Executive Underwriting Officer, Casualty

Markel - Richmond, VA

Full-time - Senior

Hybrid - Richmond, VA

251-500 employees

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities

About the position

At Markel, we are looking for a dynamic leader to head our Casualty business, reporting directly to the Chief Underwriting Officer. This role is pivotal in steering multiple products and teams towards achieving profitability within the Casualty product line. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a product line team that focuses on developing underwriting strategies, managing portfolios, and delivering products to our partners and customers. This position requires a visionary leader who can implement and mature the business strategy while creating a long-term vision for the Casualty line of business. The head of Casualty will be tasked with operationalizing this vision through practical planning and inspiring a world-class organization to support it. This role also encompasses overseeing client management and business development activities, advising on relevant issues across the organization, and fostering a culture that attracts, develops, and retains critical talent. Collaboration with Specialty Leadership is essential to ensure that the execution of the strategy for the products within the line of business is achieved effectively. In this role, you will build a high-performance culture with product line leaders, monitor performance, and facilitate the coordination of business plans. You will work closely with various departments, including claims, distribution, and loss control, to deliver an enterprise approach to product development and customer service. Additionally, you will enhance the understanding and expertise of the line of business across platforms, develop strategies to manage corporate capacity on accounts, and contribute to reinsurance buying decisions. Your leadership will be crucial in identifying and addressing industry trends and emerging risks, ensuring that Markel remains competitive and responsive to market demands.

Responsibilities

• Build a high performance culture with product line leaders to develop and drive strategies to achieve underwriting profitability targets
• Monitor performance and facilitate coordination of business plans
• Coordinate with Markel Specialty Retail, Wholesale and Alternative Distribution leadership to build national and regional strategies around the Casualty product line
• Collaborate across the business, such as claims, distribution, loss control, to deliver an enterprise approach to product development and customer service
• Enhance line of business understanding, depth and expertise across platforms
• Understand current industry trends including emerging issues
• Develop and facilitate the implementation of strategies to manage corporate capacity on accounts
• Provide talent development, create opportunities for advancement, organizational visibility for line of business members
• Build depth in the underwriting organization and leverage talent in the product line management group and divisions
• Align underwriting teams at the line of business level
• Enhance Markel's ability to understand and respond to competitive pressures, and identify opportunity gaps
• Facilitate thought leader participation in line of business initiatives
• Support the CUO on line of business topics including emerging risks
• Serve as a line of business referral executive to ensure risks are managed within appetite
• Identify, monitor and implement actions for addressing industry trends and emerging risks
• Contribute to reinsurance buying decisions
• Implement policies and guidelines that span the underwriting organization
• Lead long range growth plans for the line of business

Requirements

• Minimum of 20 years underwriting experience with a history of profitable growth
• Broad-based background in the line of business with experience in SME and large accounts; primary, excess, admitted and non-admitted products
• Experience in all distribution channels with a solid industry reputation
• Demonstrated record of product leadership including building teams
• US Work Authorization required. Markel does not provide visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.

Nice-to-haves

• Deep technical knowledge of Casualty lines
• Strong portfolio management capabilities
• Highly effective interpersonal, management, and communication skills
• Strong analytical skills and excellent problem solving/decision making abilities
• Works well in a matrix environment providing leadership and teambuilding across the organization
• Ability and desire to embrace technology and data in individual underwriting and portfolio management
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Outlook, Visio, Word, Power Point)

Benefits

• Multiple health, dental and vision insurance plan options
• Optional life, disability, and AD&D insurance
• 401(k) with employer match contributions
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• PTO, corporate holidays and floating holidays
• Parental leave
• Hybrid working schedules of 3 days in the office and 2 days remote