Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) - Insurance

Placements24; Sandton; Hybrid; ZAR 4,990,000 - 9,980,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive bonus opportunities

Comprehensive executive health and 401

Job summary

Placements24 is assisting a leading global insurance group in identifying a Chief Underwriting Officer for a fully remote executive role. The CUO will set the underwriting vision and framework across products and geographies, ensuring risk appetite alignment, profitability and regulatory adherence.

You will guide teams and drive innovation in underwriting practices world-wide. The role demands extensive leadership, strategic thinking and a track record of shaping profitable underwriting programs

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent advanced qualification in a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive underwriting leadership, including senior executive roles.
• Proven track record implementing profitable underwriting strategies.
• Deep knowledge of global insurance markets and risk management.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the overall underwriting strategy and philosophy.
• Oversee underwriting operations ensuring alignment with risk appetite and profitability.
• Establish and maintain underwriting policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Lead development and implementation of innovative underwriting approaches and tools.
• Manage portfolio performance including risk selection and pricing.
• Mentor a high-caliber underwriting team across regions.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements globally.
• Collaborate with executive leadership, actuarial, claims and finance on strategic initiatives.
• Monitor market trends and emerging risks to inform strategy.
• Represent underwriting expertise in industry forums and external engagements.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Remote leadership

Education

Master's degree in Insurance/Finance/Business

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a highly reputable and growing insurance group, is seeking a distinguished and strategic Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) to lead its global underwriting operations. This is a premier, fully remote executive position, responsible for setting the underwriting vision, strategy, and framework across all product lines and geographies. The CUO will ensure that underwriting practices are aligned with the company's risk appetite, profitability goals, and regulatory obligations, while fostering a culture of disciplined underwriting excellence. The ideal candidate is a recognized leader in the insurance industry with extensive experience in underwriting strategy, risk management, portfolio management, and talent development. This role offers the unique opportunity to drive underwriting innovation and performance from a remote location, influencing the company's strategic direction and market position, while supporting critical functions that impact operations globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the overall underwriting strategy and philosophy for the organization.
• Oversee and guide all underwriting operations, ensuring adherence to risk appetite and profitability targets.
• Establish and maintain robust underwriting policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Lead the development and implementation of innovative underwriting approaches and tools.
• Manage the insurance portfolio performance, including risk selection, pricing, and capacity deployment.
• Develop and mentor a high-caliber team of underwriting professionals across different regions.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and legal standards globally.
• Collaborate closely with executive leadership, actuarial, claims, and finance departments on strategic initiatives.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and emerging risks to inform underwriting strategy.
• Represent the company's underwriting expertise in industry forums and to external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent advanced qualification in Insurance, Finance, Business, or a related quantitative field.
• A minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in underwriting, with a significant portion in senior executive roles (e.g., CUO, Head of Underwriting).
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful underwriting strategies that drive profitable growth.
• Deep understanding of global insurance markets, diverse product lines, and complex risk management.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, analytical, and decision-making capabilities.
• Outstanding leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and influence at all levels.
• Experience in managing large, geographically dispersed teams and driving organizational change.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory environments and compliance best practices in major insurance markets.
• Demonstrated ability to foster innovation and embrace new technologies in underwriting.
• Ability to operate effectively and lead autonomously in a fully remote executive capacity.

Benefits

This is a C-suite position offering a highly competitive executive compensation package, including substantial bonus opportunities, long-term incentives, and comprehensive executive benefits such as premier health coverage, retirement planning, and relocation assistance if needed for initial onboarding meetings. The fully remote nature of this role offers unparalleled flexibility. Our client provides significant investment in executive development, including access to exclusive leadership programs and industry engagements.