January 23, 2020

NAME: Sharon Edwards

NEW JOB TITLE: Nashville, Tennessee-based chief operating officer, Risk Strategies Insurance Brokerage Services LLC

PREVIOUS POSITION: Nashville, Tennessee-based chief financial officer of corporate risk and broking, North America, Willis Towers Watson PLC

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: Low interest rates, political uncertainty, natural disasters, cyber and government-sponsored enterprises concerns will continue to be a challenge for the industry. These factors will continue to push rates upward, especially in the property, cyber and financial lines spaces. Newer risks due to the Internet of Things provide an environment ripe for innovation. New technologies, such as robotic process automation, artificial intelligence and blockchain, will begin to see wider adoption and bring new options to the industry.

GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: My goals are to lead improvements in client experience, with a focus on consistent associate experience, and optimize company operations to facilitate continued growth.

CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: A few challenges include changes stemming from new laws and regulations, data protection and security, as well as challenges stemming from legacy technology.

FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: While in college, I had a summer job working for a local insurance agency, which gave me my first exposure to the industry. After spending time in public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co., I returned to the industry by joining Willis Towers Watson.

ADVICE: The insurance industry is a fabulous place to build a career and have a great quality of life. Take advantage of the expertise available to you and work to rapidly build your knowledge base and solve the next wave of problems by bringing new ideas and thoughts to the table.

OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: If I cannot win the lottery, I would like to be the person who notifies others that they did win!

COLLEGE MAJOR: Bachelor of business administration in accounting

LOOKING FORWARD TO: I am looking forward to working with and supporting a group of incredibly talented colleagues in delivering exceptional service to our clients and helping them manage their risks.

FAVORITE MEAL: I enjoy almost anything Italian and a good glass of wine.

BOOK: I enjoyed all of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, and I also liked “Start With Why,” by Simon Sinek, which has a lot of great lessons on how to inspire, influence and lead people.

HOBBIES: Taking long walks, traveling to interesting places and attending a concert or sporting event, such as the Tennessee Volunteers, Nashville Predators or Tennessee Titans.

TV SHOW: “Shark Tank,” “Succession” (HBO) and “The Crown” (Netflix)

ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: I enjoy spending time with family and our two labrador retrievers, Jammer and Willow. However, in the fall, you will typically find me tailgating and attending an SEC football game.