2019 Break Out Awards, Midwest: Christina Koppang
Posted On: Jun. 1, 2019 12:00 AM CST
CHRISTINA KOPPANG
Business center director
Travelers Cos. Inc.
St. Paul, Minnesota
Age: 36
Christina Koppang joined Travelers Cos. Inc.’s underwriting professional development program straight out of Macalester College in 2005, where she got her degree in economics. In her first three years, she underwrote American Indian Nation business before rotating across divisions, including spells in Dublin and London. She then took leadership roles in Travelers’ emerging medical technology and global technology divisions. She now leads over 25 underwriters and underwriting managers in multiple specialties and geographies.
How do you see your job changing over the next 10 years?
Technology will continue to change the way we work, and implementing innovations such as robots and artificial intelligence-driven automation will help us in our function to make faster, smarter, more data-driven decisions. In addition, I anticipate it will create shifts in risk profiles of our customers and redefine the way we underwrite our business.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the business?
Find a passion outside of your work that allows you to give back to your community, learn new skills and grow as a professional. Serving on a nonprofit organization’s board of directors gave me a chance to share my talents, learn from other professionals and community leaders, gain leadership skills and build relationships.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I once went diving with great white sharks in South Africa. As the insurance professional, I was in a cage, not free-diving.
What is your favorite app or gadget?
My weather app on my cellphone. For those of us in Minnesota, we rely on it to confirm that we won’t have snow in July.
What would you/do you binge watch?
“Being Serena,” about Serena Williams. As a former college tennis player and a new mom, I found humor in it and could relate to some of Serena’s experiences.