Vice President, Head of Global HNW Underwriting

The Vice President, Head of Global HNW Underwriting is accountable for building and leading FWD Global HNW's underwriting function across Asia, the Middle East, Bermuda and other strategic international markets.

The role owns the global underwriting strategy, risk appetite, technical standards and operating model required to support sustainable APE and VNB growth while maintaining disciplined mortality, profitability and customer outcomes.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Global Underwriting Strategy & Performance

• Formulate and execute the global HNW underwriting strategy, operating plan and capability roadmap, aligned with FWD Global HNW growth priorities
• Set underwriting appetite, technical standards and service objectives that support achievement of APE, VNB, margin and portfolio-quality targets
• Monitor mortality, claims, market, competitor and medical trends and translate insights into underwriting, product and proposition actions

Technical Underwriting & Case Leadership

• Provide senior oversight and decision leadership for complex, jumbo, non-standard and cross-border HNW and UHNW cases
• Establish consistent financial, medical, occupational, avocational and country-risk assessment standards across all HNW issuing entities and hubs
• Lead case escalation, exception and referral processes, ensuring decisions are timely, commercially balanced, well documented and within authority

Global Operating Model & Service Excellence

• Build, lead and develop a high-performing global HNW underwriting team with clear accountabilities, authorities and service standards
• Implement an integrated underwriting operating model, including effective case allocation, hub connectivity, workflow management and follow-the-sun support
• Drive automation, data, analytics and digital underwriting capabilities to improve turnaround times, productivity, consistency and adviser experience

Reinsurance, Product & Distribution Partnership

• Manage strategic relationships with reinsurers and medical partners, including facultative support, jumbo capacity, retention solutions and specialist expertise
• Partner with Product, Actuarial and Risk to shape competitive product design, underwriting rules, pricing assumptions and portfolio-management actions
• Engage priority distributors and senior partners on complex cases, underwriting propositions and market-facing initiatives that strengthen FWD positioning

Governance, Risk & Portfolio Management

• Establish and maintain global underwriting policies, delegated authorities, quality-assurance standards and governance forums aligned with Group requirements
• Monitor underwriting quality, exceptions, concentrations, mortality indicators and portfolio trends, with clear reporting, escalation and remediation
• Ensure compliance with local regulation, reinsurance treaties, data-privacy requirements and FWD Group policies across all operating jurisdictions

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the senior underwriting voice on the Global HNW Leadership Team and advise executive management on risk appetite, capability investments and portfolio performance
• Mobilise cross-functional teams across markets and hubs to resolve complex cases, remove execution friction and deliver consistent partner and customer outcomes
• Develop succession, technical accreditation and talent plans, including the identification and grooming of high-potential underwriting leaders