4 Ways Agents Can Help Clients Navigate Rising D&O Risks

• By: Olivia Overman
• September 28, 2026

Directors & officers claims continue to be concentrated in sectors with higher volatility, regulatory scrutiny or exposure to investor expectations.

“Historically and currently, industries such as healthcare, life sciences, technology and financial services remain prominent sources of claims activity,” says Lauren Engnell, director, management liability at Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions.

The financial services sector is among the main sectors considered high-risk for D&O claims, according to a report by Aon. The rise in corporate bankruptcies—which increased by 11.9% during the 12 months ending March 31, 2026, according to U.S. Courts—is contributing to recent D&O exposure, as bankruptcies often trigger lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny.

In other sectors, such as “life sciences and biotech, claims are often tied to clinical trial outcomes, product development setbacks or disclosure issues,” Engnell says. “In technology and fintech, claims frequently arise from rapid growth expectations, cybersecurity incidents or financial misstatements.”

The liability environment for corporate leadership continues to intensify across multiple fronts, according to Allianz Commercial’s “Directors and Officers Insurance Insights 2026.”

For agents operating in this market, here are four ways to position themselves as trusted advisors to help clients understand and navigate evolving risks:

1) Strategic advisor role. “Take a strategic advisory role with regard to your insured’s risk management, understand their business as best you can and try to advise and steer them towards the most robust risk profile,” says Jim Rizzo, product leader, U.S. D&O, executive risk, Beazley. “This doesn’t have to be a sole-sourced outlook; agents can work with carriers and coverage providers to help analyze this.”

“Carriers are very willing to take that approach, particularly when it’s from a partnership perspective, if we can help advise our clients to be a better risk, then that ultimately helps our outcomes as well,” Rizzo says.  

2) Broader governance. “Agents should position D&O as part of a broader governance and risk management discussion,” says Stephanie Waldron, chief underwriting officer at K&K. “Strong underwriting submissions, clear financial documentation and defined board practices are increasingly important.”

Within an advisory role, agents can “reinforce the importance of proactive risk management and governance,” Engnell says. “Encouraging clients to adopt sound board practices, maintain thorough documentation and implement robust internal controls can have a meaningful impact on both underwriting outcomes and the defensibility of future claims.”

3) Understanding coverage. Agents can differentiate themselves as experts in their field by helping clients understand their coverage. They can do this by working with clients to ensure they have “a clear understanding of their coverage—both in scope and structure, including evaluating limit adequacy, assessing the strength of Side A protections and reviewing relevant policy enhancements,” Engnell says. “In today’s environment, how a program is constructed is just as critical as its cost.”

Additionally, “keeping pace with emerging risks is also essential—issues such as cyber oversight, evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations and increasing regulatory scrutiny are now central to board-level discussions and should be incorporated into the broader D&O dialogue,” Engrell says.

4) Availability of tools. Using the resources and tools available from carriers can enable agents to deliver robust coverage. “There is something to be said for the ability for agents to connect the dots between D&O and cyber coverage,” says Ryan Canning, senior vice president, U.S. head of management liability at Westfield Specialty. “Whether or not that means placing clients with the same carrier—I don’t think it’s a requirement—but understanding how those policies could potentially interact in a claim scenario, across either or both of the coverages, is incredibly important.”

Carriers often make tools and resources available, such as “risk management services and added-value tools, including crisis costs that are never tapped,” Rizzo says. “A lot of clients are completely unaware that these enhancements are available to them.”

Further, “don’t be afraid to ask your underwriters what else is potentially available for your client,” Rizzo adds. “Just because it’s not on the quote doesn’t mean that they don’t have it in their quiver—sometimes you only get what you ask for.”

Olivia Overman is IA content editor.