West Bend Insurance Company · 1 day ago
VP - Personal Lines
West Bend, WI
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
12+ years expWest Bend Insurance Company is recognized as a top workplace and values its associates as its greatest asset. The Vice President (VP) – Personal Lines will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Personal Lines division, focusing on growth, profitability, and enhancing customer experience through effective underwriting and product management.
Financial Services
Responsibilities
Define and execute a multi‑year PL strategy that balances growth, profitability, and volatility management; own the PL operating plan, including premium, loss ratio, expense ratio, and combined ratio targets
Monitor external trends (e.g., inflation, frequency/severity shifts, weather/CAT, litigation) and convert insights into timely strategy and rate/file actions
Establish risk selection, appetite guides, authority levels, audit cadence, and referral frameworks; strengthen line‑of‑business portfolio management and accumulation controls
Maintain disciplined catastrophe management, including reinsurance considerations in partnership with the Reinsurance Committee
Lead product roadmaps, coverage forms, pricing segmentation, customer segmentation, and rate/relativity strategies; partner closely with Actuarial for indications and with Compliance on state filings; understand and integrate consumer economic factors around longevity and elasticity (lifetime value) into product strategy
Advance integrated risk management solutions, capital management sophistication, and data partnerships to improve segmentation and customer value propositions
Drive continuous improvement in underwriting sophistication, pricing segmentation, data and analytics capabilities, and product innovation
Collaborate with cross-functional leaders on technology initiatives, operational enhancements, and service improvements impacting the Personal Lines division
Deepen relationships with key independent agents; set compensation, incentives, and ease‑of‑doing‑business standards; drive geographic expansion and appointment strategy
Advance agency segmentation combined with consumer segmentation to meet expected outcomes
Represent Personal Lines in agency councils, joint‑selling opportunities, and key escalations, ensuring market advocacy and alignment with strategic distribution objectives
Optimize new business, renewal, and endorsement workflows; reduce cycle times and rework; champion straight‑through processing and enhance customer service capabilities through expansion of digital, self‑service, and AI-enabled tools
Partner with Claims to align coverage intent and underwriting outcomes with claim handling and fraud mitigation
Set analytics priorities (pricing, elasticity, retention, lifetime value, risk management utilization), ensuring model governance and measurable lift
Prioritize platform investments (policy admin, rating, API connectivity) with Technology; ensure testing and change management rigor for rate and product releases
Integrate across the value chain to enable disciplined portfolio management
Use data insights to guide strategic decisions, prioritize initiatives, and respond to shifting market conditions
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing leadership bench; attract, retain and mentor underwriting and product talent
Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement aligned with company values
Identify talent needs, lead succession planning efforts, and promote professional development across the division
Serve as a PL thought leader with industry groups, bureaus, and regulators where appropriate; support corporate reputation and brand
Qualification
Required
12+ years in Personal Lines with progressive leadership spanning underwriting and product/pricing; proven multi‑state experience
Demonstrated P&L leadership with successful track record executing strategy and improving combined ratio while growing profitably
Depth in product design, rating/segmentation (including telematics/UBI), state filings, and regulatory engagement
Strong agency/distribution acumen and change leadership across operations and technology
Executive‑level communication, influencing, and decision‑making; building followership and cross‑functional alignment
Strategic mindset with strong analytical abilities and a focus on continuous improvement
Proficiency with policy/rating platforms and business intelligence tools; data‑driven decision maker
Bachelor's degree required
Preferred
Master's Degree (MBA, MS Analytics, etc.) preferred
Designations: CPCU preferred; additional insurance/analytics credentials a plus
Benefits
Medical & Prescription Insurance
Health Savings Account
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Short and Long Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts
Life and Accidental Death & Disability
Accident and Critical Illness Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
401(k) Plan with Company Match
Pet Insurance
Paid Time Off . Standard first year PTO is 17 days , pro-rated based on month of hire. E nhance d PTO may be available for experienced candidates
Bonus eligible based on performance
Company
West Bend Insurance Company
For more than 130 years, West Bend has been a trusted provider of insurance products, serving the diverse needs of business, home, and automobile owners.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Dave Ertmer
Sr. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Company data provided by crunchbase