Head of Binding Authority - Surplus & Specialty Lines

Crum & Forster Company Overview

Crum & Forster (C&F) provides market leading property & casualty, accident & health, specialty and standard commercial lines insurance solutions. A true underwriting company, we have a 200-year history of helping our customers manage risk with laser-focused expertise, integrity and discipline. Our people are empowered to make decisions and   problem-solve with you smartly and swiftly. Our annual gross written premium is 6.2 billion. C&F enjoys a financial strength rating of "A+" (Superior) by AM Best.

Our most valuable asset is our people. We have 3000 employees, and locations throughout the United States and India. With our employee-first focus, the Company is consistently recognized as a great place to work, earning multiple workplace and wellness awards, including the Great Place to Work® Award, Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune Best Workplaces for Parents, Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials, and many others.

C&F is part of Fairfax Financial Holdings. For more information about C&F, please visit our website: www.cfins.com

Job Description

Our Surplus & Specialty Lines (S&S) Division develops customized coverage solutions for complex exposures, difficult-to-insure risks and niche segments of the market. S&S has over 850 employees (including more than 250 based in India), 10+ locations in the United States and 2 locations in India. Our product reach includes Sharing Economy, Environmental, Energy, Transportation, Construction, Excess & Umbrella, Primary Special Risk, Security, and other industry segments. S&S is the second largest division within C&F at over $1.5 billion in annual gross written premium.

Position Summary

The Head of Binding Authority is the executive leader accountable for the strategic direction, growth, profitability, and overall performance of the Binding Authority business. Reporting to the Head of Small Commercial Lines, this role owns the segment’s P&L and leads enterprise-level business strategy, underwriting results, distribution, operations, talent, and execution. The Head of Binding Authority establishes a long-term vision and translates it into measurable business plans, ensuring disciplined profitable growth, strong portfolio performance, and effective delegated underwriting governance. The role represents Binding Authority in senior leadership forums and partners across C&F to advance business priorities within enterprise risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and underwriting authority.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic and Financial Leadership

• Own full P&L accountability for the Binding Authority business, including premium, revenue, expense, and underwriting profit results; lead annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management, and communicate results, risks, and corrective actions to senior leadership.
• Set the segment’s multi-year strategy and annual business plan, aligning growth, profitability, portfolio mix, distribution, and operational capabilities with enterprise objectives.
• Establish and cascade strategic priorities, financial targets, key performance indicators, and accountability frameworks across the business.
• Assess market conditions, business performance, and emerging risks; make timely strategic and operational decisions and implement corrective actions to sustain performance.

Production and Growth Leadership

• Set and lead the premium production and distribution strategy, including market positioning, growth objectives, producer and delegated partner strategies, and execution priorities.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue market opportunities, product and appetite expansion, and strategic partnerships that advance profitable growth and competitive positioning.
• Balance production ambitions with underwriting discipline, portfolio quality, risk-adjusted returns, and long-term franchise value.

Underwriting Leadership

• Define and lead underwriting strategy, portfolio direction, and underwriting profit delivery across the Binding Authority platform.
• Establish and maintain underwriting guidelines, delegated authority structures, pricing discipline, risk selection standards, and portfolio management practices consistent with enterprise risk appetite.
• Oversee portfolio performance, accumulation and concentration exposure, business mix, and remediation strategies; ensure effective monitoring and escalation of emerging risks.
• Partner with Actuarial, Risk, and Analytics to evaluate pricing adequacy, profitability, performance trends, and strategic portfolio actions.

Delegated Underwriter / Distribution Network Management

• Provide executive oversight of a network of 150+ appointed distribution partners. Set partner strategy and cultivate senior-level relationships to align distribution capacity, business mix, and growth with segment objectives.
• Oversee delegated partner performance, contractual obligations, underwriting results, and profit-sharing arrangements; ensure partners operate within approved authority and applicable governance requirements.
• Establish partner selection criteria, performance expectations, scorecards, and accountability standards.
• Lead strategic business reviews and direct remediation, restructuring, or termination of relationships when warranted by performance or risk.
• Ensure delegated authority relationships meet C&F underwriting, compliance, operational, and financial standards; strengthen governance and control frameworks as the platform scales.

