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James Polyblank

PartnerLondon

Helps financial-services organizations transform with a particular focus on commercial lines insurance

James works with financial services organizations on transformations that deliver step-changes in performance. He is particularly passionate about commercial lines insurance, where he supports clients in strategy, operating model design, underwriting, and claims transformations.

Examples of his work include the following:

  • designing and implementing a holistic transformation at a bank to improve customer and back-office journeys and improve efficiency by over 25 percent over three years
  • supporting a large international insurer in a transformation involving developing segment strategies, operating model design, and process efficiencies
  • reviewing the portfolio strategy for a specialty reinsurer, developing plans to improve its combined ratio by more than ten percentage points
  • leading the operating-model redesign and transformation of the tech and operations function of a midsized commercial lines reinsurer aspiring to reach more than 50 percent in premium growth
  • guiding the commercial due diligence work for several commercial lines insurance assets

Published Work

Global Insurance Report 2025: The pursuit of growth,” McKinsey & Company, November 2024

What’s ahead for commercial property and casualty insurance,” McKinsey & Company, April 2023

Global Insurance Report 2023: Expanding commercial P&C’s market relevance,” McKinsey & Company, February 2023

Education

University of Cambridge Gonville & Caius College
PhD, manufacturing engineering
MEng, mechanical engineering