WMB Insights at a Glance: Streamline Business & Save Costs with a Global Master Insurance Policy
- Sep 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Practical Insights for Today's Risk Environment
This document is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive. No discussions or opinions in this document should be inferred as legal advice. Contact MWB Global Risks for insurance advice customized to your business needs. MWB Global Risks Inc. does not accept responsibility for the content of the information provided or any actions made on the basis of the information herein.
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Questions organizations will need to answer include:
What types of exposures exist in this country? What do their local insurance policies cover? Do their local insurance policies conflict with or provide coverage that is consistent with the Master Insurance Policy? How do I close the gaps to safeguard my business?
The answers to those questions can be found within this article.
But before we go into the purpose and benefits of a Global Master Insurance Policy, let’s consider what it looks like without one.
MWB Hypothetical Case Study
Multinational Companies Without a Global Master Program – A Hypothetical Case Study
Hypothetical Company & Details:
Gordon’s Cereals
Opened its doors in 1999
Has 6 locations across Canada, each of them in a different province.
Currently, each location is covered under its own individual commercial insurance policy.
Company is considering opening a manufacturing facility in London, England.
At it stands currently, the 6 locations are located within Canada; however, since each location is in a different province, each location has its own dedicated commercial insurance policy.
Now, before Gordon’s Cereals can make the leap across the pond, they will need to complete their due diligence: researching and understanding the legal and regulatory landscape for commercial insurance in the UK and the additional risks are they exposed to that they are not exposed to in Canada.
Some risks and exposures the company should consider include:
Property & Operational Risks
Regulatory & Legal Risks
Employee Risks
Reputational & Legal Risks
Barcode Standards & Compliance
Financial & Compliance Risks
Estimated Costs/Risks Associated with Non-Admitted Insurance
Item | Estimated Cost |
Employer’s Liability Insurance Violation Fine | £2,500/day (up to hundreds of thousands CAD) |
Civil settlement payout | $500,000 CAD |
Legal fees (defense, compliance, settlements) | $50,000–$200,000 CAD |
NICs and Payroll Tax (if deemed taxable) | 13.8%+ on the payout |
Possible director fines or disqualifications | Varies |
Loss of tax deductibility (corporate taxes) | Up to 26.5% of $500k if disallowed |
Reputational damage | Unquantifiable |
A Local Policy Can Resolve Some of these Challenges
As you can see, purchasing separate policies to cover operations in the UK would be inefficient, time-consuming, and in some cases may not even be possible.
A far more effective solution would be to supplement the Canadian program with a locally issued UK policy placed through an insurer legally authorized to provide coverage in England.
However, while adding a local UK policy helps address regulatory and coverage concerns, Gordon’s Cereals would still be managing six separate policies across Canada in addition to the UK policy, creating a fragmented and difficult-to-manage insurance structure.
MWB’s Global Master Insurance Program Covers All The Bases - And Then Some
The Gold Standard of Insurance Programs
MWB Global Risks’ Global Master Insurance Program is the gold-standard of insurance programs; it not only combines the Canadian policy with the local UK policy, but it also includes tailored coverage to account for any potential gaps and/or duplications between the Canadian policy and the Local policy, and effectively eliminating administrative redundancies, and surprise costs and/or penalties associated with policy gaps and/or duplications.
As we explained in our report, Navigating DIL & DIC Coverage in Uncertain Economic Times, oftentimes, there are significant gaps and/or duplications in coverage between the coverage limits of the Home policy compared to the coverage limits of the Local policy.
However, that is not the only advantage of a Global Master Program.
If Gordon’s Cereals had implemented a Global Master Policy to coordinate coverage across all six Canadian locations and its London facility, the insurer and broker network would have coordinated the placement of the required local UK policy through a licensed insurer authorized to operate in England.
Why is this important? Because brokers and insurers experienced in multinational risk already understand the insurance regulations, compliance requirements, and market conditions within each jurisdiction. They also maintain established global partnerships that allow them to secure locally compliant coverage efficiently, competitively, and with greater consistency across the overall insurance program.
"Simply by comparing Canadian Commercial General Liability (CGL) coverage with UK Public Liability Insurance, it becomes quite evident that although both policies are designed to address third-party liability exposures, significant differences in coverage scope, terminology, policy structure, and regulatory expectations can create important coverage gaps between the two jurisdictions. These distinctions highlight the importance of coordinating insurance programs carefully when operating multinationally. -- Liz Lopez-Williams, Executive VP of WMB Global Risks Inc." -- Liz Lopez, CRM, Executive VP & Global Master Program Specialist
Complexities of Local Insurance
Three of the largest complexities that arise in securing local insurance are:
1. Securing local coverage often requires significant coordination and communication between multiple parties, including insurers, brokers, service providers, and the organization’s internal departments, to ensure the program is properly structured, compliant, and aligned across all jurisdictions.
2. Local coverage also involves a high degree of uncertainty due to the differing laws, regulations, languages, currencies, cultures, and insurance markets within each country, all of which can change over time.
3. If local coverage does not adequately align with the needs of the business - as well as the needs of the regulatory bodies - organizations may face inconsistencies between jurisdictions, may be subject to significant legal, regulatory, financial, and reputational risks, and/or penalties related non-compliance.
The ROI of a Global Master Insurance Program
By consolidating all of Gordon’s Cereals’ insurance policies, including its UK operations, into a coordinated Global Master Program, the organization can reduce redundancies, simplify administration, leverage global purchasing power, and create greater consistency across its overall insurance structure.
In short, a Global Master Insurance Program can generate significant long-term value by centralizing program management, improving pricing efficiencies through economies of scale, reducing coverage gaps and overlapping policies, strengthening oversight of local exposures, and supporting compliance across multiple
MWB Global Risks Understands These Complexities
Partnering with a reputable and highly experienced global insurance specialist, such as MWB Global Risks, helps ensure an organization’s insurance program is strategically designed to support its operations, regulatory obligations, and long-term growth objectives.
By consolidating policies under a single coordinated framework, multinational organizations can benefit from streamlined administration, reduced redundancies, improved pricing efficiencies, and more consistent coverage across jurisdictions.
At the same time, centralized oversight helps strengthen compliance, improve claims coordination, and reduce the likelihood of costly coverage gaps.
More importantly, a properly structured Global Master Program provides organizations with greater visibility into their global risk profile, allowing leadership to make more informed decisions while aligning insurance coverage with actual operational exposures.
Ultimately, a Global Master Program is not simply an insurance solution. It is a strategic risk management framework designed to improve resilience, support global growth, and provide organizations with greater confidence as they operate across international markets.
MWB Global Risks' Global Master Program
With decades of experience supporting complex domestic and multinational risks, MWB Global Risks provides the expertise, global coordination, and strategic guidance necessary to design and manage effective Global Master Programs.
Through established partnerships in more than 150 countries via the MWB Global Network, MWB helps organizations navigate local insurance regulations, coordinate locally admitted policies, and create consistent coverage structures aligned with their global operations.
Partnering with an experienced multinational insurance specialist not only helps organizations strengthen compliance and reduce coverage gaps, but also improves program efficiency, claims coordination, and overall risk visibility.
The result is a more resilient and strategically aligned insurance program designed to support long-term operational stability and global growth.
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MWB Global Risks is a boutique insurance and risk management brokerage specializing in domestic and multinational risk solutions for mid-sized to large organizations operating in increasingly complex environments.
Backed by 100+ years of combined industry experience, our team provides tailored guidance, technical expertise, and coordinated program execution across jurisdictions and industries.
Our approach is built on long-term relationships, responsive service, and a deep understanding of how insurance programs must perform both at placement and at the time of loss.
From multinational insurance structures to complex corporate risk strategies, we help organizations remain resilient, compliant, and prepared for growth in an evolving global landscape.
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