Director, Regional Commercial Underwriting at Definity, Montreal

AI Summary

This Director, Regional Commercial Underwriting role at Definity in Montreal, Quebec, seeks a strategic leader. You will drive profitable growth in Commercial Insurance across Quebec and manage a team of underwriting professionals. Key responsibilities include overseeing risk selection and shaping regional underwriting strategies. Candidates require 7-10 years of progressive commercial underwriting experience, with at least five years in a leadership capacity, and must be fluent in both French and English.

The Opportunity in Commercial Insurance

Definity is seeking a proven, strategic leader to join their Commercial Insurance team in Quebec as a Director, Regional Commercial Underwriting. Reporting directly to the AVP, underwriting, Commercial Insurance, this pivotal role is responsible for driving profitable growth within the Commercial Insurance sector across Quebec. The successful candidate will play a key part in developing and shaping the team, ensuring its alignment with the company's overarching strategic objectives. This position involves significant leadership, including the management and mentorship of underwriting leaders and professionals specializing in SME and Mid-Market segments within Quebec. The Director will guide daily operations, encompassing risk selection, developing innovative underwriting solutions, negotiation, and service delivery, while actively fostering the technical and professional growth of their team. A crucial aspect of this role involves contributing to the development and execution of the Quebec broker relationship management strategy, ensuring broker partners receive exceptional service in every interaction. The role also requires shaping underwriting strategies and action plans specifically for the Quebec market, collaborating with regional teams to maintain strategic consistency and achieve profitable outcomes. Some travel may be required for broker relationship management and participation in industry events, reinforcing Definity's commitment to strong market presence and profitable growth in the commercial insurance landscape.

Leadership, Strategy, and Underwriting Expertise

As a leader, the Director will spearhead the talent management strategy for Commercial Insurance in Quebec, covering resource planning, retention, succession, and recruitment. Aligning team performance and development goals with corporate priorities, segmentation strategies, and underwriting guidelines is paramount. This role demands active leadership, fostering a culture of high engagement and collaboration, and involves calibrating underwriting authority based on individual employee knowledge and judgment. Leveraging Quality Assurance results to identify technical knowledge gaps and partnering with Technical Specialists to enhance team capabilities is also a key responsibility, ensuring continuous professional growth. Strategically, the Director will define the medium- and long-term growth strategy for Quebec, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and market dynamics. Participation in management committees will help identify and prioritize strategies addressing risks and opportunities, integrating the perspectives and needs of Quebec broker partners. From an underwriting operational and technical expertise standpoint, the Director will lead and engage their team to drive profitable portfolio growth through rigorous discipline in risk selection, renewals, and service. This includes leveraging performance data and market insights to identify improvement opportunities, ensuring the strict application of underwriting principles, tools, and guidelines for consistent and profitable practices. The role also oversees the quality and rigour of negotiations with broker partners regarding terms, conditions, and pricing, ensuring compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements in the commercial insurance sector. The focus remains on achieving sustainable profitable growth through expert underwriting management.

Qualifications and Definity's Commitment

Candidates for this Director, Regional Commercial Underwriting position should possess a university degree or a two-year college diploma in a relevant field such as Business Administration or Insurance, or equivalent professional experience. A Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) or Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation is highly preferred. A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive Commercial Underwriting experience, including at least five years in a leadership role, is essential, demonstrating a proven track record in managing teams and achieving business goals. Fluency in both French and English, spoken and written, is a mandatory requirement for effective communication across Quebec and Canada. The ideal candidate will exhibit a demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and retain high-performing teams, with strong experience in performance management. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with the ability to think strategically and translate vision into concrete action plans, are crucial for driving profitable growth. Definity, as a leading Canadian insurer, offers a hybrid work schedule for most roles, a company share ownership program, and an incentive program for eligible employees. They are committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity, fostering a collaborative, ambitious, rewarding, and empowering culture, making it an excellent environment for a commercial insurance professional focused on management and profitable growth through strong broker relationships.