Leaders Under 40: Janet Mark

Defining talent in today’s insurance market requires looking beyond experience and recognising those who are fixing problems others ignore.

For our series on Leaders Under 40, Janet Mark, lead underwriter and account executive at MS Re, spoke to Intelligent Insurer about how her instinct to problem-solve has shaped a career defined by constant learning and meaningful change.

Mark first entered the industry after recognising the unusual blend of analytics and people skills it required. She recalled being drawn to a sector that was a “people’s business”, saying: “You also have to get the numbers right, and that 50/50 combination was attractive to me.”

The early years of her career delivered exactly what she hoped for. “There’s no one day that goes by without me learning something new,” she said, noting that no matter where you are in your career, entry level or at a senior level, there is always something new to learn.

Her defining trait throughout her career has been her drive to improve the things that don’t work. “I’ve always been a fixer,” Mark quipped. “If I see something that needs to be improved or is broken, I will try to fix it.” That mindset produced a major turning point when offices were still revolving around rooms of paper files.

Spotting the inefficiency, she proposed and led a full digitalisation project. The work “took two years to get there” but it meant the company could operate remotely years before the pandemic forced others to adapt.

When thinking about the qualities that define strong talent today, Mark believes in technical excellence, people skills and awareness of technological change. Insurance, she thinks, is fundamentally technical and so professionals “must get the foundations right”. But they also need to be out in the marketplace; visible, connected and building trust so clients and brokers know who to call first.

Another skillset is staying on top of modelling, pricing, regulation and new tools that offer competitive edge. “These four things will be really important when we’re talking about talent,” she explained.

The industry, however, still has work to do when it comes to attracting and retaining that talent. Mark sees a generational gap in expectations: younger employees value balance, flexibility and collaboration, whereas her own early career was defined by long hours and intensity. She admitted she “didn’t have a work-life balance growing up in this industry” but do not expect the younger generations to follow on that path.

The key, she believes, is better mentorship. “The minute you have an inspiring mentor, you’re ready to put in the hours,” she noted. And it is equally valuable for senior staff because “the minute you teach someone something, that’s when you really start knowing it better”.

“There’s no lift to success. You have to take the stairs.”

Marks mentions how she truly appreciates the mentorship culture at MS Re and the positive impact it has on developing the next generation of talent. The structured yet flexible approach fosters meaningful connections between experienced professionals and emerging leaders. “It's encouraging to witness the commitment to investing in future talent, and I believe that this dedication to mentorship not only strengthens our team but also ensures a more vibrant and innovative future for the industry as a whole.”

While she doesn’t believe underwriters will be replaced outright, she sees huge potential for AI and intelligent support: systems that check wordings, manage notes, structure data and reduce the risk of human oversight. “Technology working for us and not replacing us,” enabling meaningful efficiencies in a process that is still often manual.

Mark invests heavily in her own development, driven by the desire to truly understand every part of the business. She reads widely, speaks to peers and takes new courses, including an upcoming programme in cyber insurance, which she believes will one day sit “next to property” in importance. She continues to price risks herself, insisting that “there’s no way to understand the business better than when you touch it”.

For young professionals, her advice is simple and uncompromising. “There’s no lift to success. You have to take the stairs.” Master the technical work, explore different lines, be patient and build a reputation grounded in substance. And above all, show up. “Raise your hand to do more, become more relevant and inspire others.”

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