If you’re interested in a career in risk, there are some big names you need to consider. Here are five companies we think should go high on your list.
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Allianz
Who
Allianz Insurance is one of the largest general insurers in the UK. They offer car and home insurance, and will even insure your horse, your pet or your violin. They also offer commercial insurance for businesses of all sizes.
Where
The Allianz SE Group is actually a German company with a global insurance and asset management business. Its UK operations are based in offices all around the country.
What can Allianz offer you?
Allianz is known to provide a friendly environment and to care about employees’ work-life balance. It offers flexibility for both working hours and benefits.
Allianz runs summer internships in underwriting, operations, and marketing and distribution. They offer real responsibility and (if you do well) the chance to fast-track your application for their graduate scheme.
Allianz runs graduate schemes in six areas, including actuarial, claims and commercial underwriting. The two-year schemes use the buddy system and are designed to expand your network as well as increasing your knowledge.
Aon
Who
The world’s No.1 insurance broker (and one of Manchester United’s big sponsors), Aon is a global leader in risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human resources and outsourcing.
Where
Aon is headquartered in London, with offices around the UK and worldwide. The risk management division operates in 120 countries.
What can Aon offer you?
Aon is known for its reward-based culture and excellent development opportunities. It’s a company where you can advance quickly based on merit.
Aon offers a wide range of nine-week summer internships for students. You can get an insight into actuarial work, risk management or several other business areas. The internships serve as a pipeline into their graduate programme.
As an Aon graduate hire you’ll join one of seven streams, including actuarial consulting, global risk consulting, and insurance, reinsurance and risk management. Whichever stream you join you’ll be supported in studying for an industry-recognised qualification.
AXA
Who
AXA is one of the biggest global insurance companies. In the UK, it has over 10 million customers - both personal and commercial. AXA also specialises in health plans and wealth management.
Where
While the AXA Group is headquartered in France, AXA UK is London-based with dozens of other UK locations.
What can AXA offer you?
AXA puts its emphasis on creative thinking – the slogan ‘Challenge Everything’ encourages graduates to find unexpected solutions to problems. It puts its money where its mouth is, sponsoring technological advances like driverless cars (the technology might reduce your car insurance premiums!).
AXA offers a broad business and finance summer internship, though you’ll be placed in a particular business area. They run actuarial and finance graduate programmes, as well as more unusual streams like data science.
AXA has won recognition for employee engagement and for its positive attitude to employees with disabilities.
Lloyd’s of London
Who
Lloyd’s of London isn’t an insurance company - it’s an insurance marketplace where Lloyd’s brokers and syndicates of underwriters negotiate to provide clients’ insurance cover.
Where
As the name suggests, Lloyd’s is based in London. It also has a UK office in Chatham and local offices in 36 other countries spread across six continents.
What can Lloyd’s offer you?
Interesting, varied, supportive – these are the words that crop up when employees talk about working at Lloyd’s. They also like to talk about the fantastic benefits package.
Lloyd’s offers eight-week summer internships across its business areas, where you’ll have a graduate buddy to show you the ropes.
The two-year graduate programme rotates you through four business areas: broking, underwriting, claims and working within the Lloyd’s Corporation. Because Lloyd’s is all about face-to-face contact, it’s a great boost to your network and your communication skills.
Marsh
Who
A global leader in insurance broking and risk management, Marsh focuses on in industry clients, offering consulting, brokerage and claims advocacy services.
Where
Marsh Ltd operates in more than 130 countries. It’s headquartered in London, with offices in 25 other UK cities. The HQ of Marsh’s parent company, Marsh & McLennan Companies, is in New York.
What can Marsh offer you?
Marsh is a prestigious name, which will give you extra clout in making deals. It’s well known for drawing in talent. You can expect to be working with intelligent and friendly colleagues.
Marsh doesn’t currently have an official summer internship programme but it does have a well-regarded graduate programme in risk and insurance. During the programme you’ll have the chance to focus on a particular business area and work towards the ACII insurance qualification.
And finally…
There are many other potential companies to consider. Search our list of 300 top graduate employers for insurance and risk management.
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