2021 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Rebekah Ratliff Mediator and arbitrator
JAMS
Atlanta
Mediator and arbitrator Rebekah Ratliff said she is appropriately named after the biblical matriarch because “Rebekah” translates into “to tie, to bind, to moderate.”
Ms. Ratliff, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Maywood, Illinois, and graduated from the University of Illinois with a psychology degree, “fell into the insurance industry seemingly by accident,” although, she said, “at my age, I don’t believe in accidents.”
Ms. Ratliff was an adjuster for 25 years, working in a wide variety of insurance sectors. She left Chubb Ltd. in 2016 to start her own mediation and arbitration company, Capital City Mediations LLC. A year and a half ago, she joined JAMS, which provides mediation and arbitration services, as an independent contractor and where she is the only Black female nonlawyer.
Her mother was a nurse and her father a pastor, and they instilled in her and her four siblings the value of service. “I was raised to be a servant leader,” she said.
This philosophy is also adhered to by husband, Cecil, a teacher, and by her son, Camron, a college senior who is planning to become a doctor of physical therapy, she said.
Ms. Ratliff’s passion for service is reflected in the Historical Black Colleges and Universities’ Insurance Mentor Program Advice Career Track initiative, which she helped launch. IMPACT is designed to create opportunities for students to learn about careers in various insurance sectors, she said. The program, which works with major companies in the industry, provides scholarships and mentors and connects students with hiring executives.
“She is definitely a go-getter” and an “all-star,” said JAMS diversity program manager Joanne Saint Louis. “She really enjoys what she does and loves to educate people in the insurance space.”
“She’s always smiling, has a good heart, and is always willing to help someone out,” including mentoring those seeking to break into the industry, and has spoken on JAMS’ behalf on multiple panels, Ms. Saint Louis said. “She’s just a pleasure to work with.”
