City : Waterloo

Category : PERMANENT FULLTIME

Industry : Insurance

Employer : Definity

We are seeking an experienced and strategic leader to join our team as Director of Farm. Reporting directly to the Regional Vice President, the incumbent is responsible for driving profitable growth of Economical's Farm business on a national basis, excluding the province of Quebec.  You will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our Farm team, while ensuring alignment to the Organizations broader strategic objectives. This role will require frequent travel, supporting national broker relationship management, along with industry related conferences and conventions.

 What to expect

• Reporting to the Regional Vice President Commercial Underwriting, the incumbent manages a National team of Managers and Underwriters and guides them in day-to-day operations (incl. risk selection, underwriting solution design, negotiation, and underwriting servicing) as well as works with them to further develop their technical and professional skills and career paths
• Accountable for their team’s proper rating and pricing of all CI transaction types (e.g., quote submissions, new business, endorsements, renewals, cancellations, voids, reinstatements, etc.), and ensures that the team implements Underwriting processes in accordance with Underwriting guidelines, standard operating procedures, and CI's Line of Business and segmentation strategies
• Accountable for contributing to, and managing the execution of, a Farm Broker relationship management strategy and ensuring that Brokers receive exceptional client service in all interactions
• Contributes to shaping Farm’s national broker relationship and underwriting strategies and action plans and works with their team to gather market intelligence through their network to inform underwriting decisions

People Management and Development:

• Leads in strategic workforce management for his/her function including resource planning, retention management, succession management as well as informing and appropriately leveraging Economical's recruiting strategy
• Works with Direct Reports to set individual performance and development goals which align to Economical’s Line of Business and segmentation strategies, Underwriting guidelines, productivity targets, and KPIs
• Manages a hybrid team effectively by proactively engaging frontline resources on a regular basis and applying techniques to build engagement, commitment, and collaboration among team members
• Works with RVP to ensure Direct Reports are provided with Underwriting authority appropriate for their capability levels, and applies the CI graduated licensing approach to grant authority based on demonstrated underwriting capabilities
• Actively review Quality Review results to proactively identify technical knowledge gaps and engages the Technical Specialist(s) for the region to support in developing technical capabilities; Stays abreast of capability and capacity gaps in his/her team and works with Technical Specialist team and his/her leadership team to define a strategy to close the gap 
• Helps build a culture of high performance and sustained profitable growth by promoting and supporting an environment that encourages productivity, collaboration, teamwork, and a high level of professionalism
• Promotes Economical's Code of Business Conduct and values, and models behaviours that align to these principles

Strategy and Planning:

• Along with RVP, sets the longer-term sales strategy ensuring alignment to corporate sales targets for Farm products, and competitive analysis
• Participates in Portfolio Management meetings to identify strategies for addressing portfolio risks and opportunities
• Provides input into the development of the detailed national people, process and technology plans for Regional Underwriting Operations and HO S & D, including insight into Regional Broker strategies, evolving needs, issues and opportunities
• Works with Quality Review; HO and CI; and Managers, to address any deviations from Underwriting policies and guidelines as identified by Quality Review

Underwriting Operational and Technical Expertise:

• Leads and works with a team of underwriters to drive the profitable growth of Economical’s Farm business Nationally through the way business is selected, quoted, renewed, and services
• Leverages reporting and market knowledge to maintain a profitable farm insurance portfolio – engaging team members and peers to understand opportunities to improve profitability
• Ensures adherence to QUEST principles, tools, and corporate underwriting guidelines to ensure consistent, profitable underwriting within the region
• Enables appropriate selection, rating, and pricing in the relevant policy case management system(s), and ensures that UW processes are applied in accordance with standard operating procedures, Underwriting guidelines, and LOB and segmentation strategies
• Develops and implements solutions to achieve profitable growth targets, and coaches others as appropriate
• Demonstrates strong Underwriting judgment, deep understanding of Farm products, strong understanding of the appropriate rating structures, forms of coverage, reinsurance structures, hazards, terms, conditions and wordings, and coaches others on these as appropriate
• Oversees the effective negotiation of the terms and conditions of risk acceptance and pricing with Brokers  
• Ensures his/her team's compliance with federal and provincial regulations as related to Auto and/or Property Insurance

Sales Management:

• Fosters a culture of high performance and sustained profitable growth in which all Underwriters are encouraged to proactively and continuously identify profitable opportunities that align to Economical’s strategies
• Identifies and appropriately acts on opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell products to Brokers, and coaches others as appropriate
• Effectively engages with Brokers to negotiate services, terms and conditions (within pricing deviation bands and his/her Underwriting authority level), as well as to influence Brokers to recommend Economical as the insurer of choice
• Holds self and his/her team accountable for meeting relevant growth, retention and profitability targets

What you bring 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business Administration, Insurance) or a two-year diploma from a recognized community college, or equivalent experience. Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) or Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation is a strong asset
• Minimum 7-10 years of underwriting experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, demonstrating progressive responsibility and a track record of success in managing teams and achieving operational goals. Experience in a multi-line insurance organization is highly preferred
• Proven ability to lead, coach, develop, mentor, and retain high-performing teams. Experience with performance management systems and techniques is essential
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and translate macro-level insights into actionable plans. Experience with data analysis and reporting is highly valued
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including senior management, and brokers
• Highly motivated, results-oriented individual with the ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• A passion for driving change, embracing innovation, and contributing to a culture of continuous improvement