2023 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Becky Carlson-Krzywonos Vice president, branch manager, AIG Risk Management
American International Group Inc.
San Francisco
Becky Carlson-Krzywonos says she’s “one of those people” who went into insurance following college and stayed there.
Her first job after getting her degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and risk management from California State University, Sacramento, was as an executive assistant at Ace Ltd.
From there she became an underwriting assistant and was selected for an underwriting training program. After successive promotions and moving to AIG in 2018, she manages complex commercial automotive, general liability and workers compensation programs for large companies in the northwestern United States.
“I definitely found something that I really enjoy,” she said. “I like the variety. Something that we get to do a lot is look at a lot of different companies. We’re not industry-specific. We get to meet different people from all walks of life,” which she said is her favorite part of the job.
“We just have such great people in this business. Smart and dynamic people keep it engaging for me. You’re always learning something new,” she said.
Knowing what helps companies operate and how “every company has a different take and philosophy” toward risk management drives her, said Ms. Carlson-Krzywonos.
Taking her work home with her is one of her habits — but not in a way one might think.
“I’m an underwriter, so (I’m) looking at risk constantly, probably to the chagrin of my husband. I’m looking for the things that could possibly go wrong, and how can we mitigate that in our day-to-day lives at home,” she said.
Gary Shertenlieb, Leawood, Kansas-based executive vice president for distribution, client engagement and western zonal leader for AIG Risk Management, called Ms. Carlson-Krzywonos “the quintessential manager,” adding that it’s her creativity and willingness to listen and assist others that make her stand out.
“Not only is she experienced and available to our clients and our brokers that we work with, she is seen as a go-to resource,” he said. “She’s trusted and reliable … putting solutions together for our clients.”
Louise Esola
