Reinsurance guru Brian Duperreault signalled a growth spurt for his new Hamilton Group.

Mr Duperreault said the firm — set up late last year — could launch a takeover bid to grow the business.

Speaking at the Reinsurance Rendezvous in Monte Carlo, he added: “I wouldn’t rule out an acquisition — I wouldn’t rule that out.”

And Mr Duperreault predicted the major topics at the conference would be increased use of alternative capital, pricing and the impact of regulation on reinsurance.

He added that the rapid change in technology, the booming insurance-linked securities (ILS) market and hedge fund capital for frequency and low severity business were also likely to figure prominently.