Senior Claims Manager, AVP - Professional Indemnity and Financial Lines

at  The Travelers Indemnity Company

WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY?

Travelers Europe are looking for a Senior Claims Manager, AVP to lead our Financial and Professionals Lines Complex Claims Team!
In this position, you will be managing a high-performing team of 6 Senior Claim Professionals led by a Team Manager as well as being responsible and accountable for developing the strategy, direction, workflow, and quality of the broader teams, also including the Central Claims function.
Bond & Specialty Insurance (BSI) provides Management and Professional Liability, Cyber, Crime Insurance, and Surety Bonds to or on behalf of businesses of all sizes. The Complex and Central BSI Claim teams conduct thorough investigation, analysis, evaluation, and disposition of claims and claim litigation to achieve superior customer service and to optimize claim results.
Reporting into the Claim Europe EMT, you will focus on providing efficient and cost-effective claim management, developing industry experts from a technical and management perspective and lead underwriting support. As a valued member of our team, in addition to claim, you also will provide legal advice to our underwriting colleagues and claim colleagues, and participate in BSI claim strategic initiatives.

You will also be:

• Collaborating on managing significant litigation that has the potential for high exposure and visibility, while overseeing and evaluating national trends
• Performing historical reviews on large claims and collaborating with Underwriting and Actuarial in portfolio analysis for market segments or individual products.
• Reviewing and analyzing forms, providing legal advice and risk analysis to Underwriting, and drafting and negotiating indemnity agreements and riders.
• Acting as a Bond & Specialty Claims Ambassador to other Travelers Europe and US business leaders, brokers and clients and effectively representing the perspective of the business.

Travelers Europe currently offers flexibility to employees who wish to work on a hybrid basis in accordance with our Hybrid Work Arrangements Policy. This entails full time employees working three days a week in the office and two days at home (or pro rata for part-time employees). This policy may be changed at the Company’s discretion. What Will You Do?

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee a team of 6 Senior Claim Professionals led by a Team Manager.
• Develop, communicate, and execute claim philosophy and strategic initiatives for a market/product segment or region based on the goals of the organization.
• Contribute guidance and make decisions on claims where the exposure is open-ended or exceeds the authority limits of employees within the organization.
• Work with the Technical Director to manage significant litigation that has the potential for high exposure and visibility.
• Oversee and evaluate national trends, perform historical reviews on large claims, and collaborate with underwriting and actuarial in portfolio analysis for the market segment or individual products.
• Prepare and present reports for management that accurately reflect loss development, potential/actual financial exposure, reserve adjustments, coverage issues, and claim recovery strategies. Communicate findings to management and make recommendations to ensure the issues are addressed.
• Collaborate with the Technical Director and team to ensure that senior management, underwriters and actuaries are appraised of high-exposure/high-sensitivity losses, claim trends, legal decisions, and issues which may impact the product lines underwriting philosophy and overall industry.
• Provide insight into the review and approval of all Large Loss Memos, Quarterly Claim Reports, and other senior management reports for Claim Business Unit or Product/Regional team.
• Establish standards and policies for business line to ensure rigorous management of ALAE & ULAE.
• Act as the lead liaison between BSI claim and business partners on all new business propositions.
• Lead support for the BSI claim team on all new MGA partnerships acting as BSI Product SME working closely with other claim partners to ensure a smooth onboarding process.
• Lead support to aspects of underwriting relating to indemnity, risk management, collateral, restructuring/unwinding of high risk account(s), bankruptcy matters/run-off coverages, new account(s) and business initiatives, as applicable to the Business Unit.
• Act as the industry expert by identifying and advising management on legal and regulatory issues that have the potential to impact the industry.
• Collaborate to represent Travelers on sensitive claim matters that involve multiple constituencies or have the potential to gain high visibility inside or outside the company.
• Contribute to the selection of panel counsel in conjunction with Claim Legal to ensure that claims are proactively managed consistent with our claim philosophy to ensure that we are obtaining the best financial results for Bond & Specialty Insurance.

LEGAL SUPPORT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Legal responsibilities include reviewing and analysing bond forms, providing legal advice and risk analysis to Underwriting, and drafting and negotiating indemnity agreements and riders (Surety).
• Provide oversight and direction for high quality, cost-effective legal support to our business partners by ensuring proper staffing, skill and performance levels of legal team and through mentoring and coaching lawyers on issues presented.
• Review complex transactional documents and provide legal advice and risk analysis to business partners.
• Provide legal advice on litigation strategies on all litigation in collaboration with our Claim Legal team.
• Work with the Technical Claim Manager to provide legal advice on litigated strategies in collaboration with our claim legal team.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant legal issues and trends in the surety/ management liability market place through review of legal publications and attendance at industry events.

STRATEGIC PLANNING/OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Set the tone for BSI Claim with regards to collaboration with Underwriting within designated Claim Business Unit or Product/Regional team.
• Provide oversight and direction for claim handling by ensuring the staffing, skill, and performance levels of employees support the claim volume and severity of claims to be managed.

TEAM LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepare effective performance and development plans for all direct reports, make team promotion and authority level recommendations to VP Claim Europe.
• Develop a culture of continuous learning through training, mentoring, and outside courses.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  Be Committed, Be Connected, Be Creative and Be Energised - these are the values we are passionate about. Understanding and embracing our values will shape your success and contribute to making Travelers Europe a great place to work.
  To be successful, you will need to consistently deliver a great experience in every customer contact; connect with the right partners internally to find creative solutions to problems; be a role model; and consistently deliver on your commitments.