Specialist insurer ACE is giving its commercial and industrial division a boost with the appointment of Samantha Allen as Senior Commercial Underwriter. In the insurance industry, commercial and industrial insurance is the line of business which slots in under corporate, and is known in other industries as ‘small to medium enterprise’.
According to Samantha, finding a niche in what is a highly competitive market is the challenge which she has undertaken. “The commercial and industrial sector is heavily subscribed, to the extent that the real differentiators in this environment are the service and expertise which the insurer can provide, rather than the product itself,” she explains.
As a consequence, Samantha says it is experience which makes the difference in the ability for ACE to effectively meet the needs of its clients in this market space. “Creating value is also dependent on creating and maintaining sound relationships with clients and taking the time to clearly understand their businesses and insurance needs.”
With a career in insurance which started in 1987, Samantha has spent time in several aspects of the business, both within the underwriting environment as well as on the brokerage side. The bulk of her career was spent in commercial and industrial underwriting and renewals, where she has gained a wealth of knowledge across many vertical industry types. Notably, Samantha assisted in building up, from scratch, the commercial and industrial business of a noted insurance player, demonstrating her business acumen and ability to perform in this market.
Sharing her plans for the ACE Commercial and Industrial division, Samantha says she will seek to identify specific brokerages which have the appropriate market positioning, client reach and a proven service delivery ethic. “We will work with selected brokerages which administrate their own portfolios while we provide the underwriting management and support,” she confirms.
Above a commitment to quality service and flexibility, Samantha says the ACE differentiators include its ability to match international experience and knowledge with a global reach to insure property and goods in many regions of the world.