Director, Commercial Lines

Job Overview The Director, Commercial Lines Auto Insurance is a strategic leader responsible for driving underwriting excellence, portfolio performance, and product innovation in commercial auto insurance. This role partners closely with the VP, Commercial Insurance—Products & Pricing to ensure alignment with Wawanesa’s purpose, values, and business objectives, while fostering a culture of integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Responsibilities Lead the development and execution of underwriting strategy, appetite, and governance for commercial auto lines (IRCA & Fleet), ensuring decisions reflect Wawanesa’s commitment to prudent risk management and sustainable growth. Monitor market trends, loss ratios, IBNR, leading indicators and emerging risks to inform pricing and product decisions that support our members and communities. Champion initiatives to enhance profitability, retention, and growth, collaborating with product, actuarial, and claims teams to deliver innovative solutions. Mentor and develop a high‑performing team of technical underwriting specialists, fostering accountability, professional growth, and a member‑first mindset. Develop and maintain underwriting guidelines, policy wordings, and risk selection criteria. Provide technical guidance and referral support for complex or high exposure accounts. Ensure underwriting practices comply with internal standards, reinsurance contracts and regulatory requirements. Develop, with the support of the Quality Assurance and Compliance teams, protocols and processes to ensure alignment with regulatory reporting and compliance. Identify opportunities for continuous improvements to underwriting systems, workflows, and processes. Oversee underwriting audits and ensure adherence to quality assurance standards. Support enterprise risk management and strategic planning initiatives. Build and maintain strong relationships with brokers, reinsurers, industry associations and internal departments (e.g., Claims, Risk Services,Actuarial,Compliance). Work with Commercial operational VPs to ensure alignment and profitability within this segment. Act as a trusted advisor on relevant transformation initiatives. Represent the company in industry forums and conferences to reinforce thought leadership. Support business development efforts through strategic broker engagement and account planning. Qualifications Minimum 10+ years of experience in commercial auto insurance, with at least 5 years in a leadership role or head office experience. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Risk Management, or related field; advanced degrees or designations (CIP, FCIP, CRM) preferred. Deep knowledge of Canadian commercial insurance markets, regulatory frameworks, and distribution channels. Proven ability to lead teams, manage complex portfolios, and deliver profitable growth. Strong analytical, strategic planning, and decision‑making skills. Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship‑building abilities. Preferred Attributes Experience with underwriting automation and digital transformation initiatives. Familiarity with environmental and specialty property risks. Ability to interact with executive leadership and influence strategic direction. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender‑diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas. We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to jobs@wawanesa.com. Please note that this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation. #J-18808-Ljbffr