Life Science Practice Leader Northern Region
Role Purpose:
The primary purpose of the role is the Leadership of the Northern Region Life Science Industry Practice. It is the ultimate underwriting leader within the region for Life Science. The leader is responsible for Life Science IP across all lines and to lead dedicated and non-dedicated underwriters.
The Life Science Lead Northern Region is the Best Practice leader across the region.
The successful candidate must demonstrate strong competency and experience in the following areas:
Technical Underwriting Skills
The Lead will be expected to have strong experience in underwriting of Casualty, E&O, and Clinical Trials as they relate to Life Science companies, and have a broad understanding of Chubb’s appetite, preferred risks and wordings as well as those of key competitors. Ultimately, the role must be capable of holding high levels of underwriting authority and be comfortable taking referral work from the Northern Life Science team.
The Lead should also have a good awareness of the underwriting appetite and processes for other target lines of business such as property, cyber, marine etc to drive cross-sell, and be closely connected to those leaders and communities.
Planning & Execution
Prepare and execute a business plan for the Life Science Industry Practice with key actions and tactics. This should include market sizing / evaluation of the opportunity and product/solution development (build the product, proposition and consider appropriate distribution channels). Delivery and monitoring of the financial plan across all lines of business is a critical responsibility for this role, ensuring that rate, retention and new business numbers are planned and forecast accurately and that monthly production targets are met.
Target Operating Models
Lead and actively support adherence to Chubb’s target operating models. This will require an understanding of the Operating Model that Chubb wishes to follow and pro-active execution to achieve the required outcome. Working with team members in the Madrid HUB and other stakeholders to ensure renewal business migrates effectively, where applicable. Knowledge and regular use of Chubb’s systems including but not limited to Jarvis, Ignite, PMR, QlikView and Insight therefore as a prerequisite. Drive and maintain best practice and disciplines around usage of key operational systems, such as Workview. Look for opportunities to continuously improve our processes to generate operational efficiency.
People Management
There are direct and indirect reports to the role in a matrix environment of a team of underwriters across the Northern region. This role will set the vision and plan, support the day to day needs of the team, plus play an active part in supporting the talent and development needs of underwriters. Regular travel is required to cover the various countries in the Northern Region (i.e. Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway) as well as to Spain (Madrid) where the Hub is located.
Broker and market engagement
Understand the broker landscape for Life Science across the Northern region and directly support high value relationships and opportunities. Ensure focus around driving the pipeline of new business activity with underwriters and Distribution (both from short- and long-term perspective) to meet plan. Raise Chubb’s profile as a Life Science industry expert across all lines of business through marketing collateral and events, engagement with technical market bodies, plus speaking at client, broker, and industry forums/events.
Closely work and engage with Broker management resources, CUO, country managers and segment leaders across both the Nordics and Benelux.
Key responsibilities
- Underwriting Referral – act as the main referral point for underwriters on Life Science business.
- Multiline – Lead a multiline strategy with focus on cross-sell of additional lines to Life Science clients. Work with LoB leaders and champions to create a broader Life Science multiline community focused on working together to deliver multi line propositions for our Life Science clients.
- Delivering Plan – Prepare and execute a business plan for the Life Science Industry Practice with key actions and tactics. Delivering and exceeding the Life Science Industry Practice financial plan.
- Strategic focus - Working closely with Line Managers and the Region to formulate and deliver on an underwriting strategy. Ensuring quality control within defined area of responsibility by undertaking quantitative underwriting reviews, running regular management meetings. Supporting effective management of the portfolio.
- Procedures - Meet company standards in respect of policy documentation, contract certainty and compliance and regulatory requirements.
- Compliance – Closely work with the UoM on Peer review implementation across the practice and the completion of all audit requirements and actions within agreed timescales and adherence to all legal compliance standards.
- Leadership - Promoting Chubb as a ‘Go to’ market to brokers and clients. Acting as a senior representative for the Life Science Industry Practice (both internally and externally) for all lines of business, driving the strategic relationships, in terms of trading and execution with all our broking partners. Supporting and encouraging colleagues to drive the business. Responsible for the strategic and operational management of the team.
- Product Development - Developing and seeking out new opportunities to innovate within the Life Science Industry practice, working with other stakeholders (including other Product lines) to generate new ideas. Regularly conduct and share market research and intelligence. Identify and harness new opportunities.
- Training/People - Working with regional managers to ensure the provision of appropriate training and mentoring support in the team to support appropriate authority delegation. Support a robust succession planning is in place across the practice.
- Operational Management - Understanding, interpreting, and communicating to the team effectively the Strategic Priorities of the Practice. Continually monitoring and effectively managing the allocation of resource to meet business objectives, partly through input to People Mangers, ensuring external priorities and broker needs are constantly at the forefront of our decision-making process. Shaping and refreshing roles for employees, maximising both individual employees’ and the team’s potential. Manage, track and review performance of the team and individual team members.
Skills & Experience required:
- Strong Life Science underwriting experience
- Extensive knowledge of the Life Science sector & Life Science underwriting
- Portfolio management capabilities
- People management and motivation skills
- Strong working knowledge of the insurance market and competitors
- Results driven with ability to make own decisions and work on own initiative.
- An experienced professional whose expertise is recognised externally.
- Being able to demonstrate examples of strategy development and operational improvement would be desirable.
- Ability to execute and influence at all levels both internally and externally
- Ability to cover a larger region and openness to work across various countries and insurance markets.