2023 Break Out Awards NORTHEAST SOUTH MIDWEST WEST
Catherine Miller Senior vice president, head of property U.S. and Canada
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co.
New York
Catherine Miller has enjoyed a successful career in underwriting but has recently embraced a wider market-facing role at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.
She joined the insurer in 2013 and rose through successive roles of increasing responsibility before being named head of property for U.S. and Canada last year.
Prior to joining Berkshire, Ms. Miller held senior underwriter positions at various insurers, including American International Group Inc. and XL Insurance, now Axa XL.
Her new role is a change from her previous jobs. “This position is more about the market-facing aspect, as well as it’s a management position, versus an individual contributor position,” she said, while also expressing a fondness for her previous role.
“The previous position I loved very much; it was all about the craft of underwriting,” she said. “I had been doing what I had been doing for a long enough time that it was time to make the move.”
The interaction with her colleagues is one of her favorite aspects of the job.
“I really love working and developing the teammates that we have. I get to work with a lot of newer people in the industry, younger teammates, both male and female. It’s a diverse group. I like to see that because when I started there weren’t a lot of women around, especially in property insurance.”
Diversity is important to Ms. Miller, who serves on an advisory committee of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Professional Insurance Women. “When I started, it was a lonely existence as a woman. You can do it, but it’s a lot of work.”
“Cathy has been repeatedly recognized as an outstanding performer — moving from a property AVP through the ranks to her current role as an SVP running our entire North American property business,” said David Fields, global chief underwriting officer for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. “As the global CUO, I have come to rely on her underwriting knowledge and expertise and still frequently consult with her on the most difficult of referrals.”
Matthew Lerner
