DUAL Head of Regional Casualty

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 15,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down disappointed head-hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

About DUAL

Founded in 1998, DUAL has built a reputation as a specialist underwriting group and the market of choice for insurance intermediaries around the world. That’s how we have become one of the world’s largest international underwriting agencies with US$3.5 of GWP.

DUAL is part of Howden Group Holdings, an international insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. The Group was founded in 1994 and now has divisions in broking and underwriting, operates in 55 territories and employs over 18,000 people handling US$38bn of premium on behalf of clients.

People: 1700

Countries: 21 

Role Overview

Reporting into the Chief Underwriting Officer, DUAL UK, as the Head of Regional Casualty your primary responsibility is to lead the underwriting strategy and appetite for the relevant line of business, working in conjunction with CUO (Chief Underwriting Officer), other Line of Business Heads and wider DUAL Exec members to deliver the Regional Commercial business plan.

Your role extends to driving the development and expansion of regional underwriting capabilities. This involves spearheading underwriting strategy, providing guidance on regional case underwriting decisions as needed, and ensuring continuous improvement in underwriting practices.

To establish and maintain underwriting standards and authorities and to demonstrate clear and compelling leadership, championing solution led underwriting approaches.

In collaboration with the CUO, develop lasting, technically led relationships with existing and new capacity providers. These relationships will be critical in supporting our underwriting strategy and achieving our business goals.

Key responsibilities

Set line of business strategy, risk appetite, and pricing requirements.

Provide input into annual Business Planning activities.

Report on portfolio performance against plan and forecast future outcomes.

Monitor portfolio performance and adjust strategy to meet business plans.

Ensure appropriate underwriting governance authority framework is in place and embedded.

Ensure adherence to capacity provider governance framework and meet audit requirements.

Actively support regional underwriters to write business, including involvement in case solutions and broker relationships.

Respond to claims patterns and adjust reserves to maintain optimal portfolio performance.

Stay aware of emerging risks and take necessary action.

Establish appropriate underwriting training and development.

Work with regional underwriting, distribution, and wider portfolio management colleagues to ensure delivery of wider Regional Commercial business plans.

Key skills and attributes

Significant experience in relevant line of business underwriting, including senior authority level roles.

Strong experience of portfolio management (data analytics and performance metrics) and how to enable business growth through technical underwriting and commercial focus.

Strong understanding of the commercial insurance mid-market and the UK Regulatory environment.

Degree desirable (or equivalent qualification) with extensive post-qualification experience.

ACII or FCII qualified (or equivalent).

Strong financial acumen.

Ability to adapt easily to influence across a wide range of stakeholders.

Demonstrate clear and compelling leadership & champion personal development in yourself and others.

High levels of visibility and accountability & excellent communication skills.

To conclude
As the Head of Regional Casualty at DUAL, you'll work closely with our executive team to set strategic direction and drive growth. With a global presence spanning 17+ countries, our local expertise ensures tailored solutions for our clients. Your role involves shaping underwriting strategy, fostering regional development, and building strong relationships with capacity providers.

Who we’re looking for

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality type’. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define.

Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges.

And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden, we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.

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