Results
Commercial Insurance Recruiting Case Studies
Real placements. Real outcomes. A look at the searches where specialist focus, market relationships, and permanent placement commitment made the difference.
1,200+
Total Placements
47 days
Avg. Time to Fill
94%
12-Month Retention
100%
Permanent / Direct Hire
Regional Agency Fills Senior Commercial AM Role in 28 Days
Senior Commercial Lines Account Manager
The Challenge
The agency had been trying to fill a senior commercial AM seat for over four months. Three candidates had declined offers after initial enthusiasm. The book was over $2M in commercial P&C, heavy on construction GL and umbrella.
Our Approach
SHG conducted a deep intake call to understand what had gone wrong with the previous three candidates. We identified a compensation gap and a mismatch in book type expectations. We recalibrated the comp structure recommendation and sourced exclusively from candidates with construction-focused book experience.
The Result
Placed a CIC-designated commercial AM with 11 years of construction-focused P&C experience. Offer accepted in 28 days from search start. Still with the agency 2+ years later.
Client
Mid-Size Regional Independent Agency
28
Days to Placement
4+ months
Prior Search Duration
100%
Candidate Book Fit
2+ years
Retention
National Carrier Sources E&S Underwriter with Specific Binding Authority
Senior E&S Commercial Underwriter
The Challenge
The carrier needed an E&S underwriter with specific binding authority in excess casualty and umbrella for commercial accounts — a highly specific combination that three prior search firms had failed to fill in six months.
Our Approach
SHG leveraged direct wholesale market relationships to identify passive E&S underwriters not visible on job boards. We pre-screened specifically for excess casualty binding authority and presented a slate of four candidates, all pre-briefed on the role.
The Result
One candidate was hired after a two-week process. The placement was the fastest senior UW hire in the client's history. The hire brought a Lloyd's market relationship that opened a new placement channel for the carrier.
Client
Regional Specialty Carrier
38
Days to Placement
6 months
Prior Search Duration
4
Candidates Presented
Lloyd's access
Added Value
MGA Secures Director of Underwriting via Confidential Executive Search
Director of Underwriting — Specialty Lines
The Challenge
A growth-stage specialty MGA needed a Director of Underwriting who understood both the underwriting side and the carrier relationship management aspect of the MGA model. The role had to be filled confidentially — the incumbent was still in the seat.
Our Approach
SHG ran a fully confidential retained search. We mapped the specialty MGA underwriting director landscape across the Southeast, identified eight qualified passive candidates, and conducted initial screening calls under a non-disclosure framework before presenting a shortlist of three.
The Result
The client hired their top-ranked candidate — a Director from a competing MGA with $120M in managed premium. The confidential process protected the client's incumbent situation completely.
Client
Specialty Lines MGA
52
Days to Placement
100%
Confidentiality Maintained
3 candidates
Shortlist Presented
$120M+
Managed Premium
Fortune 500 Corporation Places Enterprise Risk Manager in 41 Days
Enterprise Risk Manager
The Challenge
A complex Fortune 500 manufacturer needed an ERM professional who could bridge traditional insurance risk purchasing with enterprise risk frameworks — a rare combination. Previous corporate HR efforts had generated no qualified candidates in three months.
Our Approach
SHG focused on candidates with a dual background: insurance program management experience combined with COSO or ISO 31000 ERM framework expertise. We identified candidates from both insurance and internal risk management backgrounds and cross-screened for the combination.
The Result
Placed an ARM-designated risk manager with P&L exposure for a $500M manufacturing company. The hire reduced the client's total cost of risk by 12% in year one through better program structure.
Client
Fortune 500 Manufacturing Corporation
41
Days to Placement
3 months unfilled
Prior HR Search
$500M revenue
Program Size
12%
Year 1 TCoR Reduction
Wholesale Broker Builds Surplus Lines Team of 4 in One Quarter
Multiple: E&S Brokers & Underwriting Assistants
The Challenge
A rapidly growing wholesale brokerage was expanding its surplus lines production team and needed to hire four professionals simultaneously — two senior E&S brokers and two underwriting assistants — within a single quarter to capture market opportunities.
Our Approach
SHG ran parallel search tracks for each role type, leveraging our wholesale market network to pipeline candidates simultaneously rather than sequentially. We provided weekly progress updates and maintained candidate pipelines for each track in parallel.
The Result
All four positions filled within 11 weeks. Two senior E&S brokers brought combined book relationships exceeding $8M in annual premium. The team was producing new business within 60 days of all hires starting.
Client
National Wholesale Brokerage
4 of 4
Positions Filled
11
Weeks to Complete
$8M+
Book Relationships
6 total
Client Repeat Hires
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