As the market continues to evolve digitally and embrace digitization, many major global carriers are facing ongoing challenging underwriting processes. Unprofitable business is being non-renewed, and lines being exited. Changes to underwriting practices and discipline are achieving improving pricing and terms and prospective profitability. Against this backdrop, we wanted to examine the current state of global underwriting. 

In association with The Insurance Insider, we held a roundtable in New York city with U.S. based insurance executives to discuss attitudes around underwriting discipline and excellence, as well as the impact that new technology-focused underwriting tools have made to underwriting quality. 

The discussion was lively with participants debating about the culture of underwriting, which technology solutions are out there that aren't being used that would benefit underwriting, and how organizations can strike a balance between being a first mover or a fast follower.

Participants debated:

• Where is underwriting excellence to be found?
• What does it look like?
• Would we know it if it was presented to us?
• Do we do enough to measure and understand the difference between good and bad underwriting?
• What is being done to encourage and nurture it?