Richard Schroeder

Rich Schroeder is Director, Underwriting Innovation, within RGA’s Strategic Underwriting Initiatives team, where he helps insurers modernize underwriting through digital innovation, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence. He specializes in translating underwriting expertise into scalable solutions that enhance risk assessment, streamline operations, and improve the customer experience.

With nearly three decades of experience in life insurance underwriting and underwriting transformation, Rich works at the intersection of underwriting, technology, and process innovation. He partners with insurers and internal teams to evaluate emerging capabilities, including AI-assisted underwriting, electronic health records, digital health data, automated underwriting rules, third-party data integrations, and new evidence sources, helping organizations apply these technologies in practical and measurable ways.

Rich is widely recognized for his expertise in underwriting rules design, straight-through processing (STP) optimization, and AI-assisted underwriting. He has authored and managed e-underwriting rules across multiple carriers and platforms, led initiatives to improve automated decision-making and policy issuance, and developed data-driven approaches that increase STP rates while maintaining appropriate risk controls. His work also includes advancing AI-enabled underwriting solutions, knowledge graph development, workflow automation, prompt engineering, and organizational adoption of Microsoft Copilot and other AI technologies.

Since joining RGA in 2019, Rich has played a key role in the development of the company’s digital underwriting capabilities. Prior to his current role, he helped drive product strategy for Aura Next, leading requirements and innovation efforts related to digital health data, dynamic evidence ordering, automated underwriting programs, and third-party evidence integrations. He contributed to the development of RGA’s proprietary digital health data scoring capabilities and helped expand the use of alternative evidence sources to support accelerated and fluidless underwriting programs.

Before joining RGA, Rich held underwriting and underwriting transformation leadership roles with Legal & General America (Banner), Genworth Financial, Allstate Insurance Company, and Zurich Kemper Life Assurance Company. 

In addition to his work with clients and innovation initiatives, Rich is a frequent instructor, mentor, and advocate for technology adoption. He develops AI education programs, leads innovation-focused knowledge-sharing sessions, and helps multidisciplinary teams understand complex underwriting concepts and their operational implications.

Rich holds the Associate, Life Management Institute (ALMI), and Associate, Customer Service (ACS) designations and has completed ALU 1 and multiple LOMA courses.