More than 150 students filled the Roy Irving Theatre on Wednesday, October 7 where they learned about various career opportunities within the insurance industry.
That afternoon, the Center for Career Engagement and Experiential Learning (CEEL) hosted a well-attended interactive discussion and networking event where executives from leading insurance companies shared their experience in a variety of fields within the insurance industry such as data management, product development, marketing, risk management and human resources.
The panel included the following speakers: Mark Flamendorf, manager of learning and development, Crum & Forster; Hema Chaurasia, product manager, Verisk Insurance Solutions; Hernan L. Medina ’85, director of analytical data management, ISO Insurance Programs and Analytical Services; Matthew A. Struck, public entity team leader, Brown & Brown Insurance; Nelson L. Walker, instructional designer and facilitator, Crum & Forster; Cindy Benjamin-Loncke, product development specialist, Argo Group US; and Brett Dresner, wholesale insurance broker, Partners Specialty Group.
The panelists touched upon several topics such as their roles within their companies, their responsibilities on any given day, what inspired them to get involved with the insurance industry and what they enjoyed about their jobs.
For Walker, that involved everything about his profession in which he builds e-learning courses through building modules using animations, cartoons and voice-overs, among other factors.
“I consider my job the best job in insurance,” he added, smiling.
Benjamin-Loncke explained how her expertise is in policy language. “If you have any challenges with the fine print of your insurance policy, come see me,” she added, laughing.
Meanwhile, Struck, who works in the retail sector, described how he particularly enjoyed the variety of his workdays as well as the networking opportunities in which he gets to engage. Additionally, he emphasized the reason why many people begin their careers in the insurance industry.
“We’re not here to just make money,” added Struck. “We’re here to help people and protect them from what might happen to them in the future.
