POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Manager of Risk Management has overall supervisory responsibility for Bass Pro's risk management program and operational responsibility for its captive insurance company. The Senior Manager is responsible for the design, placement, and administration of the company's insurance programs and the oversight of all associated claims activity across Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's retail operations, White River Marine Group's manufacturing facilities, and the company's hospitality properties, including Big Cedar Lodge, Big Cypress at the Memphis Pyramid, and Cheeca Lodge. The Senior Manager manages relationships with brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators to ensure the company maintains appropriate coverage at competitive terms, and leads the claims function to drive timely and cost-effective resolution of losses. The Senior Manager works closely with the Legal Department on coverage disputes, litigation management, contractual insurance requirements, and regulatory compliance matters affecting the insurance program. This role partners with operations, finance, legal, and business unit leaders across U.S. and Canadian operations to align insurance and claims strategy with the company's risk profile and business objectives.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Insurance Program Design and Placement
- Lead the annual strategy, marketing, and renewal process for the company's full portfolio of insurance programs, including property, casualty, general liability, product liability, workers' compensation, automobile, marine and inland marine, environmental liability, umbrella and excess liability, and any specialty lines required by the company's retail, manufacturing, and hospitality operations.
- Evaluate coverage structures, policy terms, retentions, and limits to ensure programs are appropriately calibrated to the company's exposures, including risks specific to firearms and ammunition sales, boat manufacturing, watercraft operations, and food and beverage service at hospitality properties.
- Evaluate those exposures to be insured and those to be retained. Collaborate with the finance department and appraisers in developing insurable values of property and recommend proper limits of coverage for unmeasurable loss exposures such as liability and crime.
- Negotiate directly with brokers and underwriters, prepare and present submissions, and manage the competitive marketing of programs to secure favorable pricing and terms.
- Evaluate acceptability of insurance premiums.
- Develop insurance criteria for contractors and vendors.
- Receive, check for accuracy, and maintain insurance policies.
Claims Administration and Oversight
- Supervise Claims Managers and support staff.
- Oversee the administration of all insurance claims across the enterprise, including general liability, property damage, product liability, workers' compensation, automobile, and environmental claims.
- Manage relationships with third-party administrators and adjusters, establish claims-handling protocols and authority levels, and monitor open claim inventories.
- Review all claims, investigate major losses, and negotiate settlements within authority level. Drive claims to resolution through settlement, litigation management, or recovery.
- Analyze claims data and loss trends to identify root causes, recommend operational changes to reduce loss frequency and severity, and report regularly to the General Counsel and senior leadership on claims activity, reserves, and financial exposure.
Loss Control and Risk Mitigation
- Advise appropriate senior management of all potential sources of accidental loss. Supervise activities related to conservation of human, financial, and physical assets.
- Make regular inspections of Tracker plants, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's distribution centers, Big Cedar Lodge, and periodic inspections of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores.
- Partner with operations, safety, and facilities teams to reduce insurable losses across the enterprise by analyzing loss data to identify trends and high-exposure locations or activities.
- Coordinate carrier-sponsored loss control visits and recommendations, track implementation of corrective actions, and measure the impact of loss reduction initiatives on claims experience and insurance costs.
- Advise on the most suitable and economic arrangement of fire protection and safety, both in original design and operating procedures.
- Conduct independent studies pertaining to control of hazards.
- Ensure that loss control recommendations are practical and can be implemented without unnecessary disruption to operations.
Legal Department Liaison
- Serve as the primary point of contact between the risk management function and the Legal department.
- Coordinate with Legal on coverage opinions and disputes, ensuring that defense counsel and claims professionals are aligned with the Legal department's litigation strategy.
- Consult with Legal on insurance provisions in commercial contracts, vendor agreements, leases, and real estate matters to ensure the company's obligations are insurable and that coverage is in place before commitments are made.
- Collaborate with personnel and other affected departments on insurance and loss prevention aspects of workers' compensation.
- Escalate matters involving potential regulatory exposure or significant liability and keep the Legal department informed of claims trends, emerging coverage issues, and large-loss developments.
Broker and Carrier Relationship Management
- Maintain strong relationships with brokers, carriers, and reinsurers, holding them accountable for service quality, responsiveness, and market access.
- Conduct periodic evaluations of broker and carrier performance and manage requests for proposals when appropriate.
- Ensure the company receives the benefit of its scale and loss history in negotiations.
- Coordinate with brokers and carriers on loss control services, risk engineering inspections, and underwriting audits at retail locations, manufacturing facilities, and hospitality properties.
Captive Insurance Company Operations
- Supervise operations of the captive insurance company.
- Manage all aspects of the captive's regulatory, financial, and operational requirements.
Insurance Budget and Financial Management
- Manage the company's total cost of insurable risk, including premiums, retained losses, deductibles, self-insured retentions, and administrative costs.
- Prepare annual insurance budgets, allocate costs to business units as appropriate, track actual versus budgeted performance, and report variances to finance and leadership.
- Prepare forecasts of insurance and other risk management costs. Assist the accounting department in developing proper allocation of premium charges, estimated ultimate losses, and other related expenses.
- Manage cash flow related to premium payment plans, collateral requirements, and loss fund accounts, and coordinate with finance on reserve estimates and actuarial studies for self-insured programs.
- Record all risk management costs for budget and planning purposes. Prepare quarterly reports to management.
Certificates, Contracts, and Compliance
- Oversee the issuance and tracking of certificates of insurance for the company's operations, including certificates required by landlords, lenders, vendors, event venues, and government agencies.
- Review and verify certificates of insurance furnished by contractors and vendors.
- Review insurance-related provisions in contracts, leases, and vendor agreements to ensure the company's obligations are insurable and that coverage is in place before commitments are made.
- Ensure compliance with state and provincial insurance requirements, including workers' compensation filing obligations, across all U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions where the company operates.
- Maintain close communications with all departments to advise on insurance and loss prevention measures, administrative techniques, and to develop information on risk situations.
Records and Documentation
- Maintain a continuing record of property values, fire maps, plant data, inspection reports, photos, and similar documentation.
- Develop and maintain appropriate risk management records.
- All other duties as assigned.
EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Bachelor's degree in risk management, insurance, business administration, finance, or a related field.
- A minimum of ten years of experience in corporate insurance and risk management, with progressive management responsibility and a demonstrated record of attainment in a corporate risk management department.
- At least five years managing a full portfolio of insurance programs for a large, multi-site organization.
- Direct experience placing and negotiating property, casualty, liability, and workers' compensation programs.
- Experience managing claims administration functions, including oversight of third-party administrators.
- Experience with self-insured retentions, captive insurance programs, or large-deductible programs.
- Strong knowledge of commercial insurance markets, policy forms, and coverage structures.
- Familiarity with exposures common to retail operations, manufacturing, or hospitality.