Focus Group Leader - Public D&O - Beazley

Job Title:                     Claims Focus Group Leader – Public D&O

Division:                      Group Claims

Reports To:                 As per Beazley’s organisation chart

Key Relationships:    

Group Head of Claims (“GHOC”), Claims Team Head (“Head of”), Claims Team Leader (“CTL”), Claims Business Management Team (“CBMT”), Underwriting & Claims Operations (“UCO”), own staff, product team underwriters, Ceded Reinsurance, clients, brokers, and key external vendors.

Job Summary:            

To support Beazley’s vision of being the highest performing specialist insurer by leading, managing, and developing a premier claims team that delivers the highest level claims service attainable for the benefit of Beazley, its clients, and other stakeholders, and ensuring consistent, fair, and efficient claims settlements. To support the development of a collaborative approach to learn, share ideas and diverse perspectives, and develop ways of working to best meet the challenges of our clients. To contribute to the ongoing growth and development of claims capabilities across the team and the mentoring and development of team members.

FLSA:                           Exempt

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy and Business Planning

• Assist the CTL to develop and execute delivery of the Beazley claims vision.
• Work closely with CTL and relevant product team underwriters to achieve integrated claims and underwriting business plans for the product, including contributing to preparation and realisation of the annual claims product team business plans.
• Share and develop best practices both within the focus group and where relevant with other teams.
• Share information and collaborate with relevant counterparts to ensure consistency in claims handling.
• Support the CTL and provide inputs into claims strategy and business planning activities as appropriate.

Partnering with Underwriting

• Work closely with product team underwriters to share information, coordinate on strategies, product development, and maintain consistent approach.
• Contribute to new business development and renewal opportunities by attending client meetings to explain the Beazley claims philosophy and approach to claims handling, and discussing any claims issues.
• Provide Underwriting with input regarding actual or anticipated claims experience of specific clients.
• Provide product team underwriters with timely input regarding perceived claims trends and developments.
• Identify and raise any issues with Policy wordings.

Focus Group Team Management and Development

• Manage actively direct reports including overseeing their individual performance throughout the year and as a part of the semi-annual appraisal process.  Promptly consult with the CTL regarding any performance issues or areas for additional support or development opportunity.
• Work closely with the CTL and Culture & People to recruit, retain, and develop claims professionals of various experience levels to execute our claims strategy.
• Ensure that all employees have the knowledge and the skills necessary to perform effectively in their given roles and responsibilities and have appropriate job descriptions setting out their responsibilities and reporting lines.
• Advise the CTL of any resourcing needs based upon business plans, claim volumes, workloads, and segmentation.
• Work with the CTL and Culture & People to recruit and onboard new team members, as appropriate.
• Work with the CTL to maximize the productivity, efficiency, and quality of focus group members through active monitoring of claims management information (“MI”).
• Ensure optimal segmentation and allocation of claims across the focus group.
• Assist in providing general claims and/or specific technical training to individual team members.
• Ensure all individuals within the focus group operate within approved claims authorities at all times.
• Mentor focus group members and help advance training and career progression.

Individual Claims Leadership

• Proactively manage claims, including escalated and high exposure claims arising in the focus group, from notification to closure, investing the necessary level of involvement required for each claim depending on, inter alia, the nature, category, maturity, type, and quantum of the claim.
• Manage a portfolio of complex/high value claims (total value in excess of $500,000 to Beazley) including Coverage Litigation with allegations of bad faith.
• Develop, iterate, document, and execute claims strategies taking into account uncertainties, key decisions, potential outcomes, and estimated associated costs.
• Operate within approved claims authority at all times.
• Understand and implement Beazley’s “Treating Customers Fairly” policy.
• Follow at all times Beazley’s Claims Reserving Philosophy and Claims Standards.

Claims Portfolio Management/Pre-peer

• Present at quarterly pre-peer review meetings where needed. Consult with the CTL, Claims Team Head, and relevant product team underwriters regarding any major developments or recommendations in advance of the quarterly meetings.
• Regularly review individual claims within the focus group in order to ensure consistency of financials across the focus group, and keep reserves and records up to date as required by Beazley’s claims controls and standards.
• Proactively oversee high profile or severity claims within focus group. As appropriate, work with the responsible claim managers to provide guidance and support.
• Identify claims issues and trends within the focus group and engage with the CTL and other teams as appropriate.
• Ensure that claims within the focus group are appropriately assigned within the team and escalations are communicated timely to the CTL and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure consistent handling of coverage issues across the focus group. Proactively communicate with CTL regarding any potentially contentious or litigated coverage disputes.
• Advise Reinsurance and Finance of any material claims as set out in the claims authority and claims protocols and procedures.
• Work with Reinsurance to effect recoveries.

Operational

• Work with the CTL and CBMT to support the development of a continuous improvement culture within Claims, leveraging standardised processes and shared service functions as appropriate.
• Work with the CTL and CBMT to ensure Beazley claims management roles and processes are executed as defined in the context of the broader operating model.
• Lead and manage the focus group by ensuring the effective management of claims, timely and appropriate claims settlements, and the effective management of conflicts of interest.
• Ensure timely escalation and documentation of complex or high-profile claims, consistent with Group Claims, Roundtable Procedures, reserving guidelines, and individual authority letters.
• Ensure prompt and timely completion of claims transactions and communication by monitoring the timelines of performance through the use of relevant Management Information.
• Work with the CTL on any claims outside the focus group’s claims authority, claims with broader reputational or business ramifications, and any large, systemic, or contentious claims within the focus group.
• Collaborate with other FGLs to ensure consistent claims handling of similar products.
• Work closely with product team underwriters to ensure constructive interactions between the claims and underwriting functions.
• Liaise with Underwriting on any large or contentious claims within their business area.
• Work with the CTL in the continual development and implementation of Beazley’s claims controls, and ensure that the team complies with all relevant regulations and Beazley’s claims control standards and protocols.
• Ensure that all claims related complaints are reported and resolved in a timely manner in accordance with the complaints procedure.
• Execute the focus group’s plan to strengthen broker and client relationships.

