Insurance might not be fashionable, but it’s a great career choice

Good mentors will provide opportunities to develop and progress, says young leader.

The best mentors have given me opportunities to take responsibility and develop my own professional style, says young leader Grant Miller.

Miller, general counsel at AM Specialty Insurance Group, oversees a multifaceted organisation and has been nominated for our LEADERS Under 40.

In an exclusive interview with Intelligent Insurer, Miller tells us about his career and future plans.

Miller began by explaining the holding company structure of the organisation. “We provide a range of insurance products and services through subsidiary companies, including our main driving force and risk-bearing entity, a specialty insurance company and an accredited reinsurer that writes business nationwide in the US,” he said.

Miller’s career began in 2012 after he graduated from law school at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

“I worked as a solicitor in private practice for five to six years in Edinburgh, specialising in catastrophic medical malpractice and some general insurance litigation cases. This experience at the far end of the insurance spectrum provided a good foundation to start and get into the industry,” Miller explained.

In 2018, he and his family moved to New York and he joined AM RE Syndicate, marking the beginning of his journey in the American insurance sector.

A change in career

“That company was a reinsurance manager, a managing general agent, which sourced offshore reinsurance capacity for US ceding companies to support their domestic programmes,” Miller recalled.

“I sat the New York bar exam, and became an attorney here for the company and in the US,” he said.

The business’s growth led to a relocation to Texas in 2020. “As part of that relocation, I became a Texas attorney in 2020 and we launched the insurance company ASIC towards the end of 2021.

“The company is wholly owned by Shevawn and Simon Barder, our founders. We have no external debt or investment.”

Miller’s role involves managing the creation and organisation of the companies, obtaining authorisations, and overseeing legal, compliance and regulatory aspects.

“I sit on the board of directors as company secretary and manage the legal compliance and regulatory aspects of the group,” he added.

“On the back end, I oversee the ongoing performance of the programmes with the claims personnel and our own claims company, AM Star Claims, to ensure that all claims are processed in accordance with the underwriting guidelines and expectations.”

Reflecting on his journey, Miller said: “I’ve always been involved in insurance work from my days as a solicitor in Scotland.

“I met Shevawn and Simon in 2015, and my relocation in 2018 was the opportunity to work with them and kickstart my career in the industry, subject to my passing the New York bar exam,” he said.

When challenges become rewards

Miller identified the biggest challenge of his career as creating the insurance company from scratch.

“The challenge was dealing with a period of business inactivity with no cash flow, and ensuring the company was authorised. It was demanding because we had to preserve capital and optimise surplus to achieve the credit rating—all before collecting any premium,” he said.

“It was make or break for all of us involved.”

This has also been the most fulfilling part of Miller’s professional journey.

“The most rewarding aspect has been being involved in creating the insurance company and growing it from no policies and no premium to more than $100 million in premium in the first 12 months,” he stated.

Looking at the industry as a whole, Miller sees significant opportunities, saying: “I enjoy how insurance continues to grow and evolve; it’s very exciting for me right now in the industry.”

“The most rewarding aspect has been being involved in creating the insurance company and growing it from no policies and no premium to more than $100 million in premium.” Grant Miller, AM Specialty Insurance Group

Having great mentors

Miller shared his thoughts on leadership, emphasising the importance of mentorship and individual growth.

“The best mentors have given me space and opportunity to take responsibility, build my own experience, and develop my own professional style.

“A good leader recognises pressures and understands not to add to them, giving people a great chance to develop,” he added.

On career opportunities he said: “Insurance is such a broad subject and integral to everything we see in society. The industry has many different specialisms that might not seem fashionable at first but can lead to very successful careers.

“For the future, I want to be involved in the growth of this company, to become more involved with management, and to take the group international and to the next level,” Miller added.

“Having been involved from day one, I feel personally invested and want to drive the business forward to new successes for years to come,” he concluded.

Watch the full interview here: