CHELSEA WIEDEMANN Account executive officer

Travelers Cos.

Chicago

Growing up in a suburb of Hartford, Connecticut, the traditional insurance capital of the United States, Chelsea Wiedemann did not originally intend to enter the industry. But after taking a marketing internship at Travelers while at Bryant University her eyes were opened to the various career paths insurance offers. After working in different roles, she moved to the core discipline of underwriting and in March she joined the insurer’s excess casualty team.

What is the biggest challenge of working through the pandemic?

Having just joined a new team, my biggest challenge has been building relationships with agents, brokers and colleagues through email and phone calls, where normally I do that in person.

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

Talk about how many opportunities there are within the industry. When I first started out I thought of insurance as underwriting and sales, but it’s so much more than that — there’s finance, IT, engineering. If people were more educated about the different career paths it would help pull more people in. I grew up surrounded by the industry, a third-generation underwriter, and I still didn’t know how many career paths were available.

What is something about you that would surprise people?

I volunteer with human trafficking survivors. For the past two years, I’ve been volunteering on a hotline and at a drop-in center where survivors can come for a safe space.

What do you know now that you wish you knew at 18?

That I didn’t have to have everything figured out. I had a plan, but unexpected opportunities cross your path and priorities change, so I wish that I knew it was OK not to have everything mapped out.

What is your favorite meal?

Chicken picatta, with sautéed spinach and linguine. It always hits the spot.

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