In commercial insurance, the role of the underwriter is evolving fast. According to Keith Kitchen (pictured), a veteran commercial property casualty underwriter and long-time industry mentor, the sector’s increasing emphasis on speed has pushed underwriters toward a more transactional model. But within that challenge lies opportunity – to balance efficiency with deeper collaboration and insight.
"Underwriters nowadays, fast, fast," Kitchen said. "The expectation is to quote quickly. Speed is being prioritized over thoughtful evaluation."
The shift toward rapid quoting can sometimes lead to unintended risk outcomes. Underwriters may be left with limited time or context, which can affect pricing accuracy. Kitchen sees this as a consequence of technology's double-edged influence.
"Technology helps us gather data, but we've become too reliant on it," he said. "Underwriters aren't necessarily given the full time to analyze exposures properly."
He pointed to a case involving a plastics manufacturer that reused its own production remnants. Because the company also accepted leftover materials from others, it was mislabeled as a recycling operation.
"Think of it like making cookies," Kitchen said. "If your grandmother reused the dough scraps, is that recycling? It’s not. But without experience, underwriters default to the wrong classifications."
A similar issue arose when a broker asked him about an eavestrough manufacturer. The operation, which involved shaping aluminum on-site, was again classified as manufacturing, though Kitchen argued it was more akin to supply work.
"If a product is altered in any way, we've been taught to treat it as manufacturing," he said. "But that's not always accurate."
These kinds of misclassifications can lead to friction between brokers and insurers, as well as missed opportunities to align pricing with actual risk.
Today’s commercial underwriters are being asked to think more broadly – to understand global political and economic conditions and to continuously upskill. However, many are navigating this learning curve independently.
"Very few companies are spending the time or effort to train underwriters how to do the job," he said. "They expect you to get the education outside, then reimburse you after."
As a mentor and insurance ambassador with the Insurance Institute of Canada, Kitchen has seen the value of investing in new talent. He regularly visits campuses and career fairs to highlight the industry's career diversity, and mentors young professionals in Toronto.
"Mentoring goes both ways," he said. "I learn just as much from my mentees. One exercise I use is showing how the letter 'E' can look like an 'M,' '3,' or 'W' when rotated. It reminds us to look at things from all angles."
For insurers and HR leaders, this highlights the need to create more structured pathways for underwriting education and career development.
For Kitchen, strong underwriting is grounded in collaboration. He sees real value in reconnecting underwriting with claims, actuarial, and brokering teams to foster faster, more informed decision-making.
"We’re in a relationship business," he said. "Claims teams see trends first. By the time that insight filters through actuarial and reaches underwriting, it's often too late."
That insight can vary widely by geography. Kitchen's work with brokers across Canada has shown him how regional differences – such as the impact of wildfires in Alberta or flooding in the Atlantic provinces – should inform national underwriting strategies.
"We need to be out there, talking to people, understanding what's happening on the ground. That’s how you build knowledge that matters."
For brokers and underwriters alike, maintaining those local insights can lead to better coverage, stronger client relationships, and fewer surprises.
The path forward, Kitchen suggests, is clear: invest more in internal training, foster true collaboration, and empower underwriters with the time and tools they need.
"Underwriting isn’t just about speed," Kitchen said. "It’s about judgment. And that takes time, experience, and relationships."
