Insurance Times Awards 2022: Underwriting excellence is ‘fundamental’ to specialist MGA success - First Underwriting

Explain briefly about your entry in the Excellence in Underwriting category.

We wanted to enter this category specifically because underwriting is in our DNA. We have built our business around underwriting expertise, with the majority of our team being specialist underwriters.

We recognised that specialist brokers wanted direct access to expert underwriters, especially when faced with unusual and hard to place risks, but often they did not get this.

In response, we built an army of skilled and experienced underwriters, who foster direct relationships with brokers and are trusted for their expertise.

What do you think makes your entry stand out or different from your competition?

Unlike many others, we provide direct access to expert underwriters who deliver a personal service.

Furthermore, our expert underwriting capabilities are across a broad range of products and risks, enabling us to meet brokers’ many specialist product needs.

Our underwriting pedigree is recognised by our capacity partner, Accredited Insurance (Europe). With Accredited, we have a five-year deal on A-rated paper, which is envied by many and sets us apart in the market.

Our capacity security gives our brokers stability for future growth and gives us the ability to develop products to meet changing needs.

What would winning this award mean to you and your firm?

It would reinforce our belief that focusing efforts on underwriting excellence provides a service differentiator and is fundamental to the success of specialist MGAs.