Assistant Vice President, Transactional & Private Equity Claims
About the role
The Assistant Vice President, Transactional & Private Equity Claims is a senior claims leader responsible for the strategic oversight, operational excellence, and performance of the Transactional and Private Equity (Reps & Warranties) Claims portfolio. This role provides enterprise-level leadership for a complex, high-severity claims book and leads a specialized claims team, ensuring consistent application of best-in-class claims practices, disciplined reserving, and alignment with broader company objectives.
This role serves as a key advisor to executive leadership and business partners on matters involving significant financial, legal, and reputational exposure, while also acting as a visible representative of the organization to insureds, brokers, reinsurers, and industry stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Own and direct the Transactional and Private Equity claims portfolio, providing strategic oversight of complex, high-exposure matters within delegated authority.
Establish and manage portfolio-level strategies for reserving, large loss reporting, claim resolution, and emerging risk identification.
Identify, analyze, and communicate loss trends, legislative developments, and market dynamics with enterprise-wide implications.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of claims professionals, setting clear expectations for performance, technical excellence, and professional growth.
Establish individual and team goals, metrics, and performance standards aligned with Claims Department strategy and company initiatives.
Promote a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance culture across the claims organization.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior management on claims presenting significant exposure or precedent-setting outcomes.
Maintain strong, strategic relationships with insureds, brokers, reinsurers, underwriters, actuaries, and internal partners.
Represent the organization at client meetings, broker presentations, and industry events to support retention, market credibility, and business development.
Provide executive-level oversight of complex coverage analyses, liability assessments, and damages evaluations.
Review and approve coverage position letters involving novel or high-risk issues.
Ensure timely, accurate, and appropriate reserving practices consistent with internal controls and governance standards.
Direct and approve negotiation, mediation, and settlement strategies; monitor and attend trials, mediations, and settlement conferences as required.
Oversee relationships with critical vendors, including outside counsel, forensic experts, and other specialists.
Review, approve, and manage legal budgets and fee arrangements to ensure cost discipline and value.
Prepare and present Large Claim Reports for matters involving significant reserves, litigation activity, or trial exposure.
Partner closely with Underwriting to support risk selection, policy construction, and drafting, leveraging claims insights and data analytics.
Provide feedback on policy language, claims trends, and underwriting risk assessment to drive product improvement and profitability.
Utilize data, metrics, and analytics to optimize claim outcomes, resource allocation, and operational efficiency.
Qualifications, Education & Experience
A minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience handling Private Equity and Transactional Liability (Reps & Warranties) claims, including leadership or management experience.
Demonstrated success managing complex, high-severity claims and leading sophisticated claims portfolios.
Excellent executive-level oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present clearly and persuasively to senior management and external stakeholders.
Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and investigative skills; ability to think strategically across legal, financial, and business dimensions.
In-depth knowledge of insurance coverage, litigation, arbitration, mediation, and trial processes.
Proven ability to leverage data and performance metrics to manage claims effectively and drive continuous improvement.
Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence across functions and levels without direct authority.
J.D. and current bar admission strongly preferred; prior law firm or in-house legal experience is a plus.
Holds or is able to promptly obtain all required adjuster licenses.
Willingness to travel as required.