Professional Liability and Casualty Underwriting Leader - Berkley

"Our Company provides a state of predictability which allows brokers and agents to act with confidence."

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation has grown from a small investment management firm into one of the largest commercial lines property and casualty insurers in the United States.

Along the way, we’ve been listed on the New York Stock Exchange, become a Fortune 500 Company, joined the S&P 500, and seen our gross written premiums exceed $10 billion.

Today the Berkley brand comprises more than 50 businesses worldwide and is divided into two segments: Insurance and Reinsurance and Monoline Excess. Led by our Executive Chairman, founder and largest shareholder, William. R. Berkley and our President and Chief Executive Officer, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., W.R. Berkley Corporation is well-positioned to respond to opportunities for future growth.

The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.     

• Are you at the top of your game as an Underwriting Leader for Professional Liability and Casualty Lines of Business?
• Are you seeking a new challenge with a company focused on Underwriting Excellence and achieving Underwriting Profit?
• Do you thrive in a collaborative, innovative, decentralized, team environment?
• Do you want to use your knowledge and expertise to help others achieve superior results?

We are seeking a Professional Liability and Casualty Lines, Assistant Vice President. Someone to act as an advisor, influencer, partner, and resource for the W.R. Berkely companies writing Errors and Omissions Coverage and Professional Lines coverages across multiple classes of business. In this corporate underwriting role you will contribute to, monitor, and influence Business Unit strategies, results, risk appetite, coverages, terms & conditions, pricing, guidelines, and underwriting tools, to deliver on risk adjusted return goals. In the role you will facilitate corporate technical and data & analytic initiatives to improve management information, efficiencies, and long-term results. Address trends, emerging issues, and opportunities. Enhance education, communication, idea sharing and innovation throughout W.R. Berkley.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the professional liability communities (e.g. Professional Liability, E&O, D&O, EPLI, etc.) comprised of the various Business Units writing professional liability coverages to educate, discuss emerging issues, share ideas and information, and highlight innovative developments.
• Lead, coordinate, facilitate, and participate in underwriting process, technical, and data analytic initiatives for the purpose of improving management information, efficiencies, and long-term results. Address trends, opportunities, and issues as they arise within the business units writing professional coverages. Initiatives would primarily involve multiple business units and/or multiple segments and would marry underwriting and data analytics to be both proactive and reactive.
• Review, monitor and influence Business Unit strategy, results, risk appetite, forms, coverages, terms, conditions, pricing, guidelines, and underwriting tools. Make recommendations and influence change where necessary to deliver on risk adjusted return goals.
• In conjunction with corporate actuaries, lead periodic professional liability state of the line studies and presentations. Working with the business units to develop action items as needed. Facilitate communication between CUO’s and product experts (e.g., via working groups, CUO meeting, maintain expertise database).
• Transform data into information for action. Participate in data improvement and collection initiatives. Develop and/or improve management information, metrics, and analytics.
• Work with ERM and ceded reinsurance to optimize the structure of the reinsurance program to fulfill both Business Unit and enterprise needs.
• Facilitate communication among CUO’s and product experts (e.g., via working groups, CUO meeting and maintaining expertise database).
• Monitor cyber and coverage for other latent or emerging exposures offered. Work with Corporate Legal and Corporate Claims as needed to amend coverage grants and / or implement exclusions.
• Others to be determined as the role evolves.

Partnering:
Partner and coordinate with Segment Heads, Business Unit Presidents, and Chief Underwriting Officers, and various Corporate, Segment and Operating Unit functions (i.e., Underwriting, Operations, Product Development, Berkley Global Underwriters, Actuarial, Ceded Reinsurance, Claims, Enterprise Risk Management, Enterprise Product Support Services, IT, Data and Analytics, Compliance, Marketing and Project Management).

Location and Travel:

The position can be in any W.R. Berkley location throughout the United States. This position is a full time, in the office position. There is travel within the US and other W.R. Berkley worldwide locations. The overall amount of travel will be project dependent (approximately 30%).

• Ability to influence and advise in a decentralized environment
• Strong results orientated leader and manager
• Effective project management and organizational skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Superior analytical skills
• Strong work ethic

Education & Experience Requirements:

• Relevant degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of 10 years professional liability (e.g. E&O, Professional, D&O, Management Liability, Tech, EPL, Fiduciary, Cyber, Med Mal, etc.) Underwriting experience in the insurance/reinsurance industry including in the field and in home office environments, Admitted and E&S business, Primary and Excess business, across various industry segments in domestic.
• Substantial knowledge of underwriting practices, procedures, and tools; rating; pricing; portfolio and risk analysis; policy drafting and reinsurance structuring.
• Track record of influencing and generating profitable business
• Someone with E&O, Professional Lines Experience is preferred.
• International Experience is a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of casualty underwriting experience in the insurance/reinsurance industry across various markets and industries is preferred.