Vice President, Distribution

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Coordinate and engage with Westfield Specialty leadership to gain insights into the essential drivers and strategies vital for success.

• Collaborate to uncover opportunities through segmentation, cross-selling, and various distribution management tools.

• Serve as a recognized resource for establishing and implementing distribution strategies with agents in the region.

• Engage external groups to create targeted distribution opportunities.

• Utilize the organization's strengths and communication skills to support new distributor appointments and identified opportunities.

• Acquire and share exceptional knowledge of products and market appetite while showcasing extensive knowledge of competitor offerings.

• Schedule and conduct agency visits with distribution partners to enhance production and profitability outcomes.

• Work alongside Underwriting on developing account pipelines, identifying book roll opportunities, and nurturing key relationships to proactively manage the sales process.

• Perform regular territory reviews with Underwriting, focusing on new business, renewal business, and profitability performance in alignment with plans.

• Assist in the development and comprehension of competitors’ products and pricing strategies in the marketplace, while also providing "street level" feedback.

• Create annual agency/broker business plans with select partners and hold them accountable through various metrics (submissions, premium commitments, pipeline, etc.).

• Tailor distribution support based on agency assessments, driving production with relationships that have aggressive growth potential while maintaining connections with larger, more established books of business.

• Be acknowledged as a leading resource regarding local and regional marketplace dynamics and relationships with distribution.

• Serve as a proficient consultant, assisting Business Units (BUs) in understanding distribution and aligning resources to enhance channel results.

• Demonstrate knowledge of the market drivers affecting each category of distributors and connect these relationships internally with the appropriate BUs.

• Lead initiatives to gather and maintain competitive intelligence on key national and regional competitors.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in business or a related field.

• Professional designations (CIC, CPCU, ARM) are highly preferred.

• At least 10 years of experience in distribution with independent producers/agencies, exhibiting expertise in various sales and insurance concepts, practices, and procedures.

• Strong interpersonal skills, business acumen, and sound judgment, capable of effectively communicating with a diverse range of individuals and teams.

• High aptitude for analyzing and interpreting data.

• Exceptional strategic and execution skills, along with strong coaching and mentoring capabilities.

• Proven experience in strategic planning and marketing, business and market development, as well as market research and planning in commercial lines insurance.

🏝️ Benefits

• The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.