01 May, 2024

Darren Craze's ‘crazy’ journey to Senior Professional Lines Underwriter

The last few years have been a journey for underwriter Darren Craze, who has recently been promoted to Senior Professional Lines Underwriter.

Jayson Grossman, Head of Casualty at Procover, says the promotion is well deserved.

"It's been a pleasure watching our self-proclaimed metal-head and cricket-tragic evolve during his time with Procover," Jayson says.

"While I've watched Darren grow into the role over the past three years and take a natural affinity to the more complex Professional Indemnity construction and Architects and Engineers risk segment, he is also a well-rounded underwriter in occupational risk underwriting."

Jayson says that over the past few years, Darren successfully onboarded during the pandemic, developed strong relationships with underwriters and stakeholders, transitioned from a soft to hard underwriting market, and doubled his portfolio.

"I'm very excited about the journey ahead, continuing the development of Darren's skillset. The sky's the limit for our Dazzler."

Learn more about Darren Craze’s journey through our Q&A with him.

How did you get into the insurance industry?

As cliche as this response is, I fell into the insurance industry. For me, it was through commercial lines contact centre role with IAG in 2007 in Auckland. I then transitioned to a mixed personal and commercial lines role, blending both sales and underwriting with Tower Insurance New Zealand. I remained there until 2012, before making the big move across the ditch.

How did you get into professional lines underwriting?

I moved to Sydney and worked in a couple of temporary roles within insurance claims and the health insurance sector. Following that, my first foray into professional lines underwriting was with Lawcover Insurance, where I worked for about 18 months before joining an underwriting agency, Brooklyn Underwriting.

It was here, where I worked for nearly five years, where I truly cut my teeth in the professional lines underwriting space, underwriting Professional Indemnity, Management Liability and Public Liability across a broad range of occupational risks and exposures.

What has the Procover journey looked like for you?

It hasn't been without its challenges! I started with Procover while COVID-19 was running rampant in 2020, with my interview for the role conducted via Zoom. Thankfully, I was able to spend a few days in the office after that to onboard. A former colleague of mine was also working for Procover, which made the initial challenges of settling into the role a bit smoother. It was only after a few months of being in lockdown and developing in the role that I could meet some of my other Steadfast colleagues face-to-face before the next lockdown in 2021. With the pandemic now somewhat in the rear-view mirror, my role with Procover has seen me travel across the country to attend varying conferences and expos. I've engaged with our broker partners and the market in general while continuing to develop and thrive in the complex nature of the professional lines underwriting space.

What is something about you that others may not know?

I love my NRL. Weirdly, as I'm from New Zealand and now living in Sydney, I support the Canberra Raiders and Queensland in the State of Origin. But mainly, I'm a cricket tragic – I play in and manage a pub-sponsored cricket team in an Inner West Harbour competition, but I'm definitely only a fielder at best! We're always on the lookout for new players that fit the mould too. Also, I love my extreme metal music and am a headbanger from way back – the heavier and faster, the better! Just a pity I have curly hair…

You can get in touch with Darren by emailing him at dcraze@procover.com.au.