The Underwriter Of the Future

As insurers look at large-scale and transformative investments in their front office capabilities, many are turning their attention to underwriting. There is widespread consensus that the role of this central function can -- and must -- change significantly if insurers are to modernize their operations and infrastructure to meet rising agent, business owner and consumer expectations. Further, underwriting leaders can reposition themselves as higher profile, strategic influencers and decision-makers -- roles they have played traditionally, but in which they have lost ground in recent decades. This article presents a vision for the future of underwriting. It describes the role that underwriters will play in coming years, while providing a historical context for the evolution of underwriting, and outlines new ways that underwriters will interact with both internal and external constituencies and stakeholders.