Broker and Client Relations and Thought Leadership

• Work proactively to develop and manage strong relationships with key brokers and clients.
• Act as primary point of escalation within the focus group.
• Escalate any contentious issues to the CTL, Claims Team Head, and GHOC, as appropriate.
• Promote the Beazley brand of excellence and professionalism in client service.
• Obtain and analyse feedback from clients and brokers on our service and use to drive continuous improvement.
• Work with the CTL to execute strategy for elevating Beazley’s market profile and strengthening client and broker relationships through relevant, timely thought leadership, and general marketing activities.
• Serve as focus group’s subject matter expert for relevant product lines, including training and presentations for the focus group and relevant underwriting teams.

Claim Data and Trend Analysis

• Proactively monitor and ensure data integrity within the focus group.
• Identify and communicate relevant information on claims trends to the CTL and Underwriting.

Vendor Management

• Follow Beazley’s procedures for the selection and retention of third-party professionals and manage these relationships to the benefit of Beazley.
• Work with the CTL to execute strategy for oversight and management of external spend to ensure efficiency, consistency, and appropriateness of the same.
• Coordinate with CBMT to oversee key vendors, including file reviews or audits, and resolution of any issues identified during those activities.
• Proactively review data regarding all third-party professionals working on claims in the focus group to ensure with claims service requirements, claims best practices, and cost efficiency.
• Where applicable, proactively monitor any TPA arrangements, including providing regular feedback on the claim actions undertaken by any TPA, proposing strategies for future claims handling, reviewing case reserve adequacy, and ensuring the TPA remains focused on claim finalisation. Periodically review TPA performance data consistency with claims service requirements, claims best practices, and financial goals.

Conflicts of Interest

• Adhere to Beazley’s Conflicts of Interest policy, alert the appropriate person to any potential conflicts of interest, and take steps to resolve them promptly.
• Immediately advise the GHOC if any Beazley employee seeks to exert undue influence on you or any other team member to act improperly in the management, reserving, or settlement of any claim.

General

It is important that within all your interactions both internally and externally you adhere to Beazley’s core values - Being Bold, Striving for Better, and Doing the Right Thing – as they contribute to an internal environment of teamwork and promote a positive brand image and experience to our external customers. We also expect Beazley employees to: 

• Comply with Beazley procedures, policies and regulations including the code of conduct which incorporates the PRA and FCA Conduct.  Undertake training on Beazley policies and procedures as delivered by your line manager, the Culture & People or assurance teams (compliance, risk, internal audit) either directly, via e-learning or the learning management system. 
• Display business ethics that uphold the interests of all our customers.
• Ensure all interactions with customers are focused on delivering a fair outcome, including having the right products for their needs.
• Comply with any specific responsibilities necessary for your role as outlined by your line manager, the Culture & People or assurance teams (compliance, risk, internal audit) and ensure you keep up to date with developments in these areas. This may include, amongst others, Beazley’s underwriting control standards, Beazley’s claims control standards, other Beazley standards and customer relationship management.
• Carry out additional responsibilities as individually notified, either through your objectives or through the learning management system. These may include membership of any Beazley committees or working groups.

Personal Specification:

Education and Qualifications

• Graduate calibre

• Adjuster license(s) may be required as part of your job responsibilities. If required, those licenses must be obtained within the first 90 days of your employment and in accordance with an individual licensing plan established by Beazley Compliance and your Manager.

Skills and Abilities

• Good leadership skills with the ability to influence and manage a team of professionals
• Process management skills - able to review existing processes and procedures; making recommendations for rationalisation/improvement
• General commercial and financial knowledge
• Strong communication skills – able to communicate with and influence stakeholders at all levels, both verbally and in writing.
• Good motivational skills – able to build and manage strong teams
• Strong focus on time management, able to manage several diverse and concurrent projects
• A demonstrable track record of strategic thinking
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyse financial statements, make financial assessments of claims, etc.
• Hands-on implementer, able to drive through change where appropriate

Knowledge and Experience

• 8+ years of claims Management/technical insurance knowledge preferred 
• Public D&O Claims experience advantageous but not a prerequisite
• Legal experience and ability to analyse legal issues in different jurisdictions
• Experienced in US and international business
• Demonstrable process/project management skills
• Experience of claims management guidelines, claims processes and systems
• Client service experience gained within an insurance environment
• Experience of managing team of technically strong professionals working on diverse projects
• Experience of managing teams with a demanding and pressurised workload
• Experience of implementing process improvement, ideally within a traditional environment

Aptitude and Disposition

• Achievement orientated
• Self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic
• High energy and personal drive

Competencies

• Problem solving
• Decisiveness
• Customer focused
• Influencing others
• Teamwork
• Self-starter
• Analytical thinking
• Managing resources effectively
• Technical competency and expertise
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Task focused completer/finisher

Salary for this role will be tailored to the successful individual’s location and experience. The expected compensation range for this position is 160k - 180k per year plus discretionary annual bonus. You will be able to discuss your salary expectations should you be contacted about this role.

This document is subject to review after consultation with your Manager.