2024 Underwriters of the Year | Karen Bernard, Senior Personal Lines Underwriter, Heartland Mutual Insurance

With over two decades of insurance expertise, Karen Bernard is known for her exceptional personal touch when serving brokers.

She began her insurance career in 2002 as a facility processor at Co-operators — “back when we still manually input all data,” she recalls. Since then, Bernard has held various roles, including processor, sales associate, licensed representative, and personal lines underwriter. This diverse experience equipped her with deep industry knowledge, enabling her to deliver personalized client service.

Outside her professional life, Bernard loves exploring hiking trails. She is a proud mother of two children and four animals.

“Having been in the business for the past 22 years, I can honestly say it’s great to be recognized for my contribution to the insurance world. Feeling acknowledged in my role makes the job very worthwhile,” says Bernard of her award nomination by MacLeod Lorway, a broker member of the Canadian Broker Network – Canada’s largest network of independent brokers.

Q: What makes a great underwriter-broker working relationship?

“A personal touch. You want trust between the broker and the underwriter, which, in turn, retains great business. It’s important that we’re available to brokers to assist, explain, or just listen to their requests — whether by phone or email — so that brokers feel confident in the service they receive.”

Q: Why did you become an underwriter, and what do you love most about your role?

“As an underwriter, I very much enjoy being behind the scenes, reviewing policies, researching what’s required, and making that final decision regarding each policy. If you have a happy client, you know you’ve done your job right!”

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for underwriters in P&C currently, and one thing they can do to overcome it?

“As underwriters, we must follow the written rules and guidelines for each product. Sometimes we’d like to step out of these guidelines when making a final decision, but like anyone else in the real world, we have to follow the rules.”

Q: What’s one opportunity you think underwriters should focus more on in today’s marketplace?

“One of the biggest challenges in the world today is climate change, which greatly affects insurance, especially claims losses. We need to adapt to catastrophic incidents, review our rulings for these, and accommodate insureds, as these events will only continue in the future.”

Q: Given the current talent shortage, what would you say to encourage people to join the industry?

“Many people have misconceptions about the insurance industry. Working in the industry is satisfying because you’re able to explain insurance to people from all walks of life, and you can aid them in providing the best available coverage options.”

Q: How do you see technology, including AI, impacting the role of underwriters in the coming years?

“When it comes to insurance, I think AI wouldn’t be sufficient in providing proper customer service to clients. It can’t provide a personal approach and may result in a client not having a full understanding of their coverage.”