2024 Underwriters of the Year | Julie Bryant, Senior Commercial Property Underwriter, The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

Julie Bryant started working in the insurance industry as a broker right after graduating from high school — and she’s never looked back.

For the first 15 years of her career, Bryant managed a comprehensive portfolio of a client’s business, including home, auto, farm, and commercial insurance. She joined The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group (formerly Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Company) as an underwriter in 1999, gaining extensive experience in personal lines and farm insurance. Bryant earned her CIP designation in 2006 and has been building strong relationships with brokers as a commercial lines property underwriter since 2009. Her long-standing career is an inspiration to anyone joining the industry today.

As a married mother of four, Bryant recently welcomed her first grandchild. She has plans to travel across Canada and the U.S. with her husband and the family dog, Gizmo, in their recently acquired trailer when she isn’t working — and when she eventually retires.

“I was truly humbled and honoured by this award,” Bryant says of her recognition by McLean & Dickey Insurance, a broker member of the Canadian Broker Network. “I love working with our partners, and it’s amazing to hear they feel the same.”

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

“I’ve built very good relationships with most of my brokers, and I’ve gotten to know them on a personal level. Underwriting isn’t just about putting things in a box; it’s about working together to find the best solution for the insured.”

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

“I’ve spent my entire career in insurance, but the role I love most is my current one. Commercial insurance is challenging, constantly evolving, and very interesting and exciting.”

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for underwriters in P&C currently, and one thing they can do to overcome it?

“Talent. Many senior, experienced employees are retiring, and it takes time for the new crop of insurance professionals to gain knowledge and experience to fill the gaps. In a remote work environment, we miss out on some of the training opportunities you get from overhearing your desk mate deal with a tough risk, so we’re seeking new ways to replicate that experience and get our new teammates up to speed.”

Q: Given the current talent shortage, what would you say to encourage people to join the industry?

“Whether you’re at the start of your career or want to change careers, there are so many opportunities across claims, underwriting, and business operations. There’s really a role for everyone. [Insurance is] a great place to spend your whole career, but there’s also a lot of crossover from the industries we insure. For example, a realtor could move into property underwriting, or a firefighter could move into claims. There are many transferable skills.”

Q: What’s one opportunity you think underwriters should focus more on in today’s marketplace?

“Climate risk is something underwriters need to be aware of and companies need to prepare for. We need to get ahead of it to avoid catastrophic losses by doing things like ensuring our properties are built to withstand changing weather patterns and ensuring proper risk mitigation is being done.”

Q: How do you see technology, including AI, impacting the role of underwriters in the coming years?

“I’m excited for opportunities to reduce tedious tasks in underwriting, which will cut time spent on processing and keying in data. But we should be aware of losing the human touch. Ours is a people business, and without human connection, we lose the nuance that goes into underwriting a policy and helps to set us apart from competitors.”

 

The Canadian Broker Network Underwriter of the Year awards is a flagship program that CBN has been running on behalf of its members since 2017. The program is exclusive to CBN in partnership with Canadian Underwriter magazine. The categories allow for each of our member firms, at their option, to select one commercial lines underwriter winner as well as one personal lines underwriter winner from a primary market. The program evolved in 2021 to also allow for one commercial lines underwriter from an MGA in addition to the other two categories. The criteria includes underwriting excellence and risk knowledge; prompt and effective responsiveness back to CBN members; writing business that satisfies clients’ needs while creating a win-win for the broker and the insurer; a positive, helpful attitude; and investing time to develop trusting relationships with brokers.

Full list of 2024 Underwriters of the Year Award