“When I asked what reinsurance was, I was told it was something to do with ‘earthquakes and Japan’. I was immediately hooked and have never looked back.”
Name:
Judi Newsam
Company: Guy Carpenter Job:
Country head, Guy Carpenter Brazil
Timeline: 2009—Country head and managing director, Guy Carpenter Brazil 2001—Country head, Brazil Benfield Group 1995—Director, treaty broking Latin America, Benfield Group London 1990—Team leader Latin America, Benfield Group London 1985—Team leader Latin America, Greig Fester London
As country head of Guy Carpenter’s Brazil operation, Judi Newsam, a managing director, oversees the offices in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo where she is in charge of strategic planning across all business lines and categories. Newsam develops and maintains strong client and colleague relationships and has increased revenue significantly. Recognised in the Brazilian market as the leading reinsurance treaty expert, she has been involved personally in arranging the reinsurance treaties for numerous multinational “startup” operations. She is responsible for the building and retention of both treaty and facultative teams there and has formed a cross-continent network of contacts to ensure that Brazil is seen as a place for investment, while creating new local revenue. She is also a member of ABECOR Re—the Reinsurance Brokers Association in Brazil, which sets industry standards. In addition, as part of the Brazil CEO Champions (Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society) group, Newsam has been committed to mentoring young talent.
Why did you choose to work in this industry initially? The year was 1983 and I had recently left university in Scotland, having graduated in social anthropology. I was job hunting in London when some friends mentioned to me that with my languages (I had been brought up in Latin America so was fluent in Spanish and Portuguese)—the reinsurance industry was hiring. When I asked what reinsurance was, I was told it was something
www.intelligentinsurer.com
to do with “earthquakes and Japan”. I was immediately hooked and have never looked back. They do always say that reinsurance chooses you rather than the other way around!
What has been the highlight of your career so far? After a 17-year career—based out of London—I was invited to come to Brazil to head up what was then the Benfield operation as country head. Benfield at that time had almost 30 offices worldwide—and I was the first female head of office to be appointed to the group. It was if a mould had been broken. I am pleased to say I was not alone for long and by the time I left in 2009 several important overseas operations were being led by women.
What has been the biggest challenge you have
encountered? We saw the breakup of the reinsurance monopoly in Brazil in 2008 and overnight the insurance industry had 75 years of catch-up to complete. It was a challenging time; looking after our clients’ needs, training young teams in a country when the insurance industry was facing double-digit growth across all lines of business. It still is a challenge.
If you had chosen a different profession/career path, what would it have been? My parents were field officers for the United Nations— specifically for the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and my childhood consisted of moving from country to country every two to three years. I was able to live first-hand seeing the aid that was brought by the FAO to some of the poorest communities in the world, and more importantly the teaching and training that FAO undertook to enable self-sufficiency and sustainable growth. I would love to have pursued an operational role with the UN. Who knows? There is still time.
2015 | INTELLIGENT INSURER | 73
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