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Women to Watch: 2006

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Joy Erven Laughery

Joy Erven Laughery


Director of Stamping Office

Surplus Lines Assn. of California

San Francisco

Age: 37

Just before joining the Stamping Office in July 2003, Joy Erven Laughery worked for ACE Westchester Specialty Group as an underwriting and marketing supervisor. She got her start in the industry as an assistant broker at Commodore Insurance Services and at Swett & Crawford Group between 1992 and 1996. She then went to Colemont Insurance Group Inc. as an associate broker and in 1999, she became an assistant vp at Integrated Risk Solutions Inc. before joining ACE in 2001. In addition to her current position, she also serves as the Surplus Lines Assn. of California's chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

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

A: "I would like to see more educational seminars on ethics and public relations. Many aspects of the insurance industry are insular, and not known to anyone outside of a small circle. Through education, the industry can improve professional conduct and shed light on insurance for consumers and business alike."

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

A: "Women entering insurance need a strong work ethic and professional attitude because they are entering an established industry providing tremendous opportunities. My personal philosophy is to live in the now, excel at the job at hand, gain as much experience as possible, and enjoy the challenges as they come...because they will."

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

A: "I had many people I admired and respected throughout my career. The person who stands out most is Nanci Rakestraw, an assistant vice president for ACE USA. She was a great influence and helped me recognize the traits I would need to rise in the ranks as she had done. Some of her strongest traits are her work ethic, job knowledge, positive attitude and approachability. Most importantly she taught me to respect others regardless of title."


Lou Ann Layton

Lou Ann Layton


Managing Director and National D&O Practice Leader

Marsh Inc.

New York

Age: 47

Before joining Marsh in 1987, Lou Ann Layton was an underwriter in Chubb Corp.'s executive protection department. Now, as one of the industry's leading professionals in directors and officers liability insurance, she works directly with numerous Fortune 250 clients on their D&O programs. Ms. Layton, who is Marsh's national D&O practice leader, leads the Client Advisory Practice for the broker's Financial & Professional Liability Practice, where she is responsible for technical leadership, knowledge management, oversight of professional standards, staffing decisions and professional development and training.

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

A: "To retain more women at the vp-svp level. We need to provide women with balanced work/life situations that offer both short- and long-term career opportunities. We need to recognize that women may need to leave the 'fast track' for a few years to raise children or care for a parent. But they can provide much value during those years and even more when they are able to return to the fast track."

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

A: "Take on greater and more responsibility than you believe you are ready for. Don't work to obtain the next job level opportunity, work for two jobs ahead of the next. Don't be afraid to make decisions with speed. You won't always be right, but you will learn from those decisions."

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

A: "It would be unfair to single out any one person, as I have been fortunate to work with many good people who helped shape my career. My successes are a result of having good mentors, being surrounded by very smart people and working for a company that has offered great opportunities over my 20-year career. Working for managers who afforded me independence and responsibilities without worrying about any diminished success on their part has helped me understand the importance of developing younger talent within the organization."


Dierdre Littlefield

Dierdre H. Littlefield


Director of Business Development

Starr Marine Agency Inc.

New York

Age: 54

Deirdre H. Littlefield's more than 30 years of experience in both marine and nonmarine lines includes managing worldwide marine operations for the Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. and serving as a senior vp and director of special lines for Swiss Reinsurance America Corp. Just prior to becoming director of business development for Starr Marine Agency this year, she was president of insurance at Quanta Insurance Group. In September she was elected president of the International Union of Marine Insurance. She is the first woman president in IUMI's 132-year history, she said. She was also the first woman Chairman of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters, serving from 2000 to 2002.

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

A: "The public image of the insurance industry. It is an interesting and exciting industry which offers rewarding careers."

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

A: "Challenge yourself--the opportunities are enormous."

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

A: "Throughout my career I have encountered individuals at all levels who willingly shared their time and expertise. The insurance industry has an abundance of talented professionals able and willing to serve as teachers, mentors and role models."


Fiona Luck

Fiona Luck


Executive Vp and Chief of Staff

XL Capital Ltd.

