2024 Underwriters of the Year | Nicole Boulard, Farm Underwriter II, Heartland Mutual Insurance

Nicole Boulard first joined the insurance industry as a processor at Heartland Mutual Insurance (then The Kings Mutual) nearly a decade ago.

A couple of years in, she joined the underwriting team and has never looked back. Throughout the years she has become known for her exceptional ability to build solid broker relationships and collaborate with her team.

Boulard’s educational background includes graduating from the office administration program at Nova Scotia Community College in 2015 and completing her CIP designation in 2020.

The proud mother of three has been married for 12 years and loves spending time with her family when she’s not working.

She says she feels surprised, honoured, and thankful to be recognized for this award by Bauld Insurance, a broker member of the Canadian Broker Network, Canada’s largest network of independent brokers.

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

“It’s important to prioritize being available and responding to brokers in a timely manner to support their needs. Providing clear explanations and talking through scenarios can go a long way toward forging strong relationships.”

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

“I first started underwriting when our company had a vacancy in the underwriting department. I was already working toward completing my CIP while working as a processor, so when the opportunity came up, I was happy to start helping the underwriting team. I enjoy collaborating and working as a team with both co-workers and our brokers.”

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

“Climate change. Over the past year, we’ve seen an increase in weather events such as wildfires and flooding, which changes the way we review risks. Changing weather patterns make it difficult to know what to expect, but we need to be more prepared.”

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

“Building strong relationships with brokers and providing them with excellent customer service are key. It’s essential to be available to help when needed and be able to look at situations from both the underwriter’s and broker’s perspective while collaborating on the best solution for the client.”

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

“Many people are unaware of the different career options available in the insurance industry. While most people think of sales when it comes to insurance jobs, there are so many different career paths and opportunities, including in underwriting, claims, billing, and more.”

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

“We’ve seen technology start to impact our daily operations in a positive way. We recently underwent a system conversion that enables brokers to complete many transactions on their own, without needing to wait for an underwriter. This results in a quicker turnaround time for insureds.”

 

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