Underwriting


Admiral takes pride in its award-winning Excess and Surplus Lines Underwriting team, specializing in Professional Liability, Casualty, and Excess coverage. Our highly skilled team plays a critical role in providing creative insurance solutions for unique and high-risk commercial businesses that fall outside the standard coverage offered by traditional insurance carriers.

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What does an E&S Underwriting Department do?

The primary objective of Admiral’s Underwriting team is to profitably evaluate, assess, and underwrite E&S risks within our appetite. Drawing upon our deep expertise in Casualty and Professional Liability, our Underwriting team analyzes submissions, examines policy documentation, and collaborates closely with our wholesale broker partners to determine appropriate terms, conditions, and pricing.

Craft Creative Underwriting Solutions

Admiral’s Underwriting team’s proficiency lies in conducting thorough risk assessments tailored to the unique exposures found in the E&S market. We analyze historical claims data, industry trends, and loss ratios to evaluate risk profiles and determine appropriate terms, conditions, and pricing for each risk. By combining our specialized knowledge and E&S expertise, we craft comprehensive coverage solutions that meet the specific needs of the E&S industry.

Anticipate Trends and Remain Agile

Staying ahead of industry trends and emerging risks is a fundamental aspect of Admiral’s underwriting success. We actively monitor market conditions, regulatory changes, and evolving risk landscapes to adapt our underwriting guidelines, pricing models, and risk evaluation criteria accordingly. By remaining informed and proactive, our team consistently provides innovative solutions that address emerging challenges and align with evolving market demands.

Collaboration and teamwork are integral to the success of Admiral’s Underwriting team. We work closely with other departments within the organization, including Claims, Marketing, Actuarial, and others, to ensure alignment in risk evaluation, claims management, and product development. This collaborative approach allows for seamless coordination and drives innovation, enabling us to deliver exceptional service and customized solutions tailored to the unique needs of the E&S industry.

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What’s it like to work in Admiral’s Underwriting Department?

From evaluating some pretty interesting risks to building relationships with our wholesale partners, hear from Admiral’s Underwriting team to get a glimpse into the life of an Admiral Underwriter.

John Singmaster, part of Admiral’s Casualty team, shares his experience as an intern, career advancement opportunities, and his favorite part of working at Admiral.

Admiral’s Excess team talks about what it’s like working in E&S and some of the risks they’ve seen.

John Mahoney discusses his favorite part of working at Admiral and his experience as a Professional Liability underwriter.

Kristi Karczmarczyk

Senior Underwriter, Casualty

Chicago, IL

What is your area of expertise within Underwriting?
General Liability and Excess, in general. Nitty-gritty – I was a Contractor Subject Matter Expert (SME) my first year employed with Admiral. Now, I sit on the Habitational SME Committee.

What is something you really geek out about?
RATIOS 😳 I like to evaluate the underwriting ratios (submit-to-quote, quote-to-bind) – they always tell a story! When they tell us there’s a problem, I love trying to fix it with our partner brokers resulting in improved ratios over time. Very rewarding.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
Work-related: I worked in the Standard Lines Market for seven years before switching to E&S with Admiral. Personally: I own a parrot who won’t stop talking.

What would someone be surprised to learn about working in Underwriting?
Often times, it’s more about the relationships that you make than your day-to-day number crunching and research findings.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
Learning about the unique businesses who are looking to be insured by Admiral.

If a friend was considering joining Admiral’s Casualty team, what would you want them to know?
You won’t find another team like this!

Stephen McManus

Team Leader, Professional

Moorestown, NJ

What is your area of expertise within Underwriting?

I focus on Medical Professional Liability.

What surprised you most when you started at Admiral?

The culture and the people. We are a big company, but it doesn’t feel that way.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I like building relationships and writing new deals. It’s the best when you can become friends with a client and help each other accomplish mutual goals.

What would someone be surprised to learn about working in Underwriting?

You are a salesperson as well as an Underwriter. It’s a relationship-based business where hustle and work ethic thrive. We also have to be disciplined at the same time since we need to be accountable for our underwriting results. In E&S, every day and situation is different, which helps keep the day to day fresh.

What are you most passionate about in your personal life?

My family, friends, Philadelphia sports, golf, and my dogs.

Ambra Hendrix

Team Leader, HNL

Chicago, IL

What is your area of expertise within Underwriting?
Medical Products and Supplements – Life Sciences.

What surprised you most when you started at Admiral?
The culture and the level of access to our executive team. This access and the culture that it breeds promotes a sense of inclusiveness.

What do you enjoy most about your role? 
Establishing and fostering relationships within our team and the brokers that we support. 

If you could max out a credit card at any store, where would it be?
HomeGoods/TJ Maxx

What are you most passionate about in your personal life?
My family- My husband and kids and cherishing the time that we have while we are all under one roof and doing this life thing together.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
I love True Crime shows and Food Network. I am also a red wine connoisseur and need my own vineyard (Maybe in another lifetime).

Cynthia Pacheco

Account Executive, Excess

Glendale, CA

What is your area of expertise within Underwriting?
I prioritize and execute.  I want to be sure the correct information is presented to the underwriter.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
The opportunity to constantly learn and grow.  I enjoy the collaborative environment. All the underwriters are talented and love to share and pass down their knowledge of underwriting.

I thrive in environments where I can constantly learn new things and develop my skills.

What are you most passionate about in your personal life? 
Baseball is my passion. Especially Dodger baseball. I dedicate 6 months of the year to this team.  Once the first pitch at Spring Training is thrown, to when the last out is made in the World Series – it’s all about baseball.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
I love attending Horror/Sci-Fi/Hollywood conventions.  Meeting the actors from movies and tv shows. The biggest actors I’ve met were the 2 villains from the first Scream movie. I also love buying trinkets from local vendors who share their love for horror/Sci-Fi/Hollywood.

If a friend was considering joining Admiral’s Underwriting team, what would you want them to know?
I would tell them that Admiral is a great company. They care about their employees and customers.  They want employees to grow and push themselves to be the best they can be.  And once you become the best, they encourage you to go beyond. The leadership is supportive and top notch.

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Interested in a Career in Underwriting?

Whether you’re just getting started or bring expertise from a decade’s long career, now is a great time to join Admiral’s Underwriting team!

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