A recent IUMI initiative is to encourage new talent onto our technical committees. In this Q&A we are delighted to catch up with Scott DeSimone who is an Underwriting Consultant (National Insurance Property & Marine) at Liberty Mutual Insurance in New York and also a Junior Observer on the IUMI Legal & Liability Committee. 

Tell us about your connection with IUMI? 

I have had no real involvement with IUMI other than attending a few IUMI webinars prior to being elected a junior observer of the Legal & Liability Technical Committee.  The leadership team at AIMU explained to me a few months ago this new position as a junior observer and it sounded like a great opportunity.  I have heard from some of my contemporaries in the US who have been involved with IUMI how great an experience working with the organisation has been for them. 

Why do you feel it’s important to be associated with IUMI? 

IUMI is a global organisation and I believe it is important as an insurance professional to understand how global events can affect my local market as well as other regions.  Every maritime event has ramifications for every marine market throughout the world so I think it is very important to understand the work this organisation does.  I also believe it is very important to understand how insurance markets operate in different regions and this organisation does an amazing job of bringing all the regions together.  Also, IUMI allows us to be an agent of change for problems that need to be addressed in the maritime industry. 

What is your day job and how did you get to that position? 

I am an Executive Underwriter for  hull and liability  at Liberty Mutual and my job consists of portfolio management of new and renewal business in the northeast territory of the United States (North as Maine, as far south as Virginia and as far west as Ohio).  I have been in this position for ten years at Liberty Mutual.  I became an underwriter by starting at Liberty Mutual as an underwriting assistant and eventually progressing to becoming an underwriter.  Prior to working at Liberty Mutual I was an underwriting assistant for marine treaties at Catlin for five years which eventually became AXA XL. 

Assuming no barriers, what would you like to change in the marine insurance world? 

Underwriting rating consistency among all regions.  In my experience global competition has dictated the market cycles more than catastrophic events. 

Where would you like to see life take you in the future? 

I would like to be more involved in technical committees with AIMU and IUMI and just be a stronger well rounded marine insurance professional through education, work experience and being more involved in underwriting committees.  The more involvement I can have in these committees through these organisations the more well-rounded and better an underwriter I can be and I think working with really seasoned underwriters on these committees is one of the best ways to learn to be a better underwriter. 

What is the best advice you’ve received? 

Focus on being better at our craft not necessarily the timeline on where you should be in your career.  If you are good and competent at your craft those timelines will even out in the end.