In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Owen Whelan, Managing Director at Calibrant, to unpack the realities of delegated underwriting today and what it really takes for MGAs and carriers to build sustainable, data-driven, high-performance partnerships.

With decades of experience across actuarial, underwriting, and technology-led transformation, Owen brings a rare multi-stakeholder perspective. At Calibrant, he helps both carriers and MGAs modernize their delegated portfolios, improve data flows, sharpen underwriting performance, and create contractual structures that actually align interests.

In this episode, Amrit and Owen dive into:

• Why data remains the biggest barrier to effective MGA oversight and how to break out of the spreadsheet-and-email trap
• The shift from broker-led to underwriter-led MGAs, and what that means for profitability, governance, and market behaviour
• How to design MGA systems and workflows with principles to avoid long-term operational debt
• What softening markets reveal about incentives, commissions, and underwriting discipline in delegated portfolios.
• How carriers and MGAs can build long-term, multi-year partnerships with clear expectations, reciprocal accountability, and smarter contracts

Whether you're an MGA founder, a carrier underwriting leader, or simply curious about the future of delegated authority, this conversation offers a candid, practical look at what works, what doesn’t, and what’s coming next.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with Karen Dayal, Chief Underwriting Officer for Commercial Lines at Aviva UK and Ireland, to explore how data, technology, and human judgment are transforming commercial underwriting.

Karen brings over 20 years of experience as a pricing actuary and a track record of driving data-led, technology-enabled underwriting transformation. At Aviva, she’s championing initiatives like next-generation pricing platforms, renewable portfolio growth, and embedding DEI principles into core operations.

In this episode, Amrit and Karen dive into:

• How combining human intuition with advanced data analytics is reshaping underwriting decisions.
• Strategies for building trust between actuarial and underwriting teams to drive better outcomes.
• Lessons from crossing the actuarial–underwriting divide and developing future-ready underwriting leaders.
• Practical tips for implementing change and driving adoption of new tools in large organizations.
• The role of cyber risk, climate change, and ESG considerations in shaping modern underwriting.

In this episode of the Underwriting Intelligence Podcast, Amrit sits down with James Slaughter, Chief Underwriting Officer at Apollo, to explore the cutting edge of underwriting, AI, and leadership.

James is a market veteran with decades of experience, but he’s far from a traditionalist. At Apollo, he’s driving innovation across technology, operations, and strategy- building on initiatives like their groundbreaking ibott platform.

In this episode, Amrit and James dive into:

• How starting small and aiming for quick wins can build trust before scaling AI initiatives.
• Why robust data infrastructure is the foundation for successful AI adoption.
• How augmented underwriting empowers underwriters to enhance their work rather than replace them.
• Insights into the future of underwriting: predictive, collaborative, and fast-moving.