Biba 2026 Countdown: UGL’s Derek Coles

- Insurance Age staff
- 24 Apr 2026
- Indicative reading time: 2 minutes

Derek Coles, CEO of UGL, suggests Biba is often a tale of two breakfasts, compares Brendan McManus to Ben Stokes and recommends a watering hole for some downtime away from the conference centre.

The tagline for the 2026 Biba conference is ‘Time:To’. In your view, what is it “Time: To Do…” over the next 12 months if you are an ambitious insurance broker looking to prosper?

Time to execute your dream.

What is your favourite time of the day(s) at the Biba conference and why?

Breakfast. On day one, it is all about the sense of commencement and anticipation for what lies ahead. Then breakfast on Thursday has a very different feel altogether, it is the morning after the night before, and you

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