Cyber Underwriting Director in London

Founding Head of Cyber / Cyber Underwriting Director

London | Full-time | Specialty Insurance / MGA

Indicative base salary: £180,000–£250,000, depending on experience, with the wider package subject to discussion

The opportunity

Sanderson King is conducting a confidential search for an entrepreneurial Cyber underwriting leader interested in establishing, developing and scaling a specialist underwriting business within an established, well-backed MGA platform.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Head of Cyber, Underwriting Director or senior portfolio leader who has the ambition to build something of their own, while benefiting from the infrastructure, market relationships and resources of a larger specialty insurance organisation.

Our client is interested in supporting talented underwriting professionals with compelling ideas for developing new specialty propositions. The ambition is to bring together technical underwriting expertise, commercial relationships and strong leadership to create sustainable, profitable underwriting businesses.

Rather than stepping into a conventional senior underwriting position, the successful individual would have the opportunity to help shape the direction, proposition and longer-term development of a dedicated Cyber operation.

The platform

The opportunity sits within an established specialty MGA business with existing underwriting operations, Lloyd's market relationships, coverholder capabilities and wider distribution infrastructure.

The organisation is actively exploring opportunities to expand into additional specialty classes by partnering with experienced underwriting leaders who can bring the expertise, relationships and commercial vision to develop new businesses.

For the right individual, this offers the potential to combine the entrepreneurial appeal of building a new underwriting proposition with the support of an established platform.

The remit

Build and develop the Cyber proposition

• Shape the underwriting strategy, target market, product offering and commercial positioning of a dedicated Cyber business.
• Identify attractive market opportunities and establish a clear, commercially viable growth plan.
• Develop an underwriting appetite and approach aligned with available capacity, risk selection and long-term profitability.
• Help establish the operational, reporting and governance requirements needed to support a growing portfolio.
• Work with senior stakeholders to evaluate the investment, resources and infrastructure required to develop the business.

Lead underwriting and portfolio performance

• Take responsibility for the technical underwriting direction and commercial performance of the Cyber portfolio.
• Develop appropriate pricing, coverage, risk selection and portfolio management disciplines.
• Maintain a clear understanding of emerging Cyber exposures, market conditions and changing client requirements.
• Establish consistent underwriting standards and a disciplined approach to profitable growth.
• Use portfolio performance and market intelligence to inform strategic decisions.

Develop broker, capacity and market relationships

• Leverage existing relationships while developing new distribution opportunities across the London and wider insurance markets.
• Establish a compelling proposition for brokers, clients and relevant capacity providers.
• Build trusted relationships through technical credibility, responsiveness and commercial judgement.
• Work collaboratively with the wider business to explore distribution opportunities and complementary specialty capabilities.
• Represent the Cyber business externally and contribute to its market profile.

Build and lead the team

• Help determine the structure and capabilities required as the business develops.
• Recruit, lead and mentor underwriting professionals as the portfolio grows.
• Create a commercially focused culture combining technical discipline with entrepreneurial thinking.
• Establish clear responsibilities, underwriting authorities and performance expectations.
• Develop the leadership capability needed to support the business over the longer term.

Your background

We are interested in speaking with established Cyber underwriting professionals who can demonstrate a combination of technical credibility, commercial judgement and leadership capability.

You are likely to bring:

• Significant Cyber underwriting experience within the London Market, specialty insurance or MGA environment.
• Responsibility for an established portfolio, underwriting team, product line or business unit.
• A strong understanding of Cyber pricing, coverage, risk selection, portfolio performance and underwriting profitability.
• Established broker and market relationships, with the ability to develop new business opportunities.
• Experience leading and developing underwriters, or a credible plan to establish a high-performing team.
• The commercial confidence to articulate a compelling underwriting strategy and growth proposition.
• An entrepreneurial outlook and a genuine desire to take greater ownership of a business.

You may currently be a Head of Cyber, Cyber Underwriting Director, Portfolio Director, Active Underwriter or senior underwriting leader seeking a more entrepreneurial opportunity.

We are particularly interested in individuals who have successfully developed portfolios, launched new products, expanded underwriting capabilities or demonstrated the potential to build a specialist business.

Your achievements, market relationships and ambitions will matter more than your current title.

Founding teams and entrepreneurial underwriting leaders

We would also welcome confidential approaches from established underwriting leaders who may be interested in developing a proposition alongside trusted colleagues or an existing team.

The organisation is open to exploring credible team-building opportunities where there is a clear underwriting proposition, complementary expertise and a compelling commercial rationale.

Any such discussions would be exploratory and subject to appropriate contractual and regulatory considerations.

Why explore this opportunity?

• Entrepreneurial ownership: The opportunity to help establish and shape a specialist Cyber underwriting business.
• Established infrastructure: Access to an existing specialty MGA platform rather than having to build every operational capability independently.
• Commercial influence: A meaningful role in determining underwriting strategy, market positioning and growth priorities.
• Team development: The opportunity to build and lead a specialist underwriting team over time.
• Long-term potential: Scope to develop a substantial, profitable Cyber operation within a wider organisation pursuing specialty underwriting expansion.

The conversation

This is an exploratory leadership opportunity, and the precise structure, title, responsibilities and remuneration will be shaped through discussions with suitably experienced individuals.

Initial conversations will focus on your underwriting background, market relationships, commercial ambitions and what you would need from an established platform to build a successful Cyber proposition.

All approaches will be treated in the strictest confidence.