THE TRADITIONAL IMAGE OF A SALESMAN GOING DOOR TO DOOR TO SELL POLICIES IS A FAR CRY FROM TODAY’S SAVVY GROUP

 

Even before the emergence of the Affordable Care Act, the insurance industry beckoned to new college graduates with lucrative positions in accounting, law, engineering, nursing, IT, finance, and marketing. Today, the industry offers a wide range of paths to move from entry-level positions into executive management offices, say these four insurance executives.

 

WELLPOINT: Impacting People’s Lives For The Better

 

When Kian Johnson joined WellPoint three years ago, he brought with him a wealth of experience: 18 years in the healthcare industry, a computer technology degree, and one-on-one knowledge as a nursing assistant in a hospital setting. This diverse and well-rounded resume has propelled him to his current position as business project manager, tasked with leading high-profile projects for the company.

 

With the Affordable Care Act in full force, Johnson is leading the company’s transition to more modern and mandated ICD-10 codes that start in October 2014.

 

“I work directly with the care management department and the medical management systems and its artifacts at our affiliated plans to make the transition as smooth as possible,” says Johnson. “I also work closely with our business partners in claims and provider relations. This collaborative effort has been my main focus for the last three years.

 

Johnson believes the new Affordable Care Act will be a positive change within the healthcare industry. “Healthcare and insurance are human driven, but technology is playing a vital role for consumers,” he says. “It is affecting how we deliver information to our members, through smartphones and tablets, and as our company attracts younger members, we need to be able to reach them in real-time.”

 

When he’s not leading the team on the new code set transition, Johnson is the co-chair of the Healthcare Young Professional Exchange (HYPE), one of nine of WellPoint’s Associate Resource Groups (ARG). These groups help to build an inclusive and collaborate culture, where all WellPoint associates feel welcomed and respected and where their unique perspectives and experiences help to develop trusted healthcare solutions.

 

“Our group helps younger employees align themselves with the rest of the company and talk about topics that are of interest to young professionals,” says Johnson. “We try to meet quarterly and offer relevant events and coordinate our group with other ARGs.”

 

The other eight groups at WellPoint are: ACE, Asians Committed to Excellence; ABLE, Abilities Beyond Limited Expectations; ANGLE, Associate Network for Gay & Lesbian Equality; PRIDE, African American ARG; SOMOS, Hispanic/Latino ARG; VOW, Veterans’ Organization of WellPoint; WAVE, WellPoint Associates in a Virtual Environment, and WOW, Women of Well- Point.

 

For Johnson, the most enjoyable part of his job is having the ability to affect people’s lives for the better and the opportunities for continuous learning. “Healthcare is not stagnant,” he says. ”There’s never a dull moment. We’re always seeing new and positive changes in our industry. Additionally, there’s constant interaction with people of all cultures and backgrounds. What’s important to know is that the healthcare industry is a small community where you can build lasting relationships.”

 

Johnson’s advice to new graduates is to “have core values. Be accountable and trustworthy, have a strong commitment, and be detail-oriented. Finally, enable yourself to work in a team environment.”

 

WellPoint ensures its external job postings appear on a variety of diversity-focused job boards and SEO sites, fosters relationships with professional diversity associations, and participates in national-scale diversity events as well as local events in its workforce hubs.

 

In addition, WellPoint attends national diversity association career fairs held by the National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and the Black Data Processing Associates. The company also supports events held in its major markets by organizations like the Urban League and Indiana Black Expo, as well as hiring events for veterans and individuals with disabilities.

 

CHUBB CORPORATION: Attracting Top Talent From All Disciplines

 

It might surprise some college students that the insurance industry offers such a wide variety of career paths, from actuary to loss control engineering, from law to IT to finance. Harold L. Morrison, Jr., a high-level executive with The Chubb Corporation, has taken on as one of his missions to publicize the broad spectrum of positions available within the insurance industry. “It’s not just knocking on doors and selling insurance policies,” he says.