Hamilton, Bermuda

Age: 49

Following a career from 1983-1997 at broker Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.--where Fiona E. Luck was appointed managing director and head of Marsh's global broking operations in Bermuda--and then a two-year stint at ACE Ltd., she joined XL Capital Ltd. as executive vp-group operations in 1999. When XL earlier this year realigned some of its senior management, creating an "Office of the CEO," Ms. Luck was named chief of staff. In this role, she is charged with overseeing all of the company's legal, marketing, human resources, corporate communications, corporate actuarial and corporate strategy functions, among other things.

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

A: "I was fortunate to have the three Bobs at Marsh who were great influences: Bob Clements, Bob Newhouse and Bob Redmond. Then I think of the influences of the two Brians--Brian O'Hara of XL and Brian Duperreault at ACE. Obviously there have been great women influences in my life as well--my mother; my grandmother; Ellen Thrower--a director on XL Capital Ltd.'s board; and Myra Tobin, who was the first woman managing director at Marsh."

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

A: "There's a huge opportunity in the industry still for talented women. Having a professional designation whether it be an actuarial qualification, financial qualification, legal background, or an underwriting designation is really important. It gives you the opportunity to compete with anybody on a consistent basis. I would also advise that women not turn down any opportunity to expand their experience whether it is international or going into a different area. I would also advise women to learn to network with both men and women and to be willing to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness. People are very willing to give it."

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

A: "If i had the ability to change one thing about the insurance industry, it would be to increase the level of awareness as to the importance of consistent professional development."


Eileen McCusker

Eileen McCusker


Chief Operating Officer for U.K. and Ireland Region

XL Insurance Co. Ltd.

London

Age: 53

Eileen McCusker started her career in insurance as an engineering underwriter in Glasgow, Scotland. She joined XL Capital Ltd. when the Bermudian company acquired Winterthur International from Credit Suisse Group in 2001. Ms. McCusker is one of the most senior women at XL Capital Ltd. Between 2004 and 2006, she was responsible for the reorganization of XL Insurance's Nordic operations under one management structure based in Sweden.

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

A: "I'd say the most important qualities you can develop are self-belief, determination and integrity. We're very lucky--there are tremendous opportunities in our industry. Self-belief and determination will help you make the most of them. Integrity, in terms of delivering what you commit to, will get you noticed for all the right reasons. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, you'll get noticed anyway, but you'll be remembered by your integrity."

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

A: "Since moving to London over 20 years ago I've been very fortunate to have had the support of some superb managers, who have consistently encouraged me to develop my career and backed my decisions. They enabled me to try new things without any fear of failure. I really don't want to single out any one person, but I'll always be grateful to one who was very generous with sharing his contacts and knowledge. It was both a boost to my career and an inspiring example."

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

A: ""I'd love to speed up the rate of change within the insurance industry. Insurance has evolved over centuries, which has provided a wonderful heritage but we need to combine the best of the old and the new. I'd like us all to embrace cutting edge technology, organizational agility and rapid decision-making. A modern, efficient and value-enhancing industry would benefit us all."


Nancy M. Mellard

Nancy M. Mellard


Executive Vp and General Counsel

CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Inc.

Leawood, Kan.

Age: 53

Nancy M. Mellard has more than 25 years of legal, licensing and compliance experience in the insurance industry. She joined CBIZ in 1996 and since then has built her division's licensing department and managed the legal consolidation of more than 20 corporations into a single division for CBIZ. Before joining CBIZ, she served as vp of legal affairs and was later promoted to senior vp and general counsel at the Grant Nelson Group Inc. in Kansas City, Mo. She also is leading CBIZ's Women's Initiative Program and serves as chairwoman of the legal counsel's committee of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.

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

A: "In all aspects of your life, surround yourself with people and associates that are smarter than you. This industry has changed significantly in the past 15 years and will continue to change. Don't let knowledge and change intimidate you or be seen as a threat. Both should be embraced as the greatest opportunities to grow."

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

A: In terms of the insurance business, "The president of CBIZ's Benefits & Insurance Services Division, Rob O'Byrne, gave me the advice years ago that in order to succeed in a sales-driven organization, it was critical for a person with my credentials and training to get out in the field and 'walk in the shoes' of our producers/consultants so that I could understand what truly motivates them. It was invaluable advice."

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

A: "Our reputation. It is my opinion that the perception of professionals in our industry is very different than who they really are and what they really do. This change is not about raising the professionalism and credentials of our associates, but rather, that we need to do a much better job of educating the market about the value we add and the creative solutions insurance consultants provide to our clients to solve their business issues."


