Sirius: underwriting comes first

Sirius Group is seeking to play to its strengths, focusing on the quality of its underwriting and becoming more nimble as it moves through 2019 and into 2020.

That was the message Kip Oberting, chief executive officer of Sirius, and Monica Cramer Manhem, president of Sirius Group Global Reinsurance, have brought to the Monte Carlo Rendez-Vous.

Cramer Manhem said that Sirius has undergone a transition since Oberting took the reins as CEO of Sirius Group in February 2019. The company is now working towards a future where it leverages its strengths by consolidating its organisational structures, and becomes more nimble and responsive as a result.

“We are elevating the fact that underwriting comes first in our business,” added Oberting. “We want to lead our underwriters and our clients to a clear understanding of our platform and our business, and to empower our business leaders.”

He said the company has unified its global underwriting leadership, something that had not been done since Sirius International and FolksAmerica were combined in 2008. He stressed that the company wanted to simplify its interactions with customers.

“Sirius is focusing on the success of the A&H portfolio and we want to build upon our reinsurance leadership in that space. Our purchase of two managing general underwriters in 2017 broadened our reach into that market,” he noted.

“We have a leading reputation in the market, in terms of underwriting and responsiveness, and perhaps we haven’t fully used that strength as we should have,” Oberting said.

“It’s been very empowering for the business leaders.”