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Among the diverse professional perspectives featured over the years, few have resonated as consistently with Ten Across participants as those from the field of insurance and reinsurance. Insurance is often underappreciated as a knowledge industry in everyday life—yet serves a powerful translational role, converting detailed observations about the physical world into applied economic signals that shape investment, development, governance, and the choices available to individuals.
In this episode of Ten Across Conversations, host Duke Reiter welcomes Steve Bowen, chief science officer at Gallagher Re, for a discussion about how the business of risk is evolving in an era of more frequent and costly natural catastrophes. Steve’s career has been defined not only by studying risk, but by helping others understand it. Combining experience in meteorology, broadcasting, and catastrophe analytics, he demonstrates how scientific evidence can become practical guidance for navigating the future.
Their conversation explores why extreme heat, hurricanes, severe storms, and other natural hazards are becoming increasingly consequential across the Ten Across geography—not only because of a changing climate, but because of where and how communities choose to grow. Along the way, Steve offers insight into the roles of artificial intelligence and federal data in risk analysis, how insurers evaluate the emerging risks associated with land use, large-scale development, and aging infrastructure, and why insurability has become an increasingly important lens through which to understand resilience.
As communities across the Ten Across geography face an accelerating need to anticipate and adapt to risks, often at challenging scales, the reinsurance industry’s ability to quantify changing circumstances has the potential to do more than improve understanding—it can help build the case for action while there is still time to shape better outcomes.
Relevant Articles and Resources
Gallagher Re Natural Catastrophe and Climate Report 2025
What Happens When the Public Record Shrinks. The Atlantic. July 9, 2026.
Ex-NOAA employees re-create a valuable climate data site shut down by Trump. NPR. June 26, 2026.
National Science Foundation reverses decision to dismantle oceans-monitoring network after outcry. Associated Press. June 18, 2026.
Data centers’ insurance needs ‘may be difficult to meet,’ report says. E&E News by Politico. June 16, 2026.
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
AI Series: AI-Powered Extreme Weather Modeling is on the Horizon. June 27, 2025.
The Future of Insurability: New Approaches and Mindsets. October 10, 2025
Beyond the Forecast: TV Meteorologists Weigh in on Climate Challenges. August 8, 2025
Episode Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Audio Production: Louie Duran
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
Guest Speaker
Steve Bowen is the Chief Science Officer at Gallagher Re, where he leverages his background in meteorology and passion for science to guide strategies on natural catastrophe risk, climate change, and sustainability. Transitioning from a career in television to the insurance industry in 2007, he also leads the Climate and Sustainability group within Gallagher Re, focusing on data analytics and advisory services to help clients navigate complex risks and regulatory demands. Steve collaborates with governmental agencies, academia, and industry groups, co-authoring scientific journals and speaking at high-profile events, including the White House and United Nations conferences.
