ELIJAH ADEDIRE | Age: 36 International servicing leader-large property

Zurich North America

Chicago

Elijah Adedire’s journey in the industry began during graduate school at Cornell University when he took an internship at Zurich. He soon realized that insurance offered an opportunity to make an impact. Mr. Adedire started out as an internal consultant in 2013, and though he left to join Deloitte for a few years, his passion for insurance saw him rejoin Zurich in 2019.

 

What’s a lasting effect of the pandemic on the way you work?

Remote work and virtual meetings are here to stay. Pre-COVID I used to go to the office three times a week, but during the pandemic the dynamic changed to 100% remote. Technology has enabled us to be successful, to still collaborate and deliver great service to our customers.

 

What’s your advice on navigating the current insurance market?

We have to continue to evolve our process. The insurance market as a whole is known for a lot of data. Data is increasing at an exponential rate, which can also be a disadvantage, because we have a lot of legacy systems, old processes, a lot of manual data entry. We have to have a more efficient way to capture what is relevant and not overwhelm people with laborious work.

 

What should the industry do to attract more young people to work in it?

We need to create awareness. I remember when I was in college in undergrad, no insurance company came to my school. We have to be our own advocate, letting people know that insurance is a fun place, with a lot of great talent working here.

 

Favorite hobby or pastime?

Soccer, which we call football. I grew up in Nigeria, and I used to play when I was growing up and for the school team.

 

Favorite song?

Harambe songs, but I don’t have one favorite.

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