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2019 Women to Watch EMEA: Ruth Leggett

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Ruth Leggett

Ruth Leggett
Chief of staff and head of colleague resources Ireland
Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc.
Dublin
Age: 34

Ruth Leggett, who has twin roles at Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. in Ireland, enjoys the fact that no two days are the same.

“The variety of the insurance industry is what is so attractive about it,” she said.

In her chief of staff role, Ms. Leggett works on day-to-day strategic management of the claims management firm, while as head of colleague resources she heads the retention, engagement, innovation and efficiency efforts for 400 staff in Ireland.

She joined Sedgwick 10 years ago as a graduate trainee after obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Dublin.

Realizing that she particularly enjoyed the people side of the business, Ms. Leggett applied for a position in colleague resources, taking steps to make it a more strategic function and to convince Sedgwick Ireland CEO Malcolm Hughes that it is the “heartbeat” of the organization.

Mr. Hughes said she has made “significant contributions, not only to the company’s performance here in Ireland, but also to the entire industry.”

“She specifically shines in fostering careers and encouraging other women in a real and practical way,” he said.

Ms. Leggett also is a member of Sedgwick’s diversity and inclusion advisory board.

“We are in the service industry, and our colleagues need to be as diverse as our customers and clients,” she said. “Diversity needs to be on everyone’s agenda. Inclusion starts with an I, so self-reflection, acknowledgment and responsibility in relation to unconscious bias are key.”

Teamwork is also key, she said. “The saying ‘You are only as good as the team around you’ resonates with me on so many levels,” she says. “The team I surround myself with, and the manner in which I choose to lead them, is hugely important to me, so my priority ... is to ensure my colleagues are all on career trajectories that will far surpass any of my own achievements.”

Outside of work, Ms. Leggett enjoys spending time with her family, going on walks and making sure that her twin daughters get plenty of fresh air.

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