2023 Underwriters of the Year | Brad Clisdell, Commercial Mid-market Underwriter, Aviva

Brad Clisdell started his insurance career with the Insurance and Risk Management program at MacEwan University in Edmonton.  

He has been with Aviva for 18 years, first joining as an underwriting assistant and working his way up to junior then senior underwriter, as well as a field underwriting position working on P&C new business. He started his current role as commercial mid-market underwriter in 2021 at Aviva’s Calgary office, after moving there with his wife in 2018.  

“Winning this award is extremely encouraging and goes to show that hard work does not go unnoticed and is a reflection of a very positive working relationship,” says Clisdell of the recognition by Acera Insurance, the member of the Canadian Broker Network that nominated him. 

Q: What is the biggest challenge for underwriters, and how can the industry overcome this? 

“Service is a constant challenge in this industry — servicing my broker partners and, in turn, our mutual customers while managing an ever-growing workload. A level of efficiency is the best way to combat this challenge, focusing on areas you can be of most assistance, which comes from having open and honest communication with brokers to establish where that focus should be, and which allows expectations to be set and for the best possible service to be provided.” 

Q: What is one opportunity underwriters should focus on? 

“The way we communicate has evolved. There are a lot more electronic forms of communication, and this has affected true relationship-forming and growing within our industry. As underwriters, we could focus more on increasing face-to-face visits or phone calls with our brokers to better establish and grow those relationships.” 

Q: Why did you become an underwriter, and what do you love most about your role? 

“I followed in my dad’s footsteps. He had been in the industry for over 30 years, and I recall having a conversation with him as I searched for a career. He piqued my interest in underwriting and all the different opportunities and potential roles within our industry in general. What I love most about my job is that I get to learn about various sorts of operations, and I enjoy the relationships formed with my brokers as we work toward a common goal.” 

Q: What makes for a great broker-underwriter relationship? 

“Open and honest communication. Being able to deliver messages, sometimes negative, and explaining the ‘why’ is important and establishes trust in the relationship. From an underwriter’s standpoint, you want to be the one your broker thinks of first, who they come to depend on for solutions, and who they want to work and grow with, which largely comes from positively growing and developing relationships.”