2022 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Maxine Goddard Senior vice president, strategic distribution and development
Sompo International Holdings Ltd.
London
Maxine Goddard has been away from her native Barbados for some 21 years after first moving to London for post-graduate studies.
Keen to earn a living, she saw a recruitment ad for a job at Eagle Star Insurance Co. PLC. She applied, got the job and has remained in the business for most of her career.
Ms. Goddard had previously worked in banking and was studying international business strategy, so she found the transition to insurance smooth. Ready to put herself forward, she was an eager participant at a town hall meeting, attracting the attention of the then-CEO, who placed her in the company’s fast-track program.
That support has encouraged her to offer her support to others, and she has mentored some 50 young professionals.
“I look to help people navigate their careers, and I really enjoy the positive feedback and continuous contact with all of them,” she said.
Ms. Goddard stayed with the firm in various roles until, starting in 2004, she spent three years working with the United Nations on a project for microfinance, insurance and credit, which involved travel to Central America.
Returning to London in 2007, she bumped into an old colleague and was quickly asked to join Zurich Insurance Group Ltd., which had taken over Eagle Star in 1999. She then held various operational roles at Zurich before joining Sompo International in 2020.
Ms. Goddard has an immense amount of drive and energy, said Julian James, CEO, global markets, for Sompo International.
“She is a self-starter who throws herself into initiatives that are not just going to help her but help others and help the company in the wider community,” he said.
Ms. Goddard is a keen member of the Insurance Supper Club, which supports women in the industry, and sits on its advisory council. She also sits on Sompo’s inclusivity and diversity council.
“It is so important for other women to see and hear from those who have progressed in their careers and to believe that they can do the same and to have the opportunity to do that,” she said.
