VP, Product and Underwriting, Personal Lines

The Opportunity

Are you looking for a caring, collaborative, values-driven workplace with inspiring teammates and leaders? Do you have the ambition and desire to be the best and thrive at the most impactful global insurance provider in the world? Look no further than Zurich Canada.

If you have experience in personal lines product strategy and underwriting leadership and are looking for a new challenge, we would love to hear from you.

Zurich Canada is currently looking for a VP, Product and Underwriting, Personal Lines to provide senior leadership across product strategy, underwriting governance, and business unit partnership, ensuring disciplined risk management, regulatory alignment, and customer-focused product innovation.

Reporting to the SVP, Personal Lines, you will partner with the Business Unit leadership team, as a senior subject matter expert demonstrating deep understanding of Personal Insurance, delivering innovation and thought leadership to support achievement of business plans.

This is a unique opportunity to build your knowledge and experience for the future in a supportive environment where your voice matters. This posting is for an existing vacancy. 

Zurich Canada uses artificial intelligence–enabled tools to support certain aspects of the recruitment process, including the initial review and screening of applications. Artificial intelligence is not the sole basis for candidate shortlisting or selection. All hiring decisions are reviewed and made by qualified hiring professionals.

Zurich follows a hybrid work model requiring three days per week of in-person presence, which may include time in the office or market-facing engagements.

What you will do:

•     Serve as primary point of contact for Business Unit leadership on behalf of Product/Underwriting.
•    Represent the Personal Lines Business Unit as part of internal projects relating to industry overview, fraud insights, regulatory change, and reform.
•    Maintain/update underwriting guidelines, work with pricing/portfolio/claims to understand performance, and proactively drive solutions to problems.
•    Drive a customer-centric framework within the business, ensuring a pipeline of product initiatives are managed and prioritized. Develop a product launch strategy for maximum impact.
•    Monitor and maintain awareness of all region Product Underwriting key operational activities and priorities and provide relevant insights to Business Unit
•    Partner with respective Business Unit leadership and executives and optimize communication between Product Underwriting and Business Unit.
•    Engage with the Business Unit and Product Underwriting Leadership and ensure that Product Underwriting has all necessary information related to Business Unit initiatives.
•    Provide support to across Personal Lines to action and address open risk issues and regulatory errors as appropriate.
•    Ensure alignment between Product Underwriting and the Personal Lines Business Unit around prioritization of ongoing initiatives.
•    Assist when appropriate, in governance activities on behalf of the Business Unit with the Technical Underwriting group.
•    Ensure that the appropriate people are involved in discussions to resolve underwriting issues that require collaboration.
•    Lead and drives network meetings between Product Underwriting and the Business Unit, including with external partners and MGA’s
•    Coach and mentor underwriters to ensure consistency, and empower them to make decisions with a degree of autonomy.
•    Contribute to strategy discussion and execution, including facilitation of Product Underwriting and Business Unit strategy sessions, working with a Business Unit designation leadership member.
•    Determine which emerging issues (internal and external) are relevant to the region’s current and future needs and ensure strategies, programs, processes. Ensure successful implementation of key organization-wide initiatives by consulting with executives and other leaders to gain their commitment and improve their business effectiveness.
•     Business Travel, as required
•    Regular Predictable Attendance
•    Visibility in the Office, as required

What you bring to the table:

Required:

Bachelors Degree and 12 or more years of experience in the Property and Casualty Insurance area within Personal Lines.

Preferred:

•    Experience providing strategic underwriting insights and consultation to business leadership
•    Ability to develop and maintain deep, collaborative relationships across the organization, including leadership and executives 
•    Experience handling multiple complex and varied assignments
•    Strong verbal and written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of staff 
•    Strong analytical and problem solving skills

Our Culture

•    At Zurich, we are proud of our culture. We are passionate about Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging (DIEB). We want you to bring your whole self to work, and we want our employees to be reflective of the communities in which we live and work. Our DIEB initiatives are creating an environment where everyone feels welcome. 
 
•    We have a collaborative culture where diversity of thought is valued. We value your input and strive to give our employees the tools they need to make an impact.  
 
•    We care about our employees’ well-being and offer a comprehensive health/benefits plan with varying levels of coverage to suit your specific needs and a competitive total compensation package. 
 
•    We understand how important it is to rest, recharge and do the things you love. At Zurich, all employees receive a minimum of four weeks of vacation per year to do just that. 
 
•    We also understand that employees require time off for personal reasons. Maybe you have an appointment during a workday, a cultural or religious holiday you would like to observe, or you need time off to focus on your mental health. Zurich employees receive four personal days per year to be used at their discretion.  
 
•    We are committed to continuous improvement and offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities.  
 
•    We care about our communities. Our communities are where our customers, people, and shareholders live and work. While we can be proud of the contribution to society Zurich makes through our core business of insurance, we must also give back to our communities through our talent, time and resources. 
 
•    We have won numerous awards for our workplace culture. We are proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers and to have received Insurance Business Canada’s 5-Star Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award.    

 
Make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported. Love what you do. Work for us.

About Us

Zurich Canada is part of the Zurich Insurance Group, a multi-line insurer with approximately 55,000 employees worldwide serving customers in global and local markets. Zurich Canada has been a leading insurance provider serving mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in the Canadian commercial market for 100 years. With over 650 employees in offices across the country, Zurich offers the global strength of a top insurance provider combined with in-depth knowledge of industries and local markets. Zurich Canada aspires to be risk management professionals’ first choice as their premier partner to help meet the risk challenges of today and tomorrow. Read more at www.zurichcanada.com.