Senior VP

Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Co.

New York

Age: 47

Before joining HRH in 2002, Susanne Murray was D&O senior vp, practice leader and director of the executive risk claims teams at Willis Group Holdings Ltd. She joined Willis in 1997 after spending 10 years at the New York law firm D’Amato & Lynch. Ms. Murray oversees the directors and officers and professional liability practice for HRH’s Executive Risk Solutions.

Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today?

A: "Specialization. For me personally, and for many of the women that are on this list, the opportunity to specialize in a particular field of insurance, and taking advantage of that opportunity, cannot be stressed enough. While most of us fell into our careers (and perhaps continue to do so), I strongly recommend grabbing hold of a specialization and then continuously working at perfecting that specialization. This learning never stops, and that is just as important. Even if we don’t want to call ourselves experts, we can provide a valuable service to others and be confident in our own abilities when we know what we are talking about."

Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why?

A: "Career development is such an exciting and ongoing process. If mentoring is professional development, I have been mentored by so many people. My partners and team members, clients, and certainly the company that I work for have all had, and continue to have, a substantial impact on me as a professional and as a person. I have been privileged to work in an exciting business that cuts across all industry sectors and touches on so many diverse business risks. I am equally privileged to work with individuals who are smart and talented and bring their own opinions and perspective to issues. All of these individuals have been and continue to be the cornerstone of my professional development."

Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be?

A: "The reputation of the industry in general and of brokers in the industry in particular has been damaged over the last couple of years, and in many ways, this has been unfair to the many hard working and dedicated individuals serving their clients."

2006 Women to Watch Home