Chief Underwriting Officer

Lead Specialty’s technical underwriting function, establishing practical underwriting standards, controls and capabilities that support sustainable risk-adjusted returns. Provide objective technical challenge to business-line leaders without displacing their accountability for commercial execution and results.

Underwriting strategy, policies and mandates

Develop and maintain the Specialty underwriting philosophy, policies, class guidelines, delegated authorities and underwriting referral framework within Group standards.

Review and authorise technical guidelines, underwriting mandates, rating tools and material product underwriting terms in line with agreed delegations.

Translate business appetite into commercially usable risk parameters, minimum underwriting hurdles and disciplined exceptions processes.

Pricing adequacy and portfolio performance

Oversee technical pricing methodologies, portfolio profitability reviews, rate adequacy and risk-selection quality in collaboration with actuarial and business-line teams.

Track changes in loss cost, rate achievement, attritional and large-loss performance, concentrations and emerging exposures; propose timely technical interventions.

Lead technical portfolio reviews, quality assurance and peer challenge while requiring business-line remediation where agreed hurdles are not met.

Technical governance and regulatory compliance

Maintain underwriting quality controls, documented decision-making, technical audit programmes and appropriate oversight of underwriting delegations.

Provide technical assurance and challenge on binderholders, UMAs and other delegated underwriting arrangements, working with business-line owners and risk functions.

Ensure underwriting practices comply with applicable insurance licences, regulatory requirements, approved policies and delegated authority limits.

Specialist reinsurance and capacity interface

Represent Specialty underwriting requirements in Group reinsurance design, renewal discussions, facultative referrals and exposure management.

Contribute credible underwriting, risk engineering and accumulation information needed to assess retained risk and programme effectiveness.

Work with the Group CUO and Reinsurance Officer, who retains ownership of Group reinsurance strategy, placement and programme decisions.

Automation, data and innovation

Set technical requirements for underwriting tools, product rules, data quality and automation; sponsor use cases that improve consistency and decision quality.

Use data, exposure analytics, predictive insights and responsible AI to augment specialist underwriting judgement and strengthen monitoring.

Support technical evaluation of new insurance products, markets and partnerships before they enter the portfolio.

Leadership, performance and resource stewardship

Build specialist underwriting talent, technical succession, communities of practice, coaching and professional development.

Set objectives, report underwriting-quality performance, manage technical resources and deliver the function’s approved operating budget.

Prepare clear technical recommendations and reporting for Specialty leadership, risk committees and relevant Group forums.

Authority and key interfaces

May refer, decline or stop underwriting outside approved technical limits; material disputes escalate through the Specialty CE and Group CUO.

Group CUO & Reinsurance Officer owns Group treaty and facultative reinsurance programme decisions.

The Specialty CE retains overall business performance, leadership and capital allocation accountability.

The role operates within approved OMI Group policies, risk appetite, delegations and control frameworks.

Cross-functional priorities are resolved through agreed governance and escalation to the Specialty CE.

Required experience

Extensive non-life underwriting experience, 12+ years, including substantial experience in commercial or specialist risks and at least 5 years leading technical teams.

Demonstrable authority in technical risk selection, underwriting governance, delegated authorities, pricing adequacy and complex portfolio analysis.

Strong understanding of reinsurance economics, exposure management, claims drivers and the practical application of South African insurance regulation.

Qualifications and leadership capabilities

Relevant degree in insurance, actuarial science, finance, engineering, risk or a related discipline; advanced insurance designations or professional accreditation advantageous.

Able to challenge senior commercial stakeholders constructively; sound judgement, financial literacy, integrity and effective communication.

Success measures

Underwriting quality, technical pricing and risk-selection adequacy.

Effective delegated-authority governance, portfolio reviews and timely remediation.

Technical capability development and data-supported underwriting decisions.

Specific objectives, grading, delegations and reporting arrangements are subject to the approved OMI governance and organisational processes.

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NQF Level 9 – Masters

Accounting, Budget Management, Change Management, Data Compilation, Executing Plans, Financial Acumen, Legal Practices, Management Reporting, Numerical Aptitude, Policies & Procedures, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Risk Management, Servant Leadership, Underwriting Management