With a degree in Economics, and some familial pressure to look for opportunities in conventional graduate routes like banking, Cindy found her happy place in specialty insurance through an unconventional route
“The big questions for me were where should I look for a role and what is out there? I really did not know where to start. My first job was with Ford in Essex but only four months into it I knew it was not for me. It was in fact a post on Instagram that gave me the courage to make a change!”
Cindy had friends who studied actuarial science and who talked a lot about what specialty insurance had to offer. “So, I applied for the WTW graduate scheme, not really knowing much about the industry. The bad news was that I did not get a place, but the good news was that I did get offered an entry level role as a broker. It was a happy accident but it turned out brilliantly.”
Cindy mainly focuses on property risks in an area known as facultative reinsurance where insurance companies protect themselves against large risks by buying their own insurance. , “The best thing about property is that they are things you can relate to – theme parks, hotels, office buildings. I walk around the streets of London and feel excited by the real life application of what I am doing in my job.” Cindy is looking at what can possibly go wrong. That might mean damage from natural events like bad weather, but it also means being aware of man-made risks like terrorism that might close a property or cause a fire. “The types of risk I look at tend to be where the financial consequences of something going wrong are very high. It is also incredibly varied.
Cindy is also actively studying for the Chartered Institute of Insurance exams and is being sponsored by WTW. “Professional qualifications are really important for career development and mean you can demonstrate real progress to your employer.”
“What I love is the variety and the people” said Cindy. “I talk to different people every day and I have to build relationships with them so I can understand what they need so we can find the right solutions. No day is the same as the last one. It is fun and dynamic and London is the centre of global insurance. But working for a multi national firm like WTW means that our clients are truly global. We are looking at risks in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. That means conferences and client visits in those countries, so as I build experience and expertise I expect there to be opportunities to travel.”