The Underwriting Agencies Council (UAC) has created a CEO position to lead the peak body after GM William Legge retires from the role next month.

UAC has started to screen potential candidates for the role and hopes to finalise the recruitment process in the coming weeks.

“In short, UAC has grown and developed into a much larger organisation and our collective annual gross premium pool has increased substantially,” UAC Chairman Kurt Nilsen told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“Our members represent a much larger proportion of insurance buyers than ever before so we believe it’s time for UAC to look at the next five years and one of the primary tasks of the new CEO is to implement the 2025 Strategic Plan.”

UAC has been working on the strategic plan and is about to complete the blueprint that will drive the peak body over the next five years.

The peak body now has more than 100 members with a combined gross written premium pool in excess of $10 billion, up from $8-9 billion last year. Demand for specialist underwriters has surged in the last several years as risks have become more complex and niche, coinciding with one of the hardest rate cycles seen in a long time.

The job ad for the role says the CEO must enhance UAC’s capability and position as an advocate for the underwriting agencies of Australia and build on the successful hub connections to ensure members have access to the marketplace.

Click here for the job ad.