Howden Tiger Appoints Bhaskar Chattaraj as Chief Science Officer

London, 7 March 2024 – Howden Tiger, the reinsurance and capital advisory arm of Howden Group, announces the promotion of Bhaskar Chattaraj to the newly created position of Chief Science Officer (CSO). He will lead the business’s research and development of state-of-the-art risk management frameworks and catastrophe modelling solutions. 

Chattaraj is a highly experienced researcher in the field. He joined the business in 2009 and latterly served as Head of Cat Modelling and Research & Development (R&D) before starting his new role at the beginning of 2024. He brings to the position over 25 years’ experience in building and implementing cutting-edge risk management solutions.  

Based in Minneapolis, Chattaraj reports to Nathan Schwartz, Head of Global Analytics, Howden Tiger. He oversees the development of a dedicated R&D team, whose insights and innovations help re/insurance clients globally to build and manage more profitable portfolios. As CSO, Chattaraj is responsible for delivering the business’s next generation of catastrophe risk management models and frameworks, with a particular emphasis on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). 
 
Commenting on the appointment, Nathan Schwartz, Head of Global Analytics, at Howden Tiger, said: “With an incredible wealth of data at our disposal, the latest developments in AI and machine learning are rapidly redefining how the re/insurance industry can model, monitor, and manage risk. Having access to the latest and most sophisticated scientific insights will truly differentiate the leaders in this market, and I’m delighted to have Bhaskar at the forefront of our innovations. His extensive industry experience and deep subject-matter expertise will ensure that we continue to empower our clients with cutting-edge, data-led solutions, better enabling re/insurers to adapt to a complex and evolving risk landscape.”  
 
Bhaskar Chattaraj, CSO at Howden Tiger, added: “It is a pleasure to be stepping up to this new position at a transformational moment in the history of risk modelling and a critical juncture for the re/insurance industry. Inflation volatility, climate change, the net-zero transition, civil unrest and war, are defining a risk environment that has become more difficult to predict. At the same time, AI and machine learning are unlocking new ways to collect, analyse and utilise catastrophe, weather and geo-spatial data. Seizing this opportunity with state-of-the-art risk management solutions will enable our clients to construct more robust, more profitable portfolios – and ensure that Howden Tiger remains at the forefront of underwriting innovation.”