Vela Insurance Services provides specialized Excess and Surplus Lines Casualty and Professional Liability insurance solutions in the following four market segments.: Construction, Specialty Casualty, Velocity Small Business & Professional Liability. 

 

We offer national service and local knowledge to our exclusive wholesale broker network and the businesses they serve.

 

The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer. https://www.vela-ins.com/

 

The Vice President, Distribution Strategies & Sales Enablement is a key strategic leader responsible for driving Vela’s growth and shaping the future of our underwriting and sales culture. Reporting to the CUO, this role blends market strategy with technical excellence, ensuring our distribution network thrives while our underwriting teams are equipped with best-in-class skills and tools. You will own the vision for broker and sales enablement, creating innovative approaches to expand market reach and strengthen relationships. At the same time, you’ll champion technical underwriting training programs that elevate expertise and align with our “One Underwriting” philosophy. This is a high-visibility role for a dynamic leader who thrives on building strategy, inspiring teams, and delivering results.

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead unified broker relations and sales enablement strategy across segments
• Build and sustain a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Champion profitable growth by leveraging technology, analytics, and diversified market opportunities
• Oversee brokering assignments, monitor sales and productivity metrics, and drive profitability targets
• Travel to facilitate in-person broker meetings, industry events and employee learning

  

Sales & Distribution Management:

• Own the vision for broker and sales enablement, shaping a high-performance underwriting sales culture that drives sustainable growth.
• Develop and execute distribution strategies that optimize broker assignments, ensuring coverage aligns with organizational priorities and market opportunities.
• Lead performance management for the distribution network, leveraging data-driven insights to track productivity, profitability, and broker engagement, and take proactive action to improve results.
• Identify and cultivate new distribution channels, creating innovative pathways for market expansion and increased visibility across all product lines.
• Direct regional growth strategies with a focus on high-quality submissions and profitable business, ensuring alignment with underwriting standards and sales objectives.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with wholesale brokers, fostering joint business plans and collaborative initiatives to accelerate production.
• Drive sales execution excellence through annual territory reviews, performance assessments, and alignment with Market Segment Executives.
• Establish and lead a Producer Council to strengthen broker relationships, gather market intelligence, and influence strategic decisions.
• Oversee broker licensing compliance and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Design and deliver flagship engagement events, including the annual Underwriting Summit, to reinforce culture, share insights, and energize the distribution network.

Underwriting & Sales Training:

• Provide strategic direction for underwriting and sales training initiatives to ensure alignment with organizational goals and growth strategies.
• Oversee the design and implementation of training programs focused on technical underwriting, sales effectiveness, and negotiation skills, leveraging internal and external resources as appropriate.
• Partner with the development lead to ensure training content is current, relevant, and supports underwriting discipline and sales excellence.
• Facilitate training delivery through coordination of internal subject matter experts and external consultants; personally lead select sessions when strategic impact is required.
• Champion continuous learning by promoting future-focused development opportunities in areas such as technology, data analytics, and market innovation.
• Monitor training effectiveness and recommend enhancements based on performance metrics, feedback, and evolving business needs.
• Support field execution by participating in occasional ride-alongs with Broker Specialists to observe practices, reinforce standards, and identify development opportunities. 

 

• Four (4) year College Degree, or commensurate experience and training
• Industry designations such as CPCU, ARM preferred
• Min 10+ years in underwriting and broker distribution experience
• Strong background in managing high-performing distribution & sales, and training & development teams
• Proven ability to build and support a sales-driven culture
• Skilled in sales and negotiation training
• Experience leading training programs and coaching professionals
• Effective presenter and communicator at all levels
• Strong leadership and team collaboration skills
• Capable of planning and executing large-scale events

 

The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer. 

We do not accept any unsolicited resumes from external recruiting firms.

The company offers a competitive compensation plan and robust benefits package for full time regular employees which for this role include:
• Base Salary
• Eligible to participate in annual discretionary bonus
• Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, Wellness, Paid Time Off, 401(k) and Profit-Sharing plans.

The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment.

Sponsorship not Offered for this Role