According to Adam Lloyd (pictured), chief underwriting officer at Allianz Commercial UK, the professional risks landscape in 2026 is shaping up to be another pivotal year, one where customers, brokers and insurers must remain highly alert. All stakeholders need to ensure their risk radars keep pace with cyber vulnerabilities, AI disruption and regulatory movements that can drive heightened litigation.
Cyber remains the top concern for UK businesses in 2026, a trend reflected in recent risk rankings and internal research from insurers. “The challenge with cyber isn’t just preventing the occurrence but also mitigating the scale of its operational disruption,” Lloyd said.
This rising complexity is bleeding into D&O. Lloyd points to increasing claims linked to cyber incidents, including "data breaches, ransomware attacks and even technical glitches and operational errors." Expectations for board-level oversight of cybersecurity are also mounting, leading to a “trend toward more litigation and regulatory actions.”
Artificial intelligence has jumped from fifth to second in UK risk rankings. Lloyd attributes this to both "heightened liability exposures from its adoption" and the way "threat actors utilise AI to exploit vulnerabilities with cyberattacks."
Lloyd said D&O insurance remains under "ongoing pressure" as social and regulatory scrutiny on boards intensifies, especially in a slow-growth economy. “Business leaders are having to manage these expectations in more complex operating environments,” he said.
This makes strong claims monitoring and prudent capacity deployment more important than ever. Meanwhile, cyber coverage remains relatively stable despite high-profile breaches. Lloyd notes that recent incidents have not been "significant enough to deter capacity and positive pricing sentiment."
Employment Practice Liability (EPL), on the other hand, is tightening. Lloyd points to “higher excesses, rate increases, and more attention on claims trends and regulatory scrutiny.” He encourages brokers to take a nuanced approach: “We always encourage partnership with our brokers based on dialogue so we can look [at] solutions beyond just a black-and-white approach to appetite.”
Broader global factors are also shaping UK professional risks. "Geopolitical volatility, supply-chain disruption, inflation, and regulatory divergence" all make leadership decisions more complex and heighten D&O liability, especially around insolvency, regulatory investigations and class actions.
Lloyd said that even though economic conditions "moderated in 2025," financial mismanagement remains a key D&O claims driver. ESG also continues to rise in relevance, with more frequent greenwashing claims and PFAS liability risk affecting a broad range of sectors.
In this fast-evolving environment, brokers can add the most value through education and close alignment with client operations. Lloyd highlights the role of "regular risk management and market dynamic insights," especially for small businesses, where claims-driven thought leadership from insurers, brokers and legal partners can help.
For larger clients, proximity matters. “The closer a broker can position their relationships with their clients’ risk & operational leaders, the more resilient their clients’ insurance program will become,” he said.
With professional risks in 2026 becoming more interlinked and reputationally sensitive, brokers who bring clarity and strategic focus will be best placed to support evolving client needs.
Professional risk: five broker considerations for 2026
Board-level cyber governance is now part of D&O underwriting.
Carriers are looking beyond IT controls - governance frameworks and incident oversight are under scrutiny.
AI deployment is a dual exposure.
Adoption brings new liability pathways, while threat actors are weaponising AI in cyberattacks.
EPL coverage terms are shifting.
Heightened claims sensitivity and regulatory pressure are tightening placement conditions, especially in complex cases.
Environmental claims risk is evolving fast.
PFAS litigation and greenwashing exposures are moving from outlier to baseline in industrial and public-sector risks.
Programme resilience depends on deeper alignment.
Brokers with touchpoints in risk and operations, not just procurement, are better placed to shape long-term cover.
