Women to Watch: Robin Sterneck

Robin Sterneck

Head of Commercial Insurance

Swiss Reinsurance Co.

Kansas City, Mo.

Age: 49

Robin Sterneck held several leadership positions at GE Insurance Solutions before the unit was acquired by Swiss Reinsurance Co. earlier this year. As head of Swiss Re's commercial insurance segment, Ms. Sterneck leads the strategy and operations of the $1 billion unit, which includes small business workers compensation, programs and general binding authorities, excess and surplus lines insurance, agents and lawyers professional liability and the medical expense group product lines. Ms. Sterneck also serves as president of Coregis Insurance Co., Westport Insurance Corp. and First Specialty Corp.

Greatest influence: Firstly, "my parents. They lived by the quote from Louis Pasteur, 'Chance favors a prepared mind.' This has become my mantra." Secondly, "Jack Welch (former chairman and CEO of General Electric), who said, high-impact ideas can come from anywhere. He heard about something I was doing early in my career with GE and within months had me translating it for all GE businesses. As a result, the teams delivered $100 million dollars in additional revenue in 12 months."