Chief Underwriting Officer
Company Details
Berkley Fire & Marine Underwriters (BFM) was launched in 2013 and is a W.R. Berkley operating unit offering specialized underwriting expertise and products and claims management for Inland Marine lines of business. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Richmond, Cincinnati and Dallas, BFM serves customers on a national basis with regions in the Mid Atlantic, Midwest, South and Western states.
Our culture is one that empowers employees to question the status quo and seek innovative ways to continue to exceed the expectations of our customers. We practice collaboration, ownership, critical thinking, and a professional growth mindset, along with being part of a larger team daily.
Now more than ever, financial strength is critical to a successful, long term insurance relationship. Berkley Fire & Marine Underwriters is a member company of W. R. Berkley Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, whose insurance company subsidiaries are rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best.
This role would ideally be based in one of our offices where we offer a hybrid work schedule with 4 days in the office; and 1 day remote where it makes sense to do so.
- Atlanta, GA
- Denver
- Chicago
- Dallas
Alternatively, this position can be fully remote, but only for a colleague outside of a commutable distance to the office.
#LI-AV1 #LI-Remote
The company is an equal opportunity employer.
Responsibilities
As our VP, Chief Underwriting Officer, you will report directly to the BFM President and be a key member of the senior leadership team. You will oversee the product to align with our strategy, have oversight of our operating unit portfolio from a macro view and develop standards and acumen to support our underwriters’ efforts to grow profitably while maintaining underwriting compliance and excellence requirements. This role will liaise with the holding company as it relates to underwriting requirements. You will partner on strategic planning and overall management of the underwriting discipline to ensure profitable growth. In collaboration with other departments, this role will be responsible for development and successful alignment of BFM’s underwriting strategy, with the goal of maximizing shareholder value and risk-adjusted returns.
What you can expect:
- Culture of innovation, teamwork, supportive colleagues and leaders willing to invest in talent
- Internal mobility opportunities
- Visibility to senior leaders and partnership with cross functional teams
- Opportunity to impact change
- Benefits - competitive compensation, paid time off, comprehensive wellness benefits and programs, employer funded health savings account, profit sharing, 401k, paid parental leave, employee stock purchase plan, tuition assistance and professional continuing education
We'll count on you to:
- Oversee the development and management of underwriting strategy, aligning with the overall BFM strategic plan, and translating the strategy into clear underwriting guidelines and limits of authority.
- Develop Inland Marine products to meet the needs of our underwriting strategy and the attributes of risk that allow us to price and cover exposures properly.
- Lead market research and stays abreast of emerging trends and identifies innovative products for evaluation and development.
- Work with Actuarial team to develop pricing and underwriting strategies to attain and improve profitable growth.
- Evaluate our CAT accumulation and aggregation and develop risk strategies that keep our AAL’s in line with our net loss approaches
- Collaborate with Regional teams to develop an efficient set of processes that deliver creative, customized underwriting and risk management solutions while meeting the expectations of our partners.
- Develop and manage both internal and external relationships in a way that strengthens trust in the business partnership.
- Evaluate the Operating Unit portfolio to reflect an appropriate balance between segments and diversification of line of business.
- Lead Product Line Reviews
- Oversee Authority and work with UW Quality Director and Field organization on implementation and maintenance of authority statements and UW Quality standards.
- Meet as needed with the Senior Leadership Team and President to analyze, recommend, and report on the progress of objectives and projects.
- Partner with Head of Field Underwriting and Sales on technical development needs and resources for our underwriting community
- Partner with Underwriting Directors in providing leadership support, mentoring and guidance necessary
- Anticipate and plan, with the capacity to collaborate with other senior management team members, in a way that fosters innovation.
Qualifications
What you need to have:
- 10+ years’ experience including products, Property, and Inland Marine underwriting experience
- History strategic and tactical leadership through influence leadership to a team of talented professionals
- Demonstrated organizational skills, working with integrity and great strategic foresight
- Strong interpersonal relationship and communication skills, as well as a desire to collaborate, build rapport, add value, and effectively problem solve
- Agile and decisive; can work in an ambiguous, dynamic environment while also leading to clarity and solutions; adapts quickly and effectively to change
- Ability to travel up to 20% of time if necessary
What makes you stand out:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Proven track record for finding innovative ways to bring teams together
- Challenges norms while working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels of the organization