Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO)
Full Time (100%) / London
Overview
The Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) will lead and oversee underwriting (UW) operations, supporting the establishment and growth of a profitable portfolio across our Investment Vehicles. As a member of the Executive Management team, the CUO will provide strategic leadership and bring extensive expertise in underwriting and risk management. Reporting to the CEO, the CUO will lead the UW strategy, ensure profitability, manage the UW portfolio, and build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
You Are
A strategic and commercially minded leader with sound judgement and a disciplined underwriting mindset. You combine technical excellence with entrepreneurial thinking and are confident making decisions in a dynamic environment. You build trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels, lead by example, and inspire high-performing teams through collaboration, integrity, and accountability. Pragmatic, resilient, and driven by results, you are motivated to shape and grow an innovative underwriting platform in the evolving parametric insurance market.
Your Responsibilities
- Leadership:
- Define, implement, lead and oversee the UW strategy.
- Set the vision with the executive team and implement it for the growth and sustainable performance of UW department while ensuring alignment with the company’s overall framework.
- Establish and maintain a high level of UW discipline, ensuring all activities comply with regulations, internal policies, and market practices.
- Underwriting Strategy and Development:
- Develop and execute a robust UW strategy that aligns with the risk appetite, market conditions, and capital requirements of our partners
- Contribute to the development and quality of the portfolio in accordance with the underwriting guidelines
- Work closely with the leadership team to structure and refine the product offerings, ensuring they are competitive and meet market needs.
- Risk Management:
- Oversee risk identification, assessment, and mitigation for the portfolio, ensuring robust risk management processes are built, if necessary redefined and maintained in place.
- Underwrite, build and maintain a profitable portfolio in accordance with the Group underwriting guidelines, Roadmaps and more specific ad 'hoc guidance.
- Underwrite in a technical manner to assess risks in order to determine their insurability and apply appropriate terms and conditions, with support of the R&D team science inputs and tools
- Monitor UW results and provide guidance to mitigate adverse developments in the portfolio.
- Responsibly manage data recorded in our information systems to give an accurate representation of the risks subscribed and to allow portfolio analysis.
- Ensure that UW decisions are supported by accurate data and analysis, incorporating insights into strategic decision-making.
- Financial Performance and Profitability:
- Collaborate with the finance team to develop and monitor the UW budget, ensuring adherence to profitability targets.
- Correctly service the In-force portfolio paying particular attention to profitability.
- Lead pricing and UW performance analysis, with a focus on driving profitable growth and minimizing losses.
- Review and approve significant UW decisions, ensuring they align with the syndicate’s risk appetite and financial goals.
- Compliance and Regulatory Affairs:
- Ensure the Group operates in full compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, including of Lloyd’s requirements.
- Act as the primary liaison with Lloyd’s on all UW matters, including regulatory issues and audits.
- Stay up to date with changes in the regulatory environment and industry best practices to ensure compliance and strategic alignment.
- Team Leadership and Development:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing UW team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and excellence.
- Build a strong team-oriented culture within the syndicate, ensuring a positive working environment and high employee engagement.
- Provide leadership and guidance on career development and succession planning for UW talent.
- Stakeholder Management:
- Build and maintain relationships with brokers, underwriters, and key market stakeholders to support the strategic goals.
- Represent the CelsiusPro in external industry forums, conferences, and events, enhancing the brand presence and visibility.
- Communicate effectively with Head of R&D, senior leadership, board members, and other stakeholders on UW performance, strategy, and key developments.
You Have
- Work Permit / Languages
- UK work permit
- Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage
- Experience:
- Extensive experience (7+ years) in underwriting reinsurance UW, ideally also in the Lloyd’s / London market.
- In-depth understanding of market practices, regulations, and operations.
- Experience in leadership and team management.
- A wide and well-established network of brokers.
- Strong strategic and financial acumen.
- Excellent decision-making, negotiation, and communication skills.
- Proven ability to drive business growth while maintaining UW discipline and compliance.
- Education:
- Risk management and actuarial degrees
- Risk management and actuarial degrees
We Offer
- Bonus potential + ESOP potential
- Privat healthcare & pension scheme
- Hybrid working model considered
- 25 days annual leave, plus official bank holidays
- Career development and training budget
- An exciting leadership position with significant influence over the future success and growth.
The Underwriting Team
The Underwriting team is responsible for the assessment, structuring, pricing and portfolio management of parametric climate and natural catastrophe risks globally through our different investment vehicles (Natural Disaster Fund, Corporate MGAs) and their varied mandates and risk appetite. Working closely with the Business Development and R&D teams, the Underwriting function ensures innovative risk transfer solutions are commercially attractive, technically robust and aligned with portfolio objectives of our partners.
The position is based in London (Lloyds Building), with international travel for business development, client management, partner meetings, and conferences.
About Celsius Pro Group
We are the Celsius Pro Group, dedicated to helping both private and public organisations to understand and mitigate the financial impact of climate and NatCat risks. As the challenges posed by climate change intensify, our mission is to bring parametric insurance from the fringes to centre stage.
With Global Parametrics, we expand our disaster risk management response capabilities by incorporating the risk capacity of the Natural Disaster Fund (NDF), a public-private partnership with capital committed by UK and German government agencies and backed by Hannover Re.
Through CelsiusPro, an award-winning Insurtech, we develop cutting-edge technology for managing parametric insurance. We collaborate with public and private sector clients in designing and structuring tailored parametric solutions combining risk management, data science, and risk modelling.
Our corporate culture thrives on core values of simplicity, sincerity, courage, and tenacity. We invite you to join us on this journey.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We offer a dynamic and international working environment linking climate change risks, index insurance, and reinsurance. CelsiusPro consists of a data-driven, pragmatic, motivated, and talented team.
