Canita Lee, Senior Personal Lines Underwriter, Family Insurance

Canita Lee started her career in the insurance industry in 2000 as a broker. In 2003 and 2008, she acquired the designations of CAIB and CIP, respectively. Canita joined Family Insurance Solutions Inc. in 2008 as a personal lines underwriter serving brokerages across British Columbia.

Canita believes in the value of clear and open communication with her brokers to establish a trusted partnership, so that customer needs are met, she says. In her spare time, Canita enjoys outdoor walks and spending time with family.

Says Canita of her award: “Being recognized in my career life by my broker partners at Canadian Broker Network (CBN) truly means the world to me. We always talk about our career goals and ambitions when we start looking for a permanent job – well, now I can say that one of my biggest career goals has been achieved!”

Q: What is the biggest challenge for underwriters in P&C currently, and one thing that underwriters/insurers can do to overcome this challenge?
“The biggest challenge currently is the shortage of experienced underwriters. There is also a generation gap in the levels of underwriting. I believe that we need to do more on the promotion [of the industry] and motivation to attract people to the marketplace.”

Q: What’s one opportunity you think underwriters should focus more on in today’s marketplace?
“Underwriters should try to spend less time in policy processing and focus more on true underwriting functions, including risk identification, screening and risk exposures. We should also focus more on determining the underwriting rules and guidelines. This should help fulfil the goals and expectations of our broker partners to provide the best customer service and keep up with the constant change of the marketplace.”

Q: What makes for a great working relationship between underwriter and broker?

“Open communication and mutual trust is the key to a great working relationship. When trust is established, we can discuss a risk openly and thoroughly. It always leads to a happy solution, helping us turn a less insurable risk into an insurable one.”

Q: Why did you become an underwriter and what do you love most about your role?
“I first started as an insurance agent. The industry chose me and chose me right! My interest in and passion for the insurance industry grows every day. After I acquired my CIP designation, I moved on to take a role as a personal lines underwriter. I like this role even better as it has given me the opportunity to learn more about the wide range of risks and the complexity of risk exposures. This knowledge allows me to identity the risk better and thus to offer the best coverage that meets an insured’s needs.”