 

Morrison knows this to be true from his own personal experience. He has risen to the peak of positions in the industry, to currently hold the title of executive vice president, chief global field officer, and chief administrative officer for Chubb.

 

Currently, Morrison overseas the property and casualty insurer’s U.S. and domestic branch operations, consisting of some 120 offices in 26 countries. He also is in charge of human resources and administrative services for the company, which has 10,200 employees and recorded $13.6 billion in revenues in 2012.

 

“Even though it’s been 35 years since I graduated from Duke University, I continue to love to learn new things,” says Morrison. “That’s the kind of candidates we look to hire at Chubb. We want potential employees who can deal with complex issues, have strong minds, and can learn, absorb, and process information.”

 

Another priority at Chubb, says Morrison, is to attract new talent from all areas, recognizing that a more diverse employee field provides a variety of perspectives and advantages to the company. Chubb actively recruits new hires at major universities through diverse groups.

 

In the spirit of furthering Chubb’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment, many employees from its diverse population have adopted Chubb’s “Living the Diversity Vision” objectives and have organized diversity groups in the home office and branches worldwide. These employee resource groups include the Asian American Business Network (AABN), Chubb Black Employee Network, Chubb Hispanic Latino Employee Network) Chubb Partnership of Women, disAbilities in the Workplace Network, Future Leaders Network, Gay & Lesbian Employee Network Including Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Ally Employees, Minority Development Council, Women’s Development Council (WDC), and Working Parent Network.

 

Morrison is the executive sponsor of AABN and WDC. “We tap into these groups to understand the needs of our employees,” says Morrison. “Through their initiatives, sponsorships, programs, presentations, and other efforts, these groups play an essential role in influencing progress on diversity issues at Chubb.”

 

Before he joined Chubb, Morrison spent five years in hospital administration managing a large number of people. He leveraged that experience to move into the insurance industry, joining Chubb in 1984, where he continually assumed additional responsibility.

 

“My advice to college students would be to have a willingness to continue to learn,” says Morrison. “A love of learning will help to build a successful career. Continue to gain knowledge. Learn about your own company, the industry, and your competitors. Have a strong curiosity and be willing to absorb new ideas and apply them. And no matter what, perform your position well.”

 

HIGHMARK: Seeking Out A Diversified Workforce

 

As the Affordable Care Act continues to be implemented, and the overall consumer marketplace becomes increasingly diverse, it’s essential that a commitment to inclusion remains at our company’s core, says Sara Oliver Carter, Highmark’s vice president of diversity and inclusion. “We know consumers expect a personalized customer experience. Our ability to understand those diverse expectations and then develop solutions for them is dependent on our ability to develop a workforce that reflects our consumer community.”

 

That goal of developing a diverse workforce at Highmark is crucial for Carter’s position at company headquarters in Pittsburgh, which she has held for more than three years. Carter is responsible for managing the implementation and alignment of Highmark’s diversity initiatives with corporate strategy, working in partnership with other internal departments to leverage diversity for organizational success and driving inclusion initiatives to attract, retain, and develop top talent.

 

“Diversity and inclusion are my passion,” she says. “I believe that diversity is integral to the achievement of sustainable business excellence in the Pittsburgh area. It’s critical to the success of the region and I am committed to supporting the attraction and retention of talent through innovative diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace, marketplace, and community.”

 

It’s quite obvious that this is the job that Carter was meant to have. “My real joy is working with diverse groups of engaged people to develop innovative ideas to leverage diversity of thought to make a difference in the lives of our members, community, and employees and also in the success of our business,” she says.

 

Carter emphasizes education as the key to advancement and job happiness. She earned her bachelor’s in business communication and a master’s degree of science in professional leadership from Carlow University. During her career, she held a variety of positions in corporate staffing, employee relations, and operations, while serving as a member of various community boards. Carter advises students making the transition from campus to workplace to plan, innovate, and communicate. “Do plenty of research. Understand the mission, vision, values, and business objectives of the company you’re interested in. Align your professional goals with the business objectives of the organization and show that you’re committed to adding value. Think about the value that your uniqueness adds to the bottom line of the business and share that with your prospective employer.”

