2025 Underwriters of the Year | Samantha Sutherland, Senior Commercial Middle-market Underwriter, Aviva Canada

Samantha Sutherland started her career as a summer student in claims more than a decade ago and quickly realized the industry offered both purpose and professional opportunity. Since then, she has worked across multiple carriers and has had many underwriting roles, developing a deep understanding of commercial, personal, and multi-line risks.

Today, in her current role as a Senior Commercial Middle-market Underwriter at Aviva, she’s known for her responsiveness and commitment to collaborative broker partnerships. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Queen’s University and has her CIP and CRM designations, and she is one course away from completing her FCIP designation.

Sutherland balances a busy career with an equally full home life, spending her free time with her husband, their two young sons, and their border collie. As avid campers, their family can often be found exploring Ontario’s backcountry or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. She’s also a board member for the Insurance Institute, Southwestern Ontario Chapter.

Sutherland says she’s “truly honoured” to be recognized by Verge Insurance Group, a member of the Canadian Broker Network, Canada’s largest network of independent brokers. “It’s incredibly rewarding to know our collaboration is making an impact.”

Q: What’s key to a great working relationship between underwriter and broker, and why is this more important than ever?


“Transparency. My goal isn’t just to deliver quotes. It’s to ensure brokers understand the why behind every offer. Brokers are navigating a complex market with competing quotes and different coverage nuances, so when both sides are upfront and communicative, it leads to clearer communication, stronger recommendations, and better outcomes for everyone involved.”

Q: Why did you become an underwriter, and what do you love most about your role?


“I started as a summer student in claims and originally thought I’d stay on that path. But after moving to a new city, the opportunity that came up was an underwriting assistant role. Thanks to a great mentor, I quickly discovered I loved the investigative side of underwriting — digging into the details, analyzing the risks, and applying logic and creativity. It was a defining moment and exemplified the power of mentorship. Today, my favourite part of work is the constant learning. Every file is different, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to know the work I do helps protect people during difficult times. It’s this purpose that keeps me motivated.”

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for underwriters today, and how can they overcome it?


“We’re facing a perfect storm of soft market conditions, increased climate-related losses, and the retirement of experienced underwriters. Newer underwriters have to learn quickly while upholding underwriting discipline and driving growth. Mentorship, both formal and informal, is key to overcoming this. We need to be intentional about knowledge-sharing to preserve underwriting integrity across generations, especially in remote work settings where organic learning is harder — but possible — and necessary.”

Q: What’s one opportunity underwriters should focus more on?


“Getting out from behind the screen and forming in-person connections wherever possible. The best insights and broker relationships often come from casual, in-person interactions. Whether it’s a coffee meeting, a seminar, or an industry event, there’s so much value in those moments now referred to as ‘the good old days.’ I’d love to see the industry take the time to recreate the sense of community, collaboration, and shared growth that comes with social in-person connections — where we choose to show up, not just log in. Building those trusted, authentic relationships can really set you apart.”

Q: Given that talent shortages remain a challenge, what would you say to encourage more people to join the insurance industry?


“Insurance is incredibly rewarding and purposeful. It helps people recover from life’s worst moments and provides stability in an uncertain world. Whether you’re on the front lines or behind the scenes, your work matters. If you’re looking for purpose, challenge, and growth, this is the place to be.”

Q: How do you see AI and technology impacting underwriting?


“AI and machine learning have huge potential to streamline underwriting by automating repetitive tasks and improving efficiency. That gives underwriters more time to focus on strategic decision-making and relationship-building. But it has to be implemented thoughtfully, as we can’t let automation replace critical thinking. Used wisely, it’s a powerful enabler.”

Q: What skills are needed for underwriting leadership?

“Emotional intelligence is essential. Self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to read people are just as important as technical knowledge. Strong underwriter-broker relationships are pivotal for sustained career growth, enabling access to market intelligence and increased professional visibility.”

Q: Canada continues to suffer pressures like natural catastrophes, auto theft, fraud, and tariff impacts. How can brokers and underwriters better collaborate to help Canadian consumers manage risk?


“Education is the starting point. We need to work together to deliver clear, relatable information throughout the policy lifecycle, not just at renewal. Insurers should also continue to intentionally collaborate with governments and institutions to amplify trust and credibility and truly empower consumers. When consumers hear consistent messages from multiple trusted sources, they’re more likely to understand the value of protection and make informed decisions.”

The Canadian Broker Network Underwriter of the Year awards is a flagship program that CBN has been running on behalf of its members for over a decade. The program is exclusive to CBN in partnership with Canadian Underwriter magazine. The categories allow for each of our member firms, at their option, to select one commercial lines underwriter winner and one personal lines underwriter winner from a primary market, as well as a commercial underwriter from an MGA. The criteria includes underwriting excellence and risk knowledge; prompt and effective responsiveness back to CBN members; writing business that satisfies clients’ needs while creating a win-win for the broker and the insurer; a positive, helpful attitude; and investing time to develop trusting relationships with brokers.

Full list of 2025 Underwriter of the Year Award Recipients