Non-Executive Director Role with Cornish Mutual

Cornish Mutual is seeking a Non-Executive Director who brings strong
insurance knowledge and judgement to the Board.

Cornish Mutual has been putting our Members at the heart of what we do
for generations. Established in 1903 by a group of Southwest farmers, our
key purpose is to Protect the South West Farming Community, with
insurance remaining our core service. Following a strategic review, we are
widening our offering to help Members across the Southwest build greater
resilience through innovative additional products and services, including
risk management services. The Board comprises Executive and Non-
Executive directors who create, develop and shape longer-term objectives
to guide the Company through its next stage of evolution.

A Board role is, by its nature, broad rather than specialist. The effectiveness
of a Non-Executive Director lies not in performing operational tasks, but in
bringing a rounded perspective, sound challenge, and experienced
judgement across the full range of issues that a regulated insurer faces.
Board-level insurance expertise is therefore defined less by direct
operational execution and more by the ability to understand, interrogate
and influence the full range of complex insurance matters at a strategic and
governance level.

While operational underwriting experience can be valuable, it is not the
only relevant, indicator of insurance capability at Board level. Equally
important are experiences gained in senior insurance leadership, risk
management, actuarial, finance, reinsurance, regulation, audit, or advisory
roles, where individuals have been required to engage with insurance
markets, capital, reserving, regulation, and assurance from a position of
responsibility rather than delivery.

The Board of Cornish Mutual values candidates who can connect across
disciplines: translating technical insurance issues into strategic
implications; understanding how regulatory and financial frameworks
Interact with member outcomes; and providing effective oversight rather
than management. Depth in one area is welcomed, but breadth,
judgement, and an ability to contribute across the full agenda of a mutual
insurer are essential.

Candidates are therefore encouraged not to self-exclude on the basis of
overly narrow interpretations of insurance experience. The Board is seeking
a range of complementary skills and perspectives, not just a relevant
operational context.

Purpose of the Role
To contribute to the effective leadership and oversight of Cornish Mutual
Assurance Company Limited as a regulated general insurer and mutual,
supporting the Board in setting strategic direction, overseeing risk and
financial performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and acting in the
best interests of the membership.

The Non-Executive Director will provide independent judgement,
constructive challenge, and informed insight across the full breadth of
Board responsibilities, with a particular emphasis on insurance-related
matters.

Key Responsibilities
The Non-Executive Director will:
• Contribute actively and constructively to Board and Committee
discussions. 
• Provide appropriate challenge and assurance to executive
management.
• Support the Board in fulfilling its statutory, regulatory, and fiduciary
duties.
• Bring insight into the insurance and financial services environment to
inform strategy, risk appetite, and long-term sustainability.
• Uphold the values of Cornish Mutual and its mutual ownership
model.
Specific areas of contribution are expected to include, but not be
limited to:
Insurance Risk and Capital
• Understanding and challenging the insurer’s risk profile, risk appetite,
and capital position.
• Oversight of insurance risk, including underwriting risk, reserving
risk, catastrophe exposure and reinsurance arrangements.
• Confidence in interpreting solvency metrics, capital coverage, and
stress and scenario testing, and in understanding their strategic
implications for the business.
Reserving, Actuarial and Financial Oversight
• Ability to engage constructively with reserving judgements,
assumptions and implications at Board level. Understanding the
purpose and limitations of actuarial information at Board level.
• Oversight of key financial information, including management
accounts, statutory accounts, and forward-looking projections.
• Familiarity with insurance financial KPIs and performance indicators.
Reinsurance and Market Understanding
• Understanding the role of reinsurance in risk transfer and capital
management.
• Ability to provide informed challenge on reinsurance arrangements
and their impact on risk appetite, resilience and capital
management.
• Awareness of insurance market dynamics and external drivers
affecting the business.

Regulation and Governance
• Experience of operating within regulated environments and the ability
to engage with key insurance regulatory expectations.
• Comfortable engaging with core regulatory and assurance reporting
used by insurers, including:
o Annual regulatory returns
o Solvency and Financial Condition Report (SFCR), including
quantitative reporting templates
o Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA)
o Actuarial Function Report and related governance processes
• Understanding of the respective roles of the Board, Committees,
executive management, and statutory functions.
Legal and Structural Frameworks
• Awareness of insurance legal frameworks, contractual structures,
and regulatory obligations.
• Understanding the implications of law and regulation on strategy, risk
and operations.


Skills and Experience
The successful candidate will bring a strong mix of skills and experience,
likely including:
• Senior-level experience within insurance or closely related financial
services, gained through executive, non-executive, actuarial, finance,
risk, regulatory, advisory or professional services roles.
• Demonstrable ability to engage with complex insurance and financial
issues at a strategic, governance or assurance level.
• Experience of dealing with regulators, boards, or senior committees
within a regulated environment.
• Numerate with strong analytical capability combined with sound
judgement and pragmatism.
• Confidence to challenge constructively and to support management
when appropriate.
• High standards of integrity and professionalism.
• Willingness and credibility to meet the expectations of a regulated
Board appointment, including the standards of probity,
independence and judgement associated with the role.

Prior Non-Executive Director experience is desirable but not essential.
Candidates without previous NED roles but with substantial governance or
leadership experience will be considered. Insurance qualifications are
desirable.


Personal Attributes
• Independent-minded, with the confidence to question and
challenge.
• Collegiate and respectful, able to contribute positively to Board
relationships through sound judgement, openness, and constructive
challenge.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect detail to long-term
outcomes.
• Committed to the principles of mutuality, member value, and values-
led decision-making.
Time Commitment and Location
• Attendance at six scheduled Board meetings, Committee meetings
and strategy days to a total of circa 12 per year.
• Adequate preparation time to fulfil the role effectively to include
continuing professional development.
• Willingness to engage, on occasion, with the business and
stakeholders as required. This might include trade body events,
agricultural shows and industry events.

Please note that Insure NED Search is managing this appointment
exclusively. Any direct applications received by the client will be forwarded
to our Managing Director, Gary Pike, for consideration.


To apply or find out more, please send your CV and expressions of interest
to garypike@insurenedsearch.com.