Health & Demography Conference 2026

Medical innovation may be extending lives, but not all innovations create equal value. As costs accelerate, individuals, public and private payers, and policymakers are being forced to decide what diagnoses and treatments get paid for and on what terms. These choices raise profound questions about equitable access to healthcare, sustainability for health payers, and public trust. The conference will begin by discussing the difficult policy questions that medical innovation poses to societies and how health risks influence broader demographic outcomes. 

The conference will then move to the reality of living longer and how we protect century-long life spans. We’ll dive into the next frontier of product innovation, exploring how insurers can bridge the gap between medical breakthroughs and financial security. Through discussions on modern underwriting and adaptive policy, we will explore the transition from managing illness to supporting high-quality, resilient longevity. 

Programme

Wednesday, 16 September

• 18:30–21:30: Conference reception and dinner | Location: Corinthia London, Mezzogiorno Restaurant

Welcome remarks by: Tony Cheng, President and CEO, RGA, and Jad Ariss, Managing Director, Geneva Association

Thursday, 17 September

• 8:00–9:00: Registration and breakfast

   

• 9:00–9:05: Welcome remarks and introduction to the morning programme 
  Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven, Director Population Health Trends, Geneva Association

   

• 9:05–9:35: Moderated interview 
  Tony Cheng, President & CEO, RGA

Moderator: Jad Ariss, Managing Director, Geneva Association

• 9:35–10:00: Keynote speech: Advancing Health – Breakthroughs, blind spots, and the illusion of progress
  Deborah Cohen, Senior Visiting Fellow, LSE Health, and Author of Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health

• 10:00–11:00: Panel 1: How to Define Medical Progress
  Moderator: Adela Osman, SVP, Head of Global Medical, RGA

Panellists:
•    Peter Clark, Chief Clinical Adviser, Newmarket Strategy 
•    Rushika Fernandopulle, Co-founder & CEO, Liza Health 
•    Richard Russell, VP, Biometric Research, Global R&D, RGA
•    John Schoonbee, Global Chief Medical Officer, Swiss Re

Defining progress in medicine is a negotiated conclusion as much as a clinical judgement. This session examines how progress is perceived across value assessment, delivery, innovation and implementation. Discussion will explore how practitioners interpret evolving scientific evidence, apply different frameworks for assessing progress and value for money, and how medical advances ultimately translate into measurable improvements in population health and life expectancy, set against the reality of consumer expectations and finite resources.

• 11:00–11:20: Tea and coffee break

   

• 11:20–12:20: Panel 2: Budget-Breaking Breakthroughs – Managing health cost inflation
  Moderator: Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven, Director Population Health Trends, Geneva Association

Panellists:
•    Hannah Aldean, Chief Healthcare Officer, Amplify Health Asia
•    Simon Dreyer, VP & Chief Actuary, Global Health, RGA 
•    Khaled el Shaarany, Global Head, Health & Prevention, AXA 
•    Michael Macdonnell, Deputy CEO & Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Doccla

Every breakthrough has a budget implication. Health payers, including health insurers, are under mounting pressure as the cost of care continues to rise. This session explores their options – from reimbursement reform to entirely different care pathways – and asks where the real opportunities and obstacles lie in reaping the benefits of modern medicine at scale.

• 12:20–13:30: Networking lunch | Location: Corinthia London, The Courtroom, Ground floor

   

• 13:30–13:35: Introduction to the afternoon programme
  Hélène Schernberg, Director Demographic Transition, Geneva Association

   

• 13:35–14:05: Keynote speech
  Andrew Scott, Principal Scientist, Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford, and Professor, London Business School

   

• 14:05–15:05: Panel 3: Building the Longevity Infrastructure – Policy, regulation, and the new social contract 
  Moderator: Hélène Schernberg, Director Demographic Transition, Geneva Association

Panellists:
•    Catherine Foot, Director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, Standard Life 
•    Marike Knoef, Dean and Professor of Economics, Tilburg School of Economics and Management 
•    Michael McRaith, Vice Chair & Managing Partner, Brookfield Wealth Solutions

What fiscal, regulatory, and behavioural conditions are needed for private insurance to play a larger role in retirement income provision? Bringing together perspectives from various countries, this panel will examine how tax incentives, choice architecture, and capital frameworks can channel savings into sustainable lifetime income – and what happens when they don't.

• 15:05–15:25: Tea and coffee break

   

• 15:25–16:40: Panel 4: Cracking the Decumulation Code – Product innovation for the silver market
  Moderator: David Lipovics, Managing Director, Continental Europe, RGA

Panellists:
•    Michael Batty, Product & Propositions Director, Retail Annuities & Lifetime Mortgages, Legal & General
•    David Blake, Director, Pensions Institute Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London
•    Sam Chesterton, VP, Business Development, EMEA, RGA
•    Gareth Turner, Head of Business Strategy & Change, Nest Invest

Retirees have never been wealthier, yet the insurance industry still lacks a winning formula for turning pension pots into reliable income. This panel brings together re/insurance practitioners and pension experts to debate product design – from pre-defined pathways and variable annuities to protection riders – that could close the gap between accumulation and spending.

• 16:40–16:45: Closing remarks
  Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven, Director Population Health Trends, Geneva Association