 

She also believes in the old adage of “practice makes perfect.” “Practice, practice, practice,” says Carter. “Practice your one minute elevator speech about yourself, your education, experience, and any other skill sets that would be valuable to a future employer.”

 

Carter is pleased that Highmark diligently seeks out a diversified workforce under her watchful eye. Its talent acquisition team works constantly to identify new opportunities to attract talented individuals. Community outreach coupled with social media is a key component of the company’s recruitment strategy.

 

Highmark attends career fairs and conferences with a focus on diversity and also sponsors annual diversity-related events to support the employment of people with disabilities. It has established “affinity” groups or business resource groups (BRGs) to improve the customer experience and enhance business strategy.

 

To remain competitive, businesses must evolve and adapt by creating strategies that maximize the potential of all employees. When everyone contributes and feels valued, the company is positioned to succeed, says Carter.

 

SUN LIFE FINANCIAL: Talent As The Great Differentiator

 

“People are really the only sustainable advantage that any organization has over time,” says Westley V. Thompson, president of Sun Life Financial Inc. “Products come and go. Ideas can be copied. Companies that are truly sustainable are those that focus on Aplayer talent and have a diverse workforce. Diversity is critical to promote new perspectives, help companies keep their competitive edge and energy, and enhance the communities where we work and live.”

 

As president of Sun Life Financial U.S., Thompson is responsible for the company’s U.S. insurance operations, which include a leading employee group insurance business, an expanding voluntary benefits business, and large in force blocks of individual life insurance. The company’s Bermuda operations, which market to high net worth individuals internationally, also report to Thompson.

 

“It’s one thing to talk about the importance of talent,” says Thompson, “it’s another thing to back it up. When you think about the business world, one thing that doesn’t change is talent. Talent is the only sustainable differentiator that any organization can have.”

 

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, Thompson began his career in the insurance industry at Aetna in 1979 in the Executive Management program. He rose through the ranks and then joined CIGNA in 1994, where he built an independent brokerage distribution capability for its individual insurance division. In 1988, Lincoln Financial Group acquired CIGNA’s individual life insurance business, and Thompson played an active role in the integration efforts as well as in Lincoln’s acquisition of Aetna’s individual life insurance business in 1999.

 

For the next ten years, Thompson held leadership roles at Lincoln Financial Group. He created the company’s centralized wholesale distribution organization before becoming president of Employer Markets and then president of the Retirement Solutions division.

 

Thompson joined Sun Life in 2008 and has been instrumental in renewing the strategic direction of SLF U.S. He has a strong track record of building insurance organizations and is focused on delivering value across all business lines for customers and shareholders. He has championed key initiatives focused on growing the business and positioning it for further success, including a re-focused product strategy, enhanced distribution and brand, and alignment of operations.

 

“What attracted me to Sun Life was to build on the foundation that’s been established,” says Thompson. “We have a company that is over 140 years old with some of the strongest financial ratings. How do we ensure that we keep the best people?”

 

To lure high potential college graduates to Sun Life Financial, the company has developed a three-year Rotational Leadership Development Program. Participants complete three one-year rotations, each in a different business area, in order to gain the critical skills, knowledge, and competencies required for each area. Assignments are based in the Sun Life Financial U.S. headquarters in Wellesley Hills, MA and include its three U.S. business units (employee benefits group, voluntary, and international) and all support divisions (finance, marketing, human resources, project/program management, information technology, operations, legal, and compliance.) The third rotation offers the additional opportunity to develop managerial skills as a team or project leader. Participants also may be offered the opportunity for an international rotation.

 

For its full-time employees, Sun Life Financial has developed Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are company-sanctioned groups of employees with similar backgrounds or interests. They meet regularly and join together employees representing diverse communities to exchange ideas, work towards business driven goals, develop awareness events, partner with community organizations, and establish connections amongst employees.