Rachel Turk | Age: 41 Group head of strategy

Beazley PLC

London

Rachel Turk did not set out to have a career in insurance. Having graduated from the University of Warwick, she joined Ernst & Young Global Ltd.’s graduate program and qualified as an accountant.

In 2006, she joined British stockbroker Cazenove as an equity analyst. When the financial crash of 2008 hit, she was recruited by Beazley PLC as an analyst and was happy to make the switch, she said.

Just six months later, she became an underwriter with the insurer’s U.S. directors and officers liability insurance team, eventually heading up the section.

“I loved the job. There are very few positions where you get to meet the C-suite of major listed companies who are totally open with you. The knowledge and exposure I had in that decade was immense,” she said.

That experience has helped shape her career, and Sheila Cameron, CEO of the London Market Association, where Ms. Turk is a board member, said she has a well-rounded perspective.

“She’s got the underwriting side of things, the regulatory and government side of things, the board experience, and she’s got the strategy side. So, when you put all those pieces together, that’s a rare combination,” Ms. Cameron said.

Now, in a broader leadership role with Beazley, Ms. Turk said taking on that role was not easy.

“I saw it advertised and knew I was capable of handling all the required elements, but I did the typical woman thing of thinking there was someone better qualified, so I did not apply. Luckily for me, someone else within Beazley gave me the needed confidence.

“It was a strange thing, as I am always encouraging the women around me to put themselves forward and then I almost fell into the same trap. I am so grateful I was pushed forward, and I now use the tale to encourage other women to believe in themselves,” she said.

That drive echoes through her personal life as a single mom to two boys, 8 and 11, who love the outdoors and are encouraged by Ms. Turk to understand that hard work will pay off.