Pricing transformation in insurance: the underwriter perspective

“There is a wonderful pride about underwriting and its legacy, but we have to ensure that it continues to evolve.” – Grace Flowers, chief underwriting officer, Zurich, Spain.

Underwriters are on the front line of insurance, balancing commercial judgement with increasingly complex risk decisions. Yet as pricing transformation pressures gather pace, many still rely on disconnected systems, manual processes and familiar spreadsheet-based workflows. The challenge for insurers is preserving the transparency and flexibility underwriters value, while enabling pricing systems to scale, integrate data more effectively and support faster decision-making.

Drawing on exclusive survey findings and insight from decision-makers at leading insurers including Aviva, Hiscox and Zurich, this Insurance Post report, produced in association with Optalitix, explores pricing modernisation through the underwriter’s lens. It examines whether transformation efforts are delivering meaningful operational benefits – and what underwriters need from the next generation of pricing tools.

The report reveals:
• Why many underwriters feel pricing transformation progress is falling short.
• Why Excel remains central to underwriting workflows – and how insurers are looking to enhance it with greater scalability, integration and governance.
• How perception gaps between underwriting, actuarial and technology teams are shaping change.
• Why trust, transparency and usability matter as much as technical sophistication.
• How AI is helping automate workflows and improve efficiency.
• The organisational and cultural barriers slowing progress.

Download the report to discover how insurers can bridge the gap between technical innovation and underwriting reality, enabling faster decisions and stronger collaboration.