Breaking down silos between underwriting, claims and reinsurance

In many insurance businesses, underwriting, claims, and reinsurance are split. Different teams, different focus areas. That part is normal, but it can also create a little distance, maybe more than people want. Underwriting makes the call at the start, while claims deals with what shows up later. Reinsurance looks at how the risk gets spread further out. In essence it is about the same exposures, just at different stages. The issue is, they do not always connect as much as they should. Claims teams, for instance, see how things actually play out. They see where losses come through, what keeps repeating, and what didn’t behave like it was supposed to. If that stays within the claims environment, underwriting doesn’t always benefit from it. And at the same time, underwriting decisions do not just disappear once a policy is written. They come back later. If something wasn’t fully understood upfront, or if there were gaps, it tends to surface when a claim is submitted. And that is rarely the best time to deal with it, because the problem is already in motion. Reinsurance is directly linked to both underwriting quality and claims outcomes. It depends on clear, consistent risk assessment at inception, as reinsurers ultimately share in those risks. Weaknesses in underwriting can carry through to claims, creating misalignment, uncertainty, or delays. At claims stage, reinsurers are often actively involved, particularly in large or complex losses. Where underwriting intent, policy terms, and reinsurance structures are aligned, claims flow more smoothly. Where they are not, pressure points arise quickly. Most of the time it doesn’t take massive change. Better feedback from claims back into underwriting helps. Looking at larger loss events together helps too, because the story becomes more visible. Even sharing information more regularly, in a practical way, can make a difference. Over time those minor shifts build a clearer, stronger view of risk across the whole organisation. Decisions start to feel a bit more grounded, and there are fewer surprises later on. It’s not really about removing the silos, or pretending they never exist. It’s more about making sure they do not block the information flow.* Sesilia Nkoshi is an Underwriting and Reinsurance Manager at Old Mutual Short-Term Insurance.

Breaking down silos between underwriting, claims and reinsurance

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-04

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Breaking down silos between underwriting, claims and reinsurance

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-04

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