Simon Glairy is a recognized leader in the insurance world, known for his deep expertise in risk management and the transformative power of AI-driven assessments. As the industry grapples with a digital revolution, Glairy provides a unique perspective on how technology is not just automating tasks but fundamentally reshaping the career paths of underwriters and the competitive dynamics of the global market. In this conversation, we explore the shift from manual data handling to high-level portfolio management, the changing speed of the quoting process, and why the human element remains more critical than ever in an era of rapid automation.
Junior underwriters are increasingly using AI platforms to analyze risk and move toward high-level portfolio management. How does this shift change the traditional career trajectory for someone just starting in the field?
This transformation is fundamentally accelerating how quickly new talent can contribute at a strategic level. Instead of spending years bogged down in the manual drudgery of individual data entry, junior underwriters are now leveraging AI to make high-level recommendations almost immediately. We are moving away from a mindset focused on individual pieces of work toward a “control room” approach, much like a modern factory supervisor. These professionals aren’t just looking at isolated policies; they are analyzing entire portfolios to optimize the book for reinsurance. It is an exhilarating shift that moves them from being data processors to strategic thinkers, allowing them to gain confidence and career momentum in a fraction of the time it used to take.
With AI handling so much of the heavy lifting, where does the human element fit in, and why is a sense of skepticism still vital for an underwriter?
Even with the most sophisticated models, skepticism remains the essential bedrock of insurance. There are nuances in human relationships and complex risk elements that an algorithm simply cannot replicate or automate away. While AI can evaluate vast quantities of data to give us better insights, we still need that critical human review to ensure we aren’t just following a pattern blindly. At the end of the day, insurance is a relationship business, and the human element is the final gatekeeper of quality. By letting technology handle the data evaluation, underwriters actually get more time to truly understand the risk and build those vital connections with clients.
The industry is seeing a major change in expectations regarding speed and efficiency. What happens to firms that stick to traditional, slower quoting processes in this new environment?
The reality is quite stark: the days when an underwriter could take five days to produce a quote are effectively over. In today’s market, those who have integrated AI are seeing accelerated growth, while those dragging their feet are already starting to stagnate. Especially in a soft market, where you cannot rely on raising rates, growth has to come from policy count, which requires incredible efficiency and speed. A year from now, the financial results will draw a very clear line between the leaders and the laggards based on who embraced this digital agility. It is no longer just a technological advantage; it is a matter of survival in a landscape where speed is the primary currency.
How is AI helping insurers communicate their risk appetite more effectively to brokers and distribution partners?
It is all about signaling and visibility in a crowded marketplace. When a broker is working on a risk, AI allows us to immediately signal that a specific risk is exactly the kind of business we would like to quote and is within our appetite. This real-time engagement ensures that we are accessing the highest-quality risks from our partners before someone else can swoop in. If you are not using these digital signals, somebody else is going to take those risks for you while you are still sorting through paperwork. It creates a much tighter loop between the distribution channel and the underwriting desk, ensuring that no one wastes time on misaligned opportunities.
What is your forecast for the underwriting profession over the next few years as these technologies mature?
I expect we will see a dramatic divergence in the industry where the “middle ground” disappears. The insurers that successfully transition their staff into these high-level portfolio management roles will dominate, while those who cannot move past manual reviews will face shrinking margins and stagnant growth. We will see underwriters becoming more like data scientists, using AI models to navigate cyber risks and other complex categories with unprecedented precision. Ultimately, the profession will not be replaced, but it will be elevated into a more analytical, high-stakes discipline that is far more integral to a company’s financial health. The next twelve months will be the true litmus test for which carriers are ready to lead this new era and which will be left behind.
