Women to Watch: Wendy Baker

Wendy Baker

President

Lloyd's America Inc.

New York

Age: 53

Wendy Baker started her career in insurance through a management trainee program at Continental Corp. in 1976. She worked her way up, earning the title of president of Continental Reinsurance Corp. in 1990, becoming the first female president of a reinsurance company. Over the next several years, she worked at different organizations including Minet Ltd. and her own consulting firm, Beckman Advisors, before joining Lloyd's America Inc. in 1998. Ms. Baker was promoted to president of Lloyd's America in 2000, and is responsible for overseeing six offices in the United States, Virgin Islands and Montreal and for managing Lloyd's U.S. business.

Advice to young women: "Someone entering any business should learn the business and should never quit trying to gain more knowledge of how things work, new products, and new ways to sell the product. They should also be confident to say what they think, even if it is different than what a senior person thinks. As long as you are intellectually honest, you can stand up and say what you believe."