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Kathie Maley

IMA Inc.

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Kathie Maley

Executive Vice President
IMA Inc.
Dallas
Age: 49


 

In her career, Kathie Maley has worked in risk management, claims administration and brokering, giving her, as she says, the opportunity to see the industry from multiple vantage points. Looking back at her career, Ms. Maley says she is most proud of helping others in the field develop and grow. For Ms. Maley, her accomplishments have been considerable. At IMA, for example, she restructured employees' roles to focus more on clients and prospects rather than on administrative functions, which has helped IMA boost revenues past the $100 million mark. She also helped a big national retailer cut its workers compensation costs by 50% in Texas, while also revamping a global organization's risk management function after the acquisition of a U.S.-based company.


 

What's your advice for women entering this field?

My advice is pretty simple: Building a strong network. The value of a network is when you are faced with an issue or question that you cannot solve. With a network, you have the ability to pick up the phone and access a network of folks who can help. That is extremely meaningful.


 

What attracted you to this industry?

While I wasn't specifically attracted, once I began to function inside the insurance industry, I was amazed at the level and quality of the talent of the people. It is amazing how many talented and incredibly smart people there are in this business.


 

What aspects of your job give you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

The first is bringing solutions to address client needs. Where you have a client that has that challenge or a roadblock that they can't seem to tackle, finding a solution to the problem is something that fuels my tank. Also, having been in a leadership role for a meaningful amount of time, I also really enjoy watching individuals — whether it is young talent or experienced talent — grow and develop and find new way to accomplish things.


 

What's the most important lesson you've learned in your career?

Building strong relationships. This is a very small industry. That old adage of never burn bridges rings true in our industry. Having really strong relationships will sustain you through the good times and the bad.


 

Outside family, what woman has been your role model?

More than any individual, I admire capabilities and qualities that I find in strong women. Women who are true to their core. Women who find value in the right things. Women who find a way to say yes when the rest of the world thinks the answer is no. I admire those qualities.


 

What's at the top of your bucket list and why?

Packers. Bears. Lambeau Field. Fifty-yard line in December.


 

What's your secret vice?

It really is not much of a secret to those who know me: Michelob Ultra at a football game. What is less a secret is I love to scrapbook.

 

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