Chief Underwriting Officer

Description:

Chief Underwriting Officer 

London / Hybrid

We are partnering with a high-growth marine insurance brokerage who are in the process of setting up a stand-alone MGA to run alongside their brokerage and are looking to appoint a Chief Underwriting Officer.

This is a rare opportunity to help build an underwriting platform from the ground up, backed by an established flow of business, strong data capability, and significant financial and strategic support.

The Opportunity

This is a true build-and-lead role, offering the chance to shape the underwriting strategy, secure capacity, and play a central role in creating a best-in-class marine MGA.

Working closely with the broking leadership team, you will be instrumental in converting existing client flow into a scalable underwriting proposition, leveraging data, analytics, and market relationships to drive performance.

You will be a key figure in the business, with meaningful equity participation and genuine influence over its long-term direction and success.

Key Responsibilities

• Be instrumental in the set-up and launch of the Marine MGA, including underwriting framework, governance, and strategy
• Secure and structure capacity agreements with insurers and capital providers
• Develop underwriting appetite, guidelines, and pricing strategy across marine classes
• Build and lead a high-performing underwriting team
• Work closely with broking leadership to align underwriting strategy with client demand
• Implement robust underwriting controls, reporting, and performance management
• Act as a key market-facing figure, strengthening relationships across insurers, reinsurers, and stakeholders
• Drive profitability, portfolio performance, and long-term scalability

Core Focus Areas

The MGA will look to underwrite across a range of marine classes, including:

• Cargo
• War Risks
• Protection & Indemnity (P&I)
• Hull & Machinery
• Complex / specialty marine risks

About You

• Proven experience in a senior underwriting leadership role within the MGA market
• Strong track record of running, setting up or scaling MGAs, including securing capacity
• Deep relationships with insurers, reinsurers, and capacity providers
• Strong technical expertise across marine insurance classes
• Commercially driven, with a clear understanding of portfolio performance and profitability
• Entrepreneurial mindset, comfortable operating in a start-up / scale-up environment
• Experience working closely with broking teams or within integrated models is advantageous
• Ability to build, lead and manage a team

What’s on Offer

• Executive-level compensation package
• Equity participation with long-term value creation
• Opportunity to build and lead a marine MGA from inception
• Strong backing from an established, revenue-generating broking platform with strong financial funding behind it
• A genuinely entrepreneurial environment with autonomy and influence