Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky met with British insurance and reinsurance leaders in London during a state business development mission to the United Kingdom.
The visit included a fireside chat with Lady Mayor of London Dame Susan Langley, alongside meetings with executives at Lloyd’s of London and delegates participating in the fifth U.K.-Florida Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Working Group Meeting. The discussions centered on expanding market collaboration, research partnerships, and economic resilience efforts.
The meetings build upon an economic agreement signed between Florida and the U.K. in November 2023 designed to increase bilateral investment, business ties, and academic partnerships across both regions.
During the mission, state officials met with Lloyd’s of London leadership to discuss potential research collaborations through the Lloyd’s Lab incubator. Discussions also focused on capital market integration, insurance reform, and technological innovation.
“Florida represents the 7th largest insurance market in the world,” Governor Ron DeSantis said. “We had great discussions furthering the UK-Florida partnership established in 2023. This partnership has informed Florida’s game-changing industry reforms—supporting Florida’s insurance market and highlighting the importance of continued collaboration between Florida and the United Kingdom.”
London officials emphasized the importance of maintaining strong commercial links between the two markets, particularly in managing risk and supporting corporate growth.
“The UK and Florida already enjoy a strong and growing economic relationship and nowhere is that partnership more important than in insurance and reinsurance,” said Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley. “Today’s discussions demonstrate the value of closer collaboration between Florida and the UK as we work together to strengthen resilience, foster innovation and ensure businesses and communities are equipped to navigate an increasingly complex global risk landscape. I was delighted to welcome Governor DeSantis, Commissioner Yaworsky and the Florida delegation to the City of London as we continue to deepen a partnership that supports investment, drives growth and advances solutions to the challenges of the future.”
Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky moderated discussions during the event, pointing to the historical economic ties between Florida and the City of London.
“The symbiotic relationship between Florida and the City of London has evolved over history and has shown great friendship and loyal economic partnership,” Yaworsky said. “That collaboration also greatly extends its hand to the insurance landscape. It was an honor to moderate discussions between the Governor and Lady Mayor today to further expound on Florida and the City of London’s strong insurance and reinsurance partnership.”
The delegation also highlighted academic research contributions to storm mitigation and rate evaluation. Florida International University (FIU) President Jeanette M. Nuñez joined state leaders to discuss the university’s Wall of Wind facility, which tests structures under Category 5 hurricane conditions, and its Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model.
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida’s insurance and reinsurance market has seen important reforms that are improving stability and providing relief for Floridians,” Nuñez said. “Throughout the mission, I have been proud to share that at Florida International University, through assets like our Wall of Wind and the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model, we are conducting research that simulate hurricane-force winds on buildings and estimate potential losses and generating critical data. This research helps inform the state of Florida as it evaluates policies and informs the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation as it evaluates risk and reviews insurance rates to ensure they are actuarially sound for homeowners.”
State economic officials noted that the partnership aims to attract further business investment to the state across multiple sectors.
“The Governor’s discussions today with Lady Mayor Langley and leading industry stakeholders are a part of an ongoing partnership established in 2023 that has bolstered Florida’s insurance, reinsurance, and financial services industries, attracting leading financial and insurance industry leaders to locate and expand in Florida,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Florida offers incredible partners—like Florida International University and the University of Central Florida—for mitigation, insurance, environmental resiliency, water quality and quantity, and testing innovation.”
In addition to insurance and financial discussions, working group delegates met to cover collaborative opportunities in aerospace, aviation, emerging technologies, life sciences, and photonics.
READ: H.R. 1 Tax Reforms Drive Capital Investments, Workplace Expansions For U.S. Manufacturers
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
