Insurance companies are facing a dilemma. While there is a push by insurers for profitability in a competitive market, there is also a growing demand from customers for transparency and empathy. This is exactly why ‘Responsible Underwriting’ is the need of the hour. How can the insurance industry turn risk into value and customers as partners?
During Send’s latest INFUSE webinar, Responsible Underwriting: Balancing profitability and customer centricity, the panelists unpacked how insurers can protect margins while delivering value to customers. Deborah McBrearty, Insurance Lead, London Market from Accenture said that saying ‘NO’ is at times better for profitability and transparency in a volatile market. Haley Robinson, NED & Advisor to commercial and specialty market said that looking at risk assessment across portfolio was better for profitability than in isolation. Russell Brown, Principal at Safe Harbor Insurance stressed that personal mentoring, and hands-on experience for fresh insurance professionals were key to fostering trust with brokers and clients.
How can these insights be inculcated into actionable strategies for insurers today?
We dived deeper into the discussion to uncover key takeaways that underwriters can use to achieve profitability and trust.
Profitability and Customer Centricity: Is there a tension brewing?
The answer is yes. Deborah McBrearty acknowledged that underwriters are constantly looking at targets and the temptation to over-accommodate can be strong particularly early in one’s career. This is why underwriters must clearly explain what they can write, what they cannot and why, said Russell Brown. He feels that even customers respect boundaries when there is sincere clarity. Trust grows from not saying yes to everything, but from being consistent, fair and clear. Hayley Robinson reinforced a fundamental truth that not all risks will make money but some cannot be ignored. She explained that responsible underwriting means knowing when flexibility delivers long term value and when discipline must prevail.
“Ultimately, sustainable profitability is essential. If we didn’t make money, we’d go out of business, and no one would have insurance”
– Hayley Robinson, NED & Advisor to Commercial and Specialty Market
Can technology enable responsible underwriting?
All the three panelists agreed on one point. There has never been a better time to be an underwriter. Hayley, who is a veteran from the insurance industry recalled vividly her early days as an underwriter with largely a pen and paper. Today, underwriting work benches can ingest broker submissions, cleanse data, benchmark risks and much more. Deborah added that AI represents a major change in the industry. AI is creating an eco-system where underwriters can reduce administrative tasks and focus on writing business. This can help underwriters show a transparent picture to the client and give them a tailored customer experience. However, she cautioned that technology must not replace human judgement.
“Underwriters must remain curious and skeptical. Just because a pricing engine gives you a number doesn’t mean it’s right. Tools should guide decisions not dictate them.”
-Deborah McBrearty, Insurance Lead, London Market from Accenture
The soft-skills gap: Are the next generation of underwriters well equipped?
The panelists felt that much of the tension in underwriting today stems not from lack of strategy but from training gaps. Russell Brown stated that traditional underwriting programs once focused on communication, negotiation and relationship building. Today, junior underwriters are over reliant on digital communication. Hayley emphasized that the most effective underwriters are those who combine strong technical skills with the confidence to engage directly with clients particularly in large commercial lines. Deborah expressed that AI and automation may help solve this problem. By reducing manual administrative work, junior underwriters can spend more time observing, engaging, and developing situational judgment.
“I see trainees sending long chains of emails instead of picking up the phone. A five-minute call can replace hours of back-and-forth and build trust at the same time.”
– Russell Brown, Principal at Safe Harbor Insurance
How does responsible underwriting look in the future?
The future centers on resilience. As new industries emerge, insurers must support innovation by helping businesses withstand risks. Underwriting must evolve where capital moves quickly to those who need it. The market must stay competitive, profitable and responsive to customers evolving needs. Hayley Robinson said “If something is covered and it’s clearly covered, we should pay quickly, we should pay in full. That’s what gives insurers a bad name when people try to cut this and cut that from the claim. Those insurers who have a good reputation for paying claims that are valid are the ones that will win in the future.”
As the webinar came to an end, the panelists gave their final verdict on the topic.
- Hayley said that the ‘Amber Zone’ is where underwriting becomes meaningful when there is creativity, innovation and genuine values created.
- Russell urged underwriters to stay curious. Responsible underwriting isn’t about simply saying yes or no. It’s about finding the right balance.
- Deborah reinstated that underwriting is the business of taking risks not avoiding it. She encouraged insurers to use data, technology and human intuition together to make confident transparent decisions.
At its heart, Insurance is a promise. Responsible underwriting is not measured by metrics. It is measured by keeping up that promise. As AI and technology reshapes workflows, the true test of success will be insurers who can combine data-driven insights with empathy, integrity and accountability. By doing this, responsible underwriting will be both a strategic advantage and promise delivered.
Keen to learn more? You can watch a recording of the webinar here.