Head of Claims - International

Position Summary:

This is an exciting opportunity to help develop and build a framework for claims handling and advocacy across business written by Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (‘RSUM’). The role will partner with cross-functional leadership within RSUM and external insurance partners, primarily focusing on international business units(‘RSUMI’), with responsibilities focused on three primary areas:
1. Support the development of the strategy and facilitate the transformation of RSUMI’s compartmentalized and MGU-driven claims processes into a centralized and scalable international claims function.
2. Assist in establishing governance, control, and independence frameworks to mitigate risk related to claims both internal and external to Ryan Specialty.
3. Partner with internal and external leadership to help build a foundation of claims data, analytics, and reporting to inform strategy and support decision-making across RSUMI.

Location:

London - UK - Fenchurch

What will your job entail?

Responsibilities

• Establish and manage a governance process that integrates meaningful quality standards, validates appropriate controls, and ensures independent, outcome-neutral claims decision-making across RSUMI.
• Drive the implementation of metric dashboards and reporting frameworks to monitor claims performance, assess reserve adequacy, and track large loss exposure.
• Standardize, centralize, and operationalize claims handling and advocacy practices across international MGUs, aligned to RSUM global standards.
• Facilitate the continued development and execution of a centralized RSUMI claims operating model, including claims operations, data, and reporting capabilities.
• Develop long-term international claims organization plans aligned to RSUM growth strategy and global claims vision.
• Define compelling business cases to support transformation initiatives, governance enhancements, and operational improvements across RSUMI.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for large, complex, or sensitive international claims and portfolio issues.
• Partner with MGU leadership and practice groups to ensure alignment between claims philosophy, underwriting strategy, and portfolio performance.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders across RSUMI, MGUs, carriers, TPAs, and external partners.
• Oversee claims handling and/or advocacy teams’ remediation action plans to address performance concerns for RSUMI.
• Assist with modernization initiatives, including claims platform development, automation opportunities, and data infrastructure enhancements.
• Assist with the development and execution of RSUMI claims governance forums (e.g., Working Groups) and facilitate communications to key stakeholders.
• Build and develop a high-performing international claims organization while optimizing resource allocation across MGUs and practice areas.
• Foster a culture of claims excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with global claims leadership on planning, staffing, budgeting, and organizational design.

Candidate Requirements

 

Skills

• Strong governance, risk-control, and independence mindset, with the credibility to act as a senior claims control leader across delegated authority environments.
• Commercially astute, with sound judgement in balancing technical claims oversight, carrier expectations, underwriting strategy, client outcomes, and business performance.
• Highly data-led, with the ability to interpret claims analytics, MI, dashboards, reserving indicators, leakage trends, and large loss activity to inform portfolio oversight.
• Confident executive communicator with the ability to influence senior internal stakeholders, carriers, MGUs, TPAs, brokers, and global claims leadership.
• Proven ability to lead through matrixed, international environments, creating consistency while respecting local market practice, regulatory expectations, and delegated authority arrangements.
• Transformation-oriented, with the resilience, structure, and delivery discipline to build scalable processes, governance forums, reporting rhythms, and operating controls in a fast-evolving business.

Experience

• Significant progressive claims leadership experience, including senior accountability for international, multi-jurisdictional, specialty, or complex commercial claims environments.
• Essential experience in delegated authority, MGA/MGU, carrier, or specialty insurance environments, with practical understanding of claims governance, control frameworks, and authority oversight.
• Demonstrated experience managing senior carrier, broker, TPA, MGU, and internal leadership relationships, including escalation and resolution of complex, high-value, or sensitive claims matters.
• Track record of using claims data, reserving insight, performance metrics, leakage analysis, and portfolio trends to improve claims outcomes and inform strategic decision-making.
• Experience leading claims transformation, centralisation, operating model development, governance enhancement, or claims function build-out within a growing, acquisitive, or international organisation.
• Preferred breadth across specialty lines, commercial lines, London Market, international insurance markets, or outsourced claims service models.

Disclaimer

Ryan Specialty is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse workforce throughout the organization. Our vision is an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees are valued for and evaluated on their performance and contributions. Differences in race, creed, color, religious beliefs, physical or mental capabilities, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and many other characteristics bring together varied perspectives and add value to the service we provide our clients, trading partners, and communities. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, discipline, firing, promoting, transferring, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms, conditions, and benefits of employment.