Chief Underwriting Officer

General Placement Service is conducting a search for a Chief Underwriting Officer on behalf of a highly regarded specialty insurance organization backed by a large, well-capitalized insurance holding company. The Chief Underwriting Officer leads underwriting strategy, portfolio performance, and profitable growth across a diversified Excess & Surplus platform. Reporting to the President, this executive aligns underwriting, sales, and distribution, modernizes underwriting operations, and leverages data and technology to improve risk selection, speed, and scalability.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and execute enterprise underwriting strategy to drive disciplined growth and portfolio profitability

• Align underwriting with sales and marketing to support a growth-oriented operating model

• Lead product development and expansion using data, analytics, and emerging technologies

• Advance underwriting operations through automation, pricing enhancements, and predictive analytics

• Build and develop underwriting leadership and talent pipelines

• Strengthen broker relationships through structured engagement, incentives, and training

• Equip teams with tools and insights to support territory growth and decision-making

• Manage legacy business and operational inefficiencies

• Partner with executive leadership on strategic direction and execution

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

• CPCU, ASLI, ARM, or similar designations preferred

• 15+ years of commercial underwriting experience with portfolio management expertise

• Proven ability to lead sales-aligned underwriting teams and drive profitable growth

• Experience in product development and market expansion

• Strong technical underwriting, leadership, and communication skills

• Excess & Surplus market experience strongly preferred