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Sebastian Kohls

PartnerNew York

Advises insurance companies on strategy, growth programs, and transformations of their pricing and underwriting capabilities

Sebastian is a partner in our New York office, where he advises insurance companies on strategy, growth programs, and transformations of their pricing and underwriting capabilities. He helps property and casualty and life insurance companies devise strategic responses to a changing macroeconomic environment and global risk landscape. He leverages his expertise in pricing and underwriting to help clients build the capabilities needed to activate their strategic responses.

Examples of his recent client work include:

  • developing a multiyear growth strategy for a large insurance carrier
  • transforming the state management system for several personal lines insurance carriers to drive greater agility in response to economic shocks, more accurate pricing, and faster growth
  • leading the end-to-end transformation of a commercial underwriting process to increase underwriter productivity and improve profitability
  • developing an international growth strategy for a global property casualty carrier with a focus on capturing the opportunity from shifting global trade patterns

In addition to his work with insurance companies, Sebastian is a global leader of McKinsey’s work on macro-scenarios and trends. He publishes on the implications of changing macroeconomic conditions for strategic decisions across industries and for insurance in particular.

Published work

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

Building optionality: Balance sheet discipline is both timely and timeless,” McKinsey & Company, April 2023

Planning for 2023: How US-based businesses can succeed when capital and talent are constrained,” McKinsey & Company, December 2022

Countering inflation: How US P&C insurers can build resilience,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

Education

Northwestern University
PhD and MA, economics

Toulouse School of Economics
MSc, economic theory and econometrics