I joined Beazley in 2005 having graduated from university in 2004 with a Computer Science degree. I had taken time off after studying to travel and enjoy life before beginning, what I was told, would be a lifetime of working. I applied to many technology companies and had lots of interviews, but no firm offers. I was playing football with someone who worked at Beazley who told me what a great company it was and how interesting Insurance can be so I applied and was offered a role as junior business analyst.
How has your career developed during your time at Beazley?
I joined at a time when there was no formal graduate program at Beazley so my early development came from senior members of the IT department some of whom are still working at Beazley today. My career has developed from junior business analyst to a senior product manager with project and programme management roles held in-between. I’ve grown to lead large muti-million-pound IT projects with large development teams. In 2017 I was offered a secondment to the US to help with our digital transformation journey which I have enjoyed so much I’m still here.
What have been the standout moments for you?
There are so many! Delivering new technology and transforming the business is what really excites me. I have been able to do this across different teams, functions, geographical locations and brokers which has been a privilege. It’s unheard of in the 21st century for a graduate to stay at one company for 16 years but Beazley has so much to offer which has kept me here for so long. I have been in the US for 5 years now and I have two US-born children which you could say Beazley had a helping hand with!
Tell us about your work/life balance at Beazley?
My work/life balance is the best it has ever been. Beazley have empowered me to be flexible in how I work, enabling me to be at home or in the office when required. This has been helpful with two small children during a pandemic or when there is a snow day, as this allows us to juggle childcare and work around urgent situations. I have also taken the opportunity to work in the London office which enables me to catch up with friends and family in the UK together with work colleagues.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I’ve been fortunate to have worked on multiple projects and initiatives across all areas of Beazley’s business including Underwriting, Claims and Reinsurance, to name a few. I’ve worked with teams in the UK, US, Colombia, Slovenia and Macedonia so I have been able to learn new customs and ways of working. All of this is what makes my job so enjoyable. Meeting new people, forming strong professional relationships and collaborating to deliver value for Beazley.
What misconceptions do people have about working in insurance or IT?
When I tell people I work for an insurance company they immediately assume its car or home insurance which might be boring to them. Or all IT people spend their time fixing computers and printers. The reality is we are problem solvers, facilitators and experts in different technology domains. We work alongside other experts such as actuaries, underwriters and compliance analysts to deliver value to our customers.