its core, my role brings together natural science, financial structuring and a clear objective, which is to help close protection gaps.

What are you working on currently?

I am currently involved in a range of alternative risk transfer initiatives for public sector clients. This includes parametric insurance, virtual captives, layered risk structures, sovereign risk pools and catastrophe bonds, often using innovative and data-driven triggers.

Flood risk is a major focus. Advances in space-based observation are proving particularly useful here. One example is a parametric flood programme for UK public entities that uses high-resolution satellite data alongside ground-based calibration. This allows for more accurate and transparent measurement of flood impacts and helps extend coverage to areas that are often uninsured, such as cultural heritage and public assets. The aim is to provide fast and reliable liquidity at scale.

In parallel, I am working on drought solutions in agriculture. The focus is on translating complex datasets into products that balance affordability with meaningful protection. Water scarcity and heatwaves are also becoming increasingly material risks in the UK.

What topics and trends are emerging?

Demand for fast and predictable disaster liquidity is increasing as climate risks intensify and public finances come under pressure. This is driving greater adoption of pre-arranged risk financing solutions. At the same time, demand for coverage for so-called secondary perils, such as excess rainfall, drought and heat, is growing quickly.

Advances in data and analytics, particularly near real-time satellite observations, are improving trigger design and transparency. Governments are also taking more integrated approaches, combining insurance, capital markets and development finance. Together, these trends are reshaping public sector risk financing.