Chief Underwriting Officer, APAC

Job Title: Chief Underwriting Officer, APAC

Location: Singapore

The Opportunity:

The Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) for the Asia Pacific region is responsible for leading the underwriting function and development of Underwriting Strategies across Retail and Commercial segments to ensure profitable growth and Insurance Risk management across all lines of business across the region. This role is responsible for developing and implementing underwriting policies, guidelines, and standards while ensuring alignment with the company's overall strategic objectives. The APAC CUO works closely with and must effectively influence country, regional and global leadership teams to drive innovation, enhance underwriting capabilities, and maintain a robust Insurance Risk management framework.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership:
  Develop and execute the underwriting strategy for the Asia Pacific region, aligned with global objectives in conjunction with local Business Units.
  Provide thought leadership on market trends, competitive landscape, and emerging risks.
  Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the Regional and Business Unit underwriting teams.
  Effectively influence all stakeholders and lead the Underwriting function across the region.
• Underwriting Performance:
  Oversee regional portfolio performance, trends and emerging Insurance Risks.
  Work with countries to develop leading Pricing and Underwriting practices including best practice capabilities from across the Region and Group, ensuring clear articulation of pricing guidelines, including ensuring that tools are fit for purpose, used appropriately and pricing is monitored effectively with insights derived and actions taken.
  Oversee design & implementation of rating tools & methodologies.
  Monitor financial performance and adjust strategies to ensure profitability.
  Manage the region’s underwriting portfolio steering to achieve balanced and profitable growth.
  Provide regular reports and updates to senior management on underwriting performance and market conditions including Underwriting and Pricing view of performance, difference to financial (reserving view) and assessment of actions in place to address gaps to plan.
• Underwriting Governance:
  Oversee the development and implementation of underwriting policies, guidelines, and standards. Set framework for underwriting decisions in the region including authority grants, referrals, technical reviews and oversees technical infrastructure in APAC working closely with countries.
  Establish event identification, risk assessment, risk response, control activities & monitoring of the business operations for which position is accountable.
  Oversee the adherence to the Underwriting governance and control framework.
• Operational Excellence:
  Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing underwriting teams.
  Work with the country CUOs to create a regional underwriting community, building capability and driving an underwriting culture within APAC.
  Work with Business Unit leadership to ensure investment and support of strong technical capabilities relative to the scale and complexity of country portfolios.
  Implement best practices and underwriting tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
  Drive the use of data analytics and technology to support underwriting decisions and strategies.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Collaborate with country, regional and global leadership teams to align underwriting practices with overall business objectives.
  Build and maintain strong relationships with brokers, clients, and other key stakeholders.
  Represent the company at industry events and forums to enhance brand reputation and market presence.
  Align Zurich’s propositions with those of strategic partners.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Insurance, or a related field; MBA or professional insurance designation (e.g., ACII, FCII) preferred.
• 20+ years of underwriting experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Depth of experience across commercial and retail businesses and in emerging markets (Asia preferred).
• Strong track record in portfolio management including experience with turnaround portfolios as well as capturing growth opportunities.
• Globally minded, strategic leader with demonstrated agility to set underwriting direction to meet short-term needs while aligning with long-term objectives.
• Strong understanding of laws, trends, and regulatory requirements and the implications they have on our insurance offerings.
• Robust understanding of reinsurance structures and actuarial concepts.
• Ability to manage complex strategic challenges whilst quickly dropping into execution to facilitate emerging market BU development.
• High level influencer with a strong externally oriented perspective.
• Strong communicator and people leader with ability to build and lead high performing teams across diverse environments.
• Proficiency in underwriting software and data analytics tools.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Fluency in English.