Operational Leadership

• Provide executive leadership for the end-to-end operating model, including service delivery, workflow, controls, governance, reporting, and technology enablement.
• Sponsor cross-functional transformation initiatives with Digital/IT and Operations to modernize capabilities, improve customer and partner experience, and drive scalability, productivity, and efficiency.
• Set operational strategy and oversee implementation of process, data, and technology enhancements that support sustainable growth and effective controls.

People Leadership

• Shape the organization and talent strategy to support the business’s long-term ambitions, including leadership capability, organizational design, and succession planning.
• Build a high-performing leadership team and culture grounded in accountability, sound judgment, collaboration, inclusion, and results.
• Attract, develop, and retain senior talent; coach leaders and establish clear expectations for performance and leadership effectiveness.
• Set objectives and performance standards, develop succession pipelines, and foster continuous development across the organization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate closely with other C&F departments, especially:
  • Actuarial
  • Digital/IT
  • Operations
  • Data Science
• Lead cross-functional alignment on pricing, reporting, technology, operational excellence, data-driven decision-making, and strategic initiatives; resolve competing priorities at the appropriate executive level.
• Represent the Binding Authority business as its senior executive, influencing enterprise strategy and communicating business performance, opportunities, and risks to senior leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in Property & Casualty insurance, including substantial leadership experience in underwriting, business management, or specialty insurance.
• Extensive, demonstrable experience in binding authority and delegated underwriting, including leading MGA/MGU or similar delegated distribution relationships and managing underwriting portfolios and partner performance.
• Track record of executive-level accountability for P&L results, profitable growth, underwriting performance, and business strategy within a P&C insurance organization.
• Deep expertise in underwriting, portfolio management, pricing, risk selection, delegated authority governance, and profit delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to set strategy, lead complex business initiatives, make high-impact decisions, and deliver results across a multi-functional organization.
• Strong executive influence and collaboration skills across underwriting, actuarial, operations, technology, analytics, risk, and compliance.

Experience leading a sizable business unit or complex insurance portfolio, with responsibility for strategic planning, organizational leadership, and executive stakeholder management.

• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills, including the ability to engage with senior executives and external distribution partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a delegated authority or specialty insurance business.
• Strong understanding of operational design, systems, and process improvement within insurance environments.
• Experience managing partner contracts, performance structures, and profit-sharing arrangements.
• Familiarity with data and analytics-driven underwriting and portfolio management approaches.

Core Competencies

• Business leadership
• Financial accountability
• Underwriting expertise
• Strategic execution
• Distribution management
• Operational excellence
• Talent leadership
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Analytical decision-making
• Change leadership

What C&F will bring to you

At C&F you will BELONG

We value inclusivity and diversity. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you require special accommodation, please let us know.

For California Residents Only:  Information collected and processed as part of your career profile and any job applications you choose to submit are subject to our privacy notices and policies, visit https://www.cfins.com/onlineprivacypolicy/ca/noticeatcollection/ for more information.

Crum & Forster is committed to ensuring a workplace free from discriminatory pay disparities and complying with applicable pay equity laws.  Salary ranges are available for all positions at this location, taking into account roles with a comparable level of responsibility and impact in the relevant labor market and these salary ranges are regularly reviewed and adjusted in accordance with prevailing market conditions. The annualized base pay for the advertised position, located in the specified area, ranges from a minimum of $160,700 to a maximum of $302,300. The actual compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to the market pay for the jobs at each level, the responsibilities and skills required for each job, and the employee’s contribution (performance) in that role. To be considered within market range, a salary is at or above the minimum of the range. You may also have the opportunity to participate in discretionary equity (stock) based compensation and/or performance-based variable pay programs.

• Flexible work arrangements.
• Competitive compensation package. 
• Generous 401K employer match.
• Employee Stock Purchase plan with employer matching.
• Generous Paid Time Off.
• Excellent benefits that go beyond health, dental & vision. Our Wellness programs focus on your family’s complete wellness, including your physical and mental wellbeing
• A core C&F principle is that you manage your career. To support your development, we have a wealth of ways for you to keep learning, including tuition reimbursement, industry related certifications and professional training available to you.
• A dynamic, ambitious, fun and exciting work environment.
• A spirit of social responsibility, matching donation program, volunteer opportunities, and an employee driven corporate giving.

#LI-JA1

#LI-Remote