Chief Underwriter and Claims Risk Officer

Individual insurance / Permanent position / Quebec City / Montreal / Toronto

The Chief Underwriter and Claims Risk Officer for Individual Insurance will oversee the development and evolution of underwriting best practices and lead the implementation of innovative solutions that differentiate IA from its competition in the issuance of individual insurance contracts. The successful candidate will also ensure the consistency of risk assessment between underwriting and claims functions.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement underwriting standards and administrative rules in line with IA’s underwriting philosophy.
• Maintain IA’s competitive positioning in underwriting by remaining current on latest trends and industry best practices.
• Collaborate on the development and automation of underwriting through predictive analysis and the use of artificial intelligence, with a focus on maintaining mortality and morbidity experience.
• Review underwriting policies and manuals and provide guidance to the underwriting team.
• Adapt or improve underwriting according to claims experience and the monitoring of quality of underwriting.
• Responsible for establishing and maintaining the framework for approval limits in conjunction with the training path and individual underwriting quality monitoring.
• Ensure consistency of risk assessment between underwriting and claims functions.
• Monitor and improve the quality of underwriting through an audit program that leads to action plans.
• Enhance customer satisfaction by researching and developing appropriate and innovative solutions, while maintaining strong relationships with customers and partners, including distributors and reinsurers.
• Work collaboratively with other functions of the organization to harmonize best practices and develop underwriting expertise.
• Act as the final escalation level for all matters related to underwriting and claims for individual products.
• Represent IA on various industry committees and contribute to the recognition and promotion of IA’s expertise and leadership position in underwriting and claims.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 15 years of underwriting experience with a FALU designation required.
• Previous experience in a management position
• Demonstrated expertise and knowledge in underwriting and the insurance industry.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• In-depth understanding of the insurance industry and distribution.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Advanced level of French.
• Advanced level of English language skills as the person advises English-speaking teams on complex underwriting cases on a daily basis. Interaction is both oral and written.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small team of experts.
• Strong relationship building and networking skills.
• Accountability for results and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Strong team spirit and ability to perform well in a collaborative environment.

• Exceptional ability to read the environment and identify critical elements of mandates.
• Excellent storytelling skills and the ability to communicate complex concepts in a simple and understandable manner.
• Adept at anticipating problems and challenges and proposing innovative solutions aligned with the sector’s objectives.
• Ability to guide the selection of strategic solutions that influence the future of the company’s operations.
• Demonstrated initiative to ensure stakeholders have up-to-date information needed to carry out their mandates.
• Preserve risk profile and future mortality and morbidity experience.
• Ability to lead, guide and develop a team.
• Professionalism in interactions with colleagues and ability to act as a resource person.
• Coach for the next generation and ability to serve as a mentor.