New underwriting talent strengthens Captives.insure
Captives.insure has strengthened its underwriting capabilities with the appointment of Rachel Kortman (pictured), an experienced insurance professional whose career has spanned some of the industry's most established carriers. Bringing expertise gained at Travelers, Accident Fund, Eastern Alliance and AXA XL, Kortman joins the business at a time when demand for alternative risk financing solutions continues to grow.
Kortman said the opportunity to join Captives.insure was driven by a desire to make a broader impact. While she valued her experience as an underwriter, she was looking for a more entrepreneurial environment where she could contribute strategically rather than focusing on the same portfolio of renewals year after year.
Despite the changing insurance market, Kortman believes the fundamentals of underwriting remain unchanged. Whether evaluating a small family business or a Fortune 250 company, she says the principles of understanding an organisation's operations, claims history and appetite for risk apply across guaranteed cost programmes, deductible structures and captive insurance arrangements alike. Market cycles may influence pricing, but disciplined risk assessment and long-term profitability remain the foundations of sound underwriting.
Kortman also sees significant opportunities to broaden awareness of captive insurance. She believes one of the sector's biggest misconceptions is that captives are only suitable for the largest organisations or are too complex for most businesses. In reality, captive structures represent another flexible way of financing risk and are becoming increasingly accessible. Education, she argues, is key to changing perceptions, with practical guidance, case studies and open conversations helping organisations understand whether a captive solution could meet their needs.
Technology will also play an increasingly important role in underwriting, although Kortman is clear that artificial intelligence should enhance rather than replace human expertise. Automation can remove repetitive administrative tasks, improve accuracy and identify potential loss trends, allowing underwriters to spend more time understanding a client's unique business and future ambitions. While AI may recommend policy structures or coverages, she believes only experienced underwriters can properly assess an organisation's risk tolerance and develop solutions aligned with its strategic objectives.
Looking ahead, Kortman believes Captives.insure is well positioned to challenge traditional insurance practices. She argues that the wider market can often be slow to innovate and too reliant on standardised underwriting approaches. By combining specialist insurance knowledge with modern technology and products such as EmpoweredRe, designed to expand access to captive solutions, Captives.insure is creating new opportunities for organisations that may previously have considered captive insurance beyond their reach. For Kortman, innovation, agility and strong client relationships will continue to define the company's growth.
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