“Traditionally, I think a certain type of person has been attracted to reinsurance, and historically firms have been poor at encouraging recruitment away from that norm.”
Name:
Sarah Willmont
Company: Canopius Job:
Deputy divisional underwriter, property treaty
Timeline: 2014—Deputy divisional underwriter, property treaty, Canopius 2008—Senior broker, Global ReSpecialty, Aon Benfield 2003—Broker, non-marine retrocession, Aon Benfield
Sarah Willmont began her career as a graduate trainee at Benfield Group (now Aon Benfield) and joined its non-marine retrocession team as a broker in 2003. In 2008, she was appointed as a senior broker in the Aon Benfield composite Global ReSpecialty team, where she was responsible of
for the production and servicing
global non-marine retrocession business. Wilmont joined Canopius as deputy divisional underwriter, property treaty in May 2014.
Why did you choose to work in this industry initially? When I did research into the reinsurance industry I was attracted by the emphasis placed on relationships and networking: I thought that this would suit my skillset. I have always wanted to work with people and be part of a business where the outcome is influenced by your reading of a situation and how people will react. I have not been disappointed and still believe this is a crucial part of being successful in the industry.
What has been the highlight of your career so far? Seeing both sides of the industry in terms of underwriting and broking. After building a very happy career on the broking side for 12 years, making the switch to underwriting has been challenging but very rewarding. I am always asked which side of the industry I prefer and I can’t honestly answer one or the other. I believe that similar skills can be applied to both underwriting and broking in order to deliver successful outcomes.
www.intelligentinsurer.com What has been the biggest challenge you have
encountered? Development of diversity within a team. Traditionally, I think a certain type of person has been attracted to reinsurance, and historically firms have been poor at encouraging recruitment away from that norm. Bringing alternative thinkers to the fore, at all levels of the job, is a major challenge for managers, companies and the industry as a whole. I think this will be a differentiating factor for successful firms in the future.
If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? I would like to be alternative and claim a secret desire to be a spacewoman or marine biologist, but I can’t! I was genuinely always looking in the financial sector for my choice of career and am glad I ended up in reinsurance.
2015 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | 107
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