Product Lead - Pest Control Program

Product Head, Pest Control Program

The Product Head, Pest Control Program is responsible for the overall underwriting, portfolio, and business performance of Ryan Specialty's Pest Control Program. This leader develops and executes the underwriting strategy, aligns talent and capital resources, and oversees portfolio performance to drive sustainable growth and profitability. Working closely with the MGU President/Managing Director, the Product Head serves as the strategic owner of the product, ensuring underwriting discipline, data integrity, profitability, and operational excellence. This role builds and maintains key internal and external partnerships, provides transparency through robust reporting and portfolio management, and supports the continued growth and evolution of the program. The successful candidate combines deep commercial insurance underwriting expertise with strong business acumen, market insight, leadership capability, and an entrepreneurial mindset to deliver exceptional results while fostering a culture aligned with Ryan Specialty's values.

Product Strategy & Portfolio Leadership

• Develop and execute the underwriting strategy for the Pest Control Program, ensuring alignment with carrier and capital provider appetite, growth objectives, profitability targets, and loss ratio expectations.
• Own overall product portfolio performance, including premium growth, retention, new business production, loss ratio results, geographic distribution, class mix, and underwriting quality.
• Establish and maintain underwriting guidelines, authorities, referral structures, and governance processes.
• Monitor market conditions, competitive trends, emerging exposures, and loss drivers to refine underwriting strategy and product positioning.
• Identify opportunities for product enhancements, geographic expansion, coverage innovation, and profitable growth.
• Partner with actuarial and analytics teams to develop and enhance pricing methodologies, rating tools, and portfolio performance monitoring.
• Serve as the first line of defense for underwriting compliance, portfolio oversight, and underwriting governance.

Underwriting Performance & Talent Leadership

• Lead underwriting execution and ensure adherence to underwriting strategy across the portfolio.
• Drive accountability for production, pricing adequacy, profitability, and service standards.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain top underwriting talent.
• Establish underwriting authorities and succession plans that support sustainable growth and operational scalability.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.

Capital & Carrier Relationships

• Partner with carrier and reinsurance partners to ensure alignment on portfolio performance, underwriting appetite, and strategic objectives.
• Present portfolio results, performance trends, and business plans to capital providers and executive leadership.
• Help identify and secure bespoke capital arrangements or program structures when appropriate.
• Support stewardship activities and maintain strong relationships with carrier, reinsurance, and capital partners.

Business & Strategic Partnership Management

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with third-party administrators (TPAs), inspection vendors, technology providers, data partners, and other service providers critical to program success.
• Collaborate with shared service partners across Ryan Specialty, including actuarial, compliance, legal, finance, operations, claims, and technology teams.
• Share insights, market intelligence, portfolio trends, and best practices across the broader Ryan Specialty platform.

Reporting, Analytics & Governance

• Establish and maintain key portfolio metrics that provide transparency into product performance and portfolio health.
• Ensure data quality, reporting integrity, and consistency across underwriting, operational, and financial reporting.
• Monitor production activity, renewal retention, loss trends, and forecast performance.
• Provide timely and accurate reporting to executive leadership, capital providers, and other stakeholders.
• Support strategic planning, forecasting, and annual operating plan development for the business.

Distribution & Market Development

• Partner with distribution leaders, brokers, and key producers to support profitable growth initiatives.
• Act as a subject matter expert and market-facing representative for the Pest Control Program.
• Lead product-specific marketing and business development efforts.
• Support agency, broker, and carrier relationship management activities as needed.
• Represent the program at industry events, conferences, and client meetings.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Risk Management, Insurance, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of commercial property and casualty underwriting experience.
• Significant experience managing specialized program business, MGA/MGU portfolios, or niche commercial insurance products.
• Proven success leading profitable underwriting portfolios and driving growth initiatives.
• Experience working with carrier, reinsurance, and capital provider relationships.
• Experience leading underwriting teams and developing underwriting talent.
• Experience within pest control, environmental services, contractors, service industries, or related specialty program business strongly preferred.

Ryan Specialty is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse workforce throughout the organization. Our vision is an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees are valued for and evaluated on their performance and contributions. Differences in race, creed, color, religious beliefs, physical or mental capabilities, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and many other characteristics bring together varied perspectives and add value to the service we provide our clients, trading partners, and communities. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, discipline, firing, promoting, transferring, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms, conditions, and benefits of employment.