Susan Meltzer

Susan R. Meltzer


Assistant Vp-Risk Management

Aviva Canada Inc.

Scarborough, Ontario

Age: 52

At Canada Development Corp., where Susan R. Meltzer started in 1983, she leveraged her brokerage background from work at a Toronto broker to rise from the secretarial ranks into risk management for the company, which no longer is in business. Her experience there led to risk management positions at Bell Canada and then at Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, both based in Toronto. In her new position at Aviva, Ms. Meltzer is charged with developing and implementing an enterprisewide approach to risk management and assisting in the development of a mitigation plan for the insurer's identified risks. She served as president of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. in 1999/2000 and is currently chairman of the International Federation of Risk & Insurance Management Assns.

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

A: "From a risk management standpoint, it was the late Douglas Barlow," also a former RIMS president, who is credited with creating the first global insurance and risk management program and was responsible for developing a widely used cost-of-risk formula. "He was just an incredible man. He'd say: 'I have this idea rolling around in my head. I'm too old to do anything with it, so I'm giving it to you to figure is out.' He was just a fantastic mentor."

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

A: "I would tell them not to underestimate the need for a broad-based education or experience and get an MBA either before you start or after. The key there is focus on the broad business education, not just the technical aspects of risk management and insurance. I think it is critical" to understand not only risk but also business and business strategy."

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

A: The industry is "caught up in processes that don't make sense." It focuses inordinately on "buying and selling insurance," when its main function "is giving money to someone when they have a loss. So there's lots of attention to the front end, but when there's a claim, there's no relationship. It's just broken, in my view." The industry needs to "get the hostility out" of the claims process by creating "more certainty of what coverage is going to be."


Lara Mowery

Lara Mowery


Managing Director

Guy Carpenter & Co. Inc.

Minneapolis

Age: 37

Lara Mowery is head of Guy Carpenter's property specialty practice in the mid-America regions specializing in developing solutions for difficult risks. She is the firm's acknowledged expert in the Florida property market and has served on the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Ms. Mowery has served as the business leader on the development of i-aXs, Guy Carpenter's online risk management platform. Before joining Guy Carpenter, she worked for E.W. Blanch Co. Inc. and its sister company, Paragon.

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

A: "My grandmother has had the greatest influence on how I approach the work environment. She owned her own business, and while I never consciously thought about it when I was young, she shaped most of my ideas of how women behave in the workplace. As I saw her, she was very in control, confident in her ability to make good decisions and conveyed a sense of belonging in any environment. Since starting my career, I have had several mentors who have provided invaluable advice and opportunities. I can't imagine trying to successfully negotiate all the decisions that make a career without guidance from people you respect and who appreciate your skills."

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

A:"Don't be afraid to take chances; you can gain very valuable knowledge and opportunity by doing something seemingly unrelated to the path that you are on. Cultivate a mentor. Having someone at a senior level who understands and believes in your abilities is incredibly valuable. Work towards doing something you really find interesting because it is much harder to excel at something you are not passionate about."

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

A: "There are still instances where the reinsurance broker's relationship with the client is by far the most heavily weighted criteria in deciding who to do business with. If I could change something, I would create an environment where a broker's skills and the resources they bring to a client would consistently be an equal criteria in judging who to do business with."


Susanne Murray

Susanne Murray


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."


Cecilia Norat

Cecilia Norat


Director, State Relations

American International Group Inc.

New York

Cecilia Norat began her career in 1986 as deputy executive director for the New York State Insurance Fund until she joined AIG in 1996 as senior vp. She assumed her current position in 1999, leading a team responsible for tracking and analyzing proposed changes to insurance regulations and legislation in all 50 states.

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

A: Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo has been the most influential person in Ms. Norat's career because he gave her the opportunity to join the New York State Insurance Fund as deputy executive director in 1986 after she graduated from Fordham University Law School that year. "That was the biggest boost to my career."

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

A: Women who want to be in the insurance industry should make sure they get a thorough education. When they are considering their path in the industry, they should consider joining the business side because the true leaders of the industry will always come from the business side.

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

A: "I would like to see (the industry) move a little faster in the development of women in business and minorities in business. But I can't really criticize because I think it's doing as good a job as most other industries."

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