Shane Finnegan
Experienced Commercial Underwriter

Jun 2002

IFC - Insurance Foundation Certificate - III/ UCD

Feb 2014

APA - Approved Product Advisor – III/ UCD

Mar 2015

CIP - Certificate of Insurance Practice – III/ UCD

Nov 2009

Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt – RSA Accreditation

May 05 - Jun 15

RSA Insurance Group
Commercial Underwriter: RSA Insurance - Commercial underwriter for new and existing business. Property, liability, combined, property owners, office and shop.

Responsibilities and Skills


• Efficient day to day management of new and existing client portfolios. Underwriting, liaising with technical departments and account managers, credit control, and reporting. Primarily via brokers but also dealing with direct and internal customers.
• Strong communication skills resulting in successful handling of internal and external queries, recognised by consistent positive feedback from account managers, brokers, direct clients and peers. Excellent attention to detail with the highest levels of accuracy, integrity and quality across all facets of my work portfolio.
• Effective call handling and excellent closing skills. Efficient and professional, adapting appropriate language, pitch and tone so as to ‘bring the customer with me’.
• Planning, prioritising and autonomously managing individual work to deliver on agreed objectives and time scales, while also excelling within a group or team environment.
• Proven ability to apply critical thinking as part of the underwriting process, by choosing risks carefully to minimise losses and contribute to the reduction of COR. Selecting risks that fit target operating model, appetite and strategy.
• Developing, negotiating and underwriting using a specific underwriting process in assessing and rating risk, in line with RSA audit procedures and CPC requirements. Negotiating premiums, discounts, and levels of cover to aid renewal retention and creation of new business.
• Building and maintaining customer relationships through technical support on product knowledge, and advising customers on how to proceed in a given situation.
• Contributing to financial targets by increasing conversion and retention, particularly for previously un-tapped brokers, ‘turning on’ many traditionally non-performing accounts. Much success also in servicing top tier brokers and scheme arrangements.
• Being a self starter and identifying opportunities to improve current work methods, practices and processes. Acting on individual results, and agreed steps to improve performance. I believe in self development in the form of continuous learning.
• Being MCC compliant, and taking initiative to improve skills, standards and qualifications personally. Recently achieved CIP status and hope to continue this path towards ACII.
• Providing ongoing support to team manager, preparing reports and deputising when required. Taking a lead role in staff mentoring, team presentations, workshops and team meetings. Collaborating and sharing insights daily with colleagues and peers. Guiding less experienced staff and signing off on their work. Regular involvement in peer review.
• Efficient customer follow up ensuring written customer communications follow policy alterations. Drafting final notices and registered letters and ensuring maintenance and settlement of accounts queries. Adept with multiple digital communications platforms, handling queries and general processing through a variety of media, alterations to policies and renewal negotiations.
• Regular broker engagement through broker visits at RSA and off site at brokers’ offices, socially through DIAS and other broker events, and also by underwriting of risks at broker locations. Retention rate of circa 80% and average new business strike rate of 25%.
• Regular engagement with RSA survey unit and active participation in risk control by attending surveys alongside RSA surveyors.
• Adaptable and flexible, always willing to engage actively in focus groups and system testing, including outside usual work hours.
• Major contribution to design and implementation of quotation letter template systems and information gathering documentation.
• Providing support and assistance in bedding down new systems. Incorporating lean six sigma concepts to bring forward better ways of working, such as ‘one and done’ where positive results are obtained efficiently and without unnecessary cost and time.
• Exceeding internal and external customers’ expectations, re-inforced by consistent above average annual performance ratings.

Feb 03 - May 05

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland
Commercial Broker

• New business development and existing business retention, encompassing motor, household, and commercial risks from all sectors of the insurance market. Focusing primarily on commercial SME area but dealing also with a broad range of risks/ products.
• Existing policy maintenance, processing of various alterations such as mid-term adjustments, vehicle substitutions, adding temporary drivers etc.
• Business Retention. Negotiating premiums and discounts to aid renewal retention.
• Dealing with all aspects of claims in relation to various policy types.
• Providing technical assistance on products and advising clients how to proceed in difficult situations.

Feb 03 - May 05

Zurich Insurance Company
Claims Specialist

• New and existing business development for motor, household and commercial policies.
• Maintaining existing policies, processing alterations to policies such as mid-term adjustments, vehicle substitutions, adding temporary drivers etc.
• Retention of business, agreeing premiums and discounts to aid renewal retention.
• Maintaining the highest level of customer products and advised customers.
• Successfully managed project which involved issuing plastic insurance certificates to direct and branch customers.

IT Skills

• Microsoft Office suite
• Lotus notes
• Genius/ AS400
• Dorsal
• Safe
• Sharepoint
• Mapflow flood/subsidence tools

MEMBERSHIPS

• Insurance Institute of Ireland
• DIAS

HOBBIES

• Became a member of DIAS in 2005 and shortly after got involved in bowling team. I subsequently took over management of bowling for DIAS, including organising and running of summer weekly events, and annual tournaments.
• Member of the Company magazine editorial team and RSA sports and social club member. Also involved in running of the annual relationship building broker quiz.
• Badminton, cycling, motorsports, snooker, film and tv.