KENNETH ESSU
Lagos,Nigeria
Summary
Accomplished professional with expertise in life underwriting strategy and governance, portfolio risk management, and profitability optimisation. Demonstrates proficiency in retail life, group life, credit life, and annuity underwriting. Skilled in developing underwriting authority frameworks and policy management, risk evaluation, and decision governance. Proven track record of cross-functional leadership across underwriting, claims, and reinsurance. Adept at driving underwriting automation and digital workflow initiatives while engaging stakeholders such as brokers and reinsurers. Committed to the development and building of underwriting capabilities. Proficient in insurance underwriting systems including IES, IBS, WapX as well as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint & Excel for portfolio reporting and analysis.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
2024
2024
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Deputy Manager – Head, Life Underwriting
Coronation Life Assurance Ltd
2023.03 - 2026.03
- Provide strategic leadership for the Life Underwriting function with responsibility for underwriting governance, portfolio risk quality and operational oversight across retail and group life underwriting activities.
- Key Leadership Responsibilities
- Lead underwriting strategy ensuring alignment with organization’s risk appetite and profitability objectives.
- Provide oversight and technical direction to underwriting team leads and analysts while guiding complex and high-value underwriting cases.
- Exercise underwriting authority for risks within approved limits and escalate cases exceeding delegated authority for executive approval.
- Monitor portfolio performance metrics including acceptance ratios, rating adequacy, underwriting profitability and risk concentration levels.
- Collaborate with actuarial and finance teams on pricing assumptions, experience monitoring and IFRS 17 related performance insights.
- Coordinate facultative placements and treaty utilization with reinsurers to ensure optimal risk transfer and capital protection.
- Continuously review and enhance underwriting guidelines, policy conditions and authority frameworks.
- Drive operational improvements including underwriting workflow optimization and digital underwriting initiatives.
- Provide technical underwriting leadership to brokers, distribution teams and strategic partners.
- Boosted team morale through effective communication and feedback systems.
Assistant Manager – Head, Individual Life Underwriting
African Alliance Insurance Plc
2022.05 - 2023.02
- Provided operational and technical leadership for the Individual Life Underwriting unit while ensuring underwriting discipline and portfolio quality across the retail life business.
- Key Contributions
- Oversaw complex underwriting decisions across retail life proposals and ensured adherence to underwriting guidelines.
- Supervised underwriting staff and strengthened underwriting adjudication processes.
- Produced underwriting reports and portfolio insights for senior management decision making.
- Provided mentorship and technical guidance to underwriting staff to enhance risk evaluation capability.
Acting Head – Underwriting
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2022.02 - 2022.04
- Led both individual and group life underwriting teams during the transition period.
- Evaluated complex underwriting cases involving medical and financial risk assessment.
- Provided technical advisory support on underwriting policies and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Prepared underwriting reports and regulatory submissions.
Head – Retail Claims
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2020.10 - 2022.02
- Directed the retail claims function ensuring efficient and accurate settlement of claims.
- Implemented claims governance frameworks and investigation protocols.
- Generated claims experience insights used by underwriting for improved risk selection and pricing decisions.
Senior Officer – Retail & Group Life Underwriting
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2014.01 - 2020.10
- Assessed life insurance proposals and determined risk acceptance in accordance with underwriting guidelines.
- Issued policy documentation, endorsements and renewal notices across retail and group life portfolios.
- Coordinated medical examinations and underwriting evidence requirements.
- Managed reinsurance premium administration and treaty reporting.
Education
Master of Business Administration - MBA
Nexford University
Bachelor of Engineering - Chemical Engineering
University of Benin
Skills
- Life Underwriting Strategy & Governance
- Problem Solving, conflict management, critical thinker
- Insurance Industry Knowledge
- Reinsurance Treaty & Facultative Risk Placement
- Underwriting Authority Frameworks & Policy Development
- Complex Risk Evaluation & Decision Governance
- Cross-Functional Leadership (Reinsurance, Claims, Finance)
- Underwriting Automation & Digital Workflow Initiatives
- Stakeholder Engagement with Brokers & Reinsurers
- Talent Development & Underwriting Capability Building
- Insurance Underwriting Systems (IES, IBS, WapX)
- Microsoft Word, Powerpoint Excel – portfolio reporting and analysis
Certification
Associate, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (ACIIN) – 2021
REFERENCES
Available upon request
Accomplishments
- Progressed into leadership roles across multiple leading life insurance companies, culminating in appointment as Head of Life Underwriting responsible for strategic oversight of underwriting operations.
- Strengthened underwriting governance through continuous enhancement of underwriting guidelines, authority limits and adjudication processes to improve risk selection discipline.
- Provided executive oversight on complex underwriting decisions including large sum assured cases and medical risk assessments.
- Built strong collaboration between underwriting, actuarial, claims and reinsurance teams to ensure consistent portfolio monitoring and risk-based decision making.
- Contributed to improved operational efficiency through process improvements and adoption of digital underwriting workflow systems.
- Developed and mentored underwriting professionals, strengthening technical capabilities and building a pipeline of underwriting specialists across retail and group life business lines.
Affiliations
Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN)
References
References available upon request.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- WAICA Reinsurance Corporation – Longevity Risk & Reinsurance of Annuity Products; Life Reinsurance Underwriting & Accounting
- Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism Training
- Insurance Enterprise Solution (IES) Systems Training
- Integrated Business Services (IBS) Systems Training
LEADERSHIP IMPACT
- Underwriting Governance: Strengthened underwriting discipline through improved risk assessment frameworks and adherence to risk appetite guidelines.
- Portfolio Quality Management: Ensured underwriting decisions align with long-term portfolio profitability objectives and risk concentration limits.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered closely with actuarial, claims, ERM and reinsurance teams to enhance experience monitoring and pricing adequacy.
- Operational Transformation: Led initiatives aimed at improving underwriting workflows, turnaround time and operational efficiency.
- Talent Development: Built and coached underwriting teams while encouraging professional development and technical excellence.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Provided technical underwriting support to brokers, distribution partners and internal business units.
LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES
- Strategic risk leadership
- Analytical and data-driven decision making
- Stakeholder engagement and negotiation
- Team leadership and talent development
- Governance, compliance and regulatory awareness
- Operational improvement and process optimization
Timeline
Deputy Manager – Head, Life Underwriting
Coronation Life Assurance Ltd
2023.03 - 2026.03
Assistant Manager – Head, Individual Life Underwriting
African Alliance Insurance Plc
2022.05 - 2023.02
Acting Head – Underwriting
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2022.02 - 2022.04
Head – Retail Claims
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2020.10 - 2022.02
Senior Officer – Retail & Group Life Underwriting
Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc
2014.01 - 2020.10
Bachelor of Engineering - Chemical Engineering
University of Benin
Master of Business Administration - MBA
Nexford University