Vice President – Specialty & Programs
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's
Toronto, ON, Canada
In Person
InsuranceUnderwriting
About the job
Requirements
- Extensive knowledge of specialty insurance products, underwriting disciplines, portfolio management, and risk selection practices, including Management Liability, Financial Lines, Cyber & Professional Lines, Healthcare, and Programs/Affinity business.
- Proven ability to develop and execute business strategies that drive profitable growth, portfolio performance, market expansion, and operational excellence.
- Strong understanding of underwriting governance, delegated authority frameworks, regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and enterprise risk management principles.
- Ability to evaluate financial, operational, and market performance, identify emerging opportunities, and translate insights into strategic actions and business results.
- Advanced leadership capabilities, including talent development, succession planning, coaching, and building high-performing teams while fostering technical expertise and organizational capability.
- Ability to build credibility and drive alignment across senior leadership teams, global business partners, brokers, customers, and other key stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to lead change, innovation, and digital transformation initiatives, including adoption of artificial intelligence and data-driven capabilities to enhance underwriting effectiveness, decision-making, customer experience, and business performance.
- A bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, Insurance, or a related discipline is required.
- At least 15 years of progressive insurance and underwriting leadership experience, including accountability for business performance, portfolio strategy, and profitable growth.
- Demonstrated success leading specialty insurance businesses, multiple product lines, or complex portfolios with national scope and significant financial responsibility.
- A proven track record of developing and executing growth strategies, building strong broker and customer relationships, and delivering sustainable business results.
- Experience leading high-performing teams and leaders within a matrixed, global, or multinational environment, with a focus on talent development, organizational capability, and succession planning.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute the strategic vision, business plan, and growth agenda for CNA Canada's Specialty and Programs business, aligned with corporate objectives and specialty strategies.
- Provide executive leadership for Specialty product lines, including Management Liability, Financial Lines, Cyber & Professional Lines, Healthcare, and Programs/Affinity, driving profitable growth, market expansion, and long-term business performance.
- Be accountable for overall financial performance of the Specialty and Programs portfolio, including premium growth, profitability, retention, rate adequacy, expense management, and portfolio optimization.
- Establish underwriting strategies, risk appetite, and portfolio management frameworks that support growth objectives while maintaining underwriting discipline and governance standards.
- Identify emerging market opportunities, industry trends, and customer needs to drive innovation, product development, underwriting capabilities, and competitive differentiation.
- Lead the development and execution of distribution strategies to strengthen relationships with brokers, program administrators, affinity partners, and key customers while expanding CNA's market presence and relevance.
- Collaborate with Global Specialty leaders to align business strategies, leverage international expertise, share market intelligence, and advance specialty capabilities within the Canadian market.
- Provide executive oversight for Programs and Affinity business, including delegated underwriting authority arrangements, program governance, operational performance, audit requirements, compliance standards, and strategic partner relationships.
- Drive adherence to underwriting authority, governance standards, audit criteria, regulatory requirements, and enterprise risk management practices across Specialty and Programs operations.
- Partner with Actuarial, Claims, Risk Control, Operations, Compliance, Legal, Finance, Human Resources, and Technology leaders to develop integrated business strategies and deliver sustainable business results.
- Monitor portfolio performance through analysis of financial, operational, and underwriting results, and implement corrective actions and strategic initiatives as needed to achieve business objectives.
- Represent CNA in the marketplace through executive engagement with brokers, customers, industry associations, and other external stakeholders to strengthen brand awareness and market credibility.
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing national underwriting organization, fostering accountability, collaboration, innovation, technical excellence, and continuous learning.
- Provide leadership in talent acquisition, workforce planning, succession management, and leadership development to ensure long-term organizational capability and bench strength.
- Champion change management initiatives, operational improvements, and digital capabilities that enhance customer experience, underwriting effectiveness, and business performance.
- Serve as a key contributor to the Canadian Leadership Team and participate in developing enterprise-wide strategic priorities and initiatives.
Desired Qualifications
- A master's degree and/or CFA, CIP, FCIP, CRM, or an equivalent industry designation.
About the company
CNA delivers commercial property and casualty insurance for businesses and professionals in the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering a broad range of standard and specialized products and services. Its products work by risk assessment and underwriting to issue policies that cover property damage, liability, and other risks, with a claims process to compensate losses when incidents occur. Compared with competitors, CNA stands out through its long history of experience, broad product lineup, and international reach, including services tailored for professionals. Its goal is to help businesses manage risk reliably by providing effective coverage and responsive claims support across its covered regions.
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Founded
1897
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Q2 2026 net income rose to $321 million, aided by investment income.
- Renewal premiums rose 2% in Q2 2026, showing pricing power remains intact.
- CNA kept its quarterly dividend at $0.48, signaling steady cash generation.
What critics are saying
- Q1 2026 underwriting reserve actions hit excess casualty and professional E&O lines.
- September 2026 PFAS and coverage lawsuits keep CNA exposed to defense-cost volatility.
- Adverse reserve development and chained toxic-tort verdicts could erase capital and trigger rating pressure.
What makes CNA Insurance unique
- 125-year-old CNA sells specialized commercial P&C across U.S., Canada, and Europe.
- Claire Louko’s August 2026 promotion strengthens North American reinsurance and claims control.
- CNA’s disciplined renewal pricing and reserve prudence support underwriting across long-tail specialty lines.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Flexible Work Hours
- Remote Work Options
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays