“If ever you decide to go into consulting, KPMG would be a great company to join”. A wise man once said this to me almost 20 years ago.
Well – I’m here now and it’s been quite the journey as the image depicts. Here are 5 key takeaways 💡 that I’ve learnt along the way:
1. Fail fast. A term that you often hear used within the insuretech tech space and beyond. In the context of one’s career, failing (and failing early) can be a good thing. The consequences are sometimes less significant early on and it’s likely that you will have the time to react, dust yourself off and go again.
2. No doesn’t always mean no. It’s up to you to demonstrate why the answer should change. We drove to countless schools/colleges in 2005 begging for a chance to resit my GCSE’s and all of them said no, bar one who saw the tenacity with which I pursued a 2nd chance. In 2022, I came 2nd in a process for the role I have just commenced. Never give up.
3. Empathy vs sympathy ❤️ . The depth and severity of what I have experienced has given me the ability to empathise with others. Sympathy says “sorry to hear that”, empathy says “I feel what you feel”. There is a subtle difference – this has proved to be invaluable throughout my career. Bad stuff isn’t always so bad if you can learn how to use it positively.
4. Be resilient . Much like the UK property market, the long term trajectory is up ↗ . Your future success is determined by your response to the challenges. There may be a few bumps in the road and many reasons to quit – but hanging in there can often prove to be fruitful down the line. That being said, if something clearly isn’t working don’t prolong the inevitable.
5. Celebrate in stages. 🥂 🎊 It would have been easy to do the standard "I’m glad to announce my new job post", but it wouldn’t quite do this justice. It's been a journey. Celebrating gives you the opportunity to reflect, re-strategize and set new goals. Don’t wait until you get 'there'. Where is ‘there’? There may not turn out to be what you expected.
A few shout outs. Thanks Dexter Williams for planting the seed re KPMG almost 20 years ago. It's funny how life works out.
Thanks Claude Perret for developing my critical thinking as an actuary - you were the boss I needed back at DLG. Thanks Mike Joseph for the time spent under your pupillage. You literally helped me to get inside an underwriters brain and your entrepreneurship never ceases to amaze.
Thanks Susan Dreksler for trusting me.
To my pricing and underwriting colleagues - it would be great to connect further to understand your business needs. We've also hired Zvi Ebert and between us we have spent a significant amount of time on pricing transformations, UW workbenches, governance, best practice and so much more. Unlike the typical consultant trying to sell you a product that you don't want to buy, we understand the pricing pain points having spent all of our time in industry. Feel free to reach out if you would like a further conversation.
NED | Non-Executive Director | Bringing expertise in Customer Insight, Marketing, Data and Digital strategy into the boardroom
4moReally enjoyed the conversations this morning, with some sage (and human) advice from Mark Evans Celia Pronto and Sara Bennison about building a network, getting out your comfort zone and being thoroughly prepared and maniacally organised in a post-PA pot pourri career. Great stuff. Thank you.