Editors’ Note

Sean McConlogue serves as President of Alliant Underwriting SolutionsAlliant Underwriting Solutions (AUS) and has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, with particular emphasis on specialty program development. Before joining the company in 2003, McConlogue served as President of Affinity Insurance Services and, prior to that, held senior-level management positions with Tristar Insurance Services, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and Xerox Corporation. McConlogue earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego and a master’s degree in international management from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management.

Will you discuss your role and areas of focus?

Alliant Underwriting Solutions is comprised of 15 unique MGAs/PAs spanning several industry categories and disciplines. My role is to provide leadership, coordination, and guidance to the talented people who oversee these brands. We aim to develop truly great solutions for insureds that are also outstanding opportunities for insurers, finding the inflection point between distribution and the stewardship of our carrier partner’s balance sheet. We have found that creating superior programs while stewarding the carriers’ profit interest enables us to emerge as a long-term, dominant player within a particular niche.

Will you provide an overview of Alliant Underwriting Solutions’ business?

Alliant producers had developed a specialized expertise within an industry category, which led to an extraordinary understanding of the needs of insureds. As the books grew, we approached the underwriting of this business with a unique knowledge of the industry combined with carrier-trained underwriting talent and actuarially sound pricing tools. This resulted in a number of organic programs, which we soon realized were applicable to greater distribution. We responded by expanding the distribution to non-Alliant retail production, and as we grew, we overlaid additional technology which supported our underwriting of superior risks with superior results. Together, these factors have made us a more valuable partner to insurance carriers and brokers, helping us grow to 15 programs with nearly $2.5 billion in underwritten premium.

What are the primary attributes of an AUS company/employee, and how do they separate themselves from their competitors?

Focus and excellence. There are MGAs that aggregate production, but fewer that care about the results of that production. We have extraordinarily lengthy relationships with our carrier partners because we deliver consistently responsible results. Hence, we have deeper relationships with fewer partners. We’ve also taken a more judicious approach to program development. We try to find a competitive advantage in the marketplace by developing a deep knowledge of the customer and their risks. Meanwhile, the way we underwrite and our pricing models create better results for our carrier partners. That makes us different. Quality and integrity drive long-term quantity and loyalty.

As President of AUS, how do you build and nurture an entrepreneurial culture?

It’s a culture of entrepreneurial stewardship. The program leadership I work with are extremely trustworthy and understand the goals of both their carrier partners and the insureds. As such, we empower them to do a lot. We allow space for retrenchment, taking a step back to take two forward, which gives us the clarity to act with integrity with risk taking partners. Carriers and brokers reward real stewardship, making us the critical link in risk transfer.

You have been with Alliant for over 20 years. What has made the experience so special for you?

I have been blessed to receive the same delegation of authority from Alliant as we receive from the insurance companies, in concept anyway. It’s been highly rewarding to run a business under the Alliant umbrella with the freedom and support provided by its leadership. Trust takes time to build, but if one is a good steward of that trust, the blessings are manifest.

What do you tell young people about the type of career the insurance industry offers?

There is great opportunity for young people to innovate in the insurance space. If you’re young and technology-driven, you’ll find that there are myriad opportunities to apply it within our industry, particularly because insurance is still in the process of adapting to new technologies and integrating them into the business. As a result, you will be the one applying it. You’ll be one of few rather than one of many.