Madrid

By Kevin LaCroix on September 21, 2026

This past week I was on assignment for The D&O Diary in Madrid, Spain’s capital and largest city. It was a return trip to the city for me, although I think I appreciated it much more this time. It is without a doubt a great place and a great place to visit.

The primary purpose of my visit to Madrid was to participate as a keynote speaker at the Kennedys law firm’s annual Financial Lines Day event. The event, which was held at the Palacio de los Duques de Pastrana, was remarkably well-attended. Over 200 financial lines insurance professionals attended. I would like to congratulate Ignacio (Nacho) Figurol and his Kennedys colleagues for a very successful event.

Here’s the view from the podium at the conclusion of my keynote address. As you can see, the room is at capacity. I came away from this event with a better appreciation for how broad, deep, and sophisticated the Spanish D&O insurance marketplace now is. I also have to say it was a distinct experience to be in another country where I know few people, but in which everyone knows who I am. I very much appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to speak to this audience.

Here’s a picture taken with Nacho Figuerol during the reception following the educational sessions. I am very grateful to Nacho and his colleagues at the Kennedys law firm for inviting me to participate in this excellent event. The event was first class in every respect and I was grateful to be a part of it.

One of the great things about an event like this for me is that it allows me the chance to make new friends. Here’s a picture with a group of young brokers from AON, all of whom wanted to get a picture with me. I was struck by how enthusiastic they were, and how interested they were in my remarks. (If anyone wonders why I am still working years past the traditional retirement age, well, this is the reason.)

Here’s a picture with Rochio Sánchez, of Chubb. Rochio and I did not coordinate in advance, but I was pleased that Rochio’s perspective during the panel that preceded my keynote address so closely dovetailed with my comments. I was even more pleased that I was able to follow her remarks, more or less, as her panel was entirely in Spanish.

This is Ivan Bajarano of the Kennedys law firm. Ivan approached me during the reception to tell me that I was responsible for his going into financial lines insurance. Ivan told me that during his University studies, he had written a paper about how the insurance industry responded to COVID-19. While doing his research, he came across *The D&O Diary*. That was his first encounter with financial lines, but it was enough to get him interested in the field, which he eventually entered upon graduation. He now works at Kennedys with Nacho.

I had a host of other meetings and events while I was in Madrid. On my first full day in the city, I participated in another, smaller, less-formal event at the Kennedys law firm’s offices. The event was organized by the Marsh Madrid office, and the audience included representatives from a number of larger Spanish companies. It was an interesting session. I was struck by how interested and engaged the audience members were. I always say, no one learns more than me from these events. I learn so much from the questions.

I was honored to be a part of this distinguished panel at the Marsh event. From left to right, Ignacio del Corral, Global Head of Corporate Insurance at Banco Santander; José Martinez, International Head of Financial Lines Claims at AIG; Maurice Pesso, a partner in the Kennedys law firm’s New York office; me; and Oswald Carvalho, of the March Madrid office, who moderated the session.

Here’s a picture with Javier Ybarra, Managing Director, Marsh Madrid. I would like to thank Javier and his colleagues for inviting me to participate in this very interesing session. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it and meeting with the audience of company professionals.

In addition to the various educational sessions in which I participated while in Madrid, I also had the chance to catch up with some friends in the city. I had a very enjoyable lunch with Alejandro (Alex) Alfaro Gonzalez of Generali. Alex and I first met many years ago in Barcelona, and we have met again several other times over the years. I am grateful to Alex for inviting me out for lunch to meet while I was in town. By the way, the lunch was excellent. Thank you, Alex!

I also attended an evening reception sponsored by Arch Insurance. The rooftop reception was held at the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, which afforded exceptional views of the city — and beyond.

My thanks to Ernesto Medina Gómez, Head of Executive Assurance (Europe) for Arch Insurance, for inviting me to the Arch reception. I have known Ernesto for many years since we first met in London. It was great to have a chance to catch up with Ernesto and to hear about all of his adventures since the last time we met.

While I had many meetings and scheduled events while I was in Madrid, I did also have a little bit of a chance to look around while I was there. I was fortunate that while I was in town, the weather was nothing short of spectacular. The days were sunny and warm (well, maybe a little hot, too) and the evenings were long and pleasant.