Words of Wisdom from Women to Watch

Women to Watch presents the advice, guidance, and lessons learned from the most successful women in risk management and insurance. For the past 10 years, Business Insurance has highlighted key women in the field—women noted for their skills, accomplishments, courage, wisdom, and everyday steel. In this book, these women present their stories in their own words; through essays and anecdotes about key issues, key moments, and crucial lessons, former Women to Watch honorees provide a glimpse into what it takes to make it. They've battled obstacles, hurdles, and institutionalized career impediments—and they've come out on top; their stories provide inspiration, motivation, and concrete, real-world guidance for all women who seek advancement in the insurance and risk management fields.

Business Insurance receives several hundred Women to Watch nominations every year; of those, they honor only 25. These women are the cream of the crop, and their unique insights into all-too-common experiences can help us all rise to the top.

• Shatter the glass ceiling and close the wage gap
• Shift your perspective on what "work/life balance" means
• Celebrate and navigate the workplace's changing demographics
• Learn how successful women get it done

The insurance and risk management fields look very different today than they did even 10 years ago; there is much to celebrate, but even more still left to be done. There is no substitute for the wisdom of experience, and the best lessons come from those who have navigated the path successfully. Women to Watch provides unique insight into the women who have conquered the field, and critical perspective for those who will follow.

Foreword ix
Joanne Wojcik

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 I’m Strong 1
Ingrid Lindberg

Chapter 2 My College-Self Says, “What Glass Ceiling?”. My Now-Self Responds 15
Lindsey Frase

Chapter 3 Building Your Personal Brand 25
Kimberly George

Chapter 4 Hear Me Roar 35
Caryn Siebert

Chapter 5 Lessons Learned in a 30-Year Career 49
Carol Arendall

Chapter 6 The Myth of Work-Life Balance 57
Carolina Klint

Chapter 7 Dirty Glass Ceilings 65
Yvette Connor

Chapter 8 Integration: The Key to Happiness 79
Janet Pane

Chapter 9 Women on Boards 89
Terrie Pohjola

Chapter 10 A Growth Story 103
Carol L. Murphy

Chapter 11 What If 117
Linda Lane

Chapter 12 Game Changers 129
Artemis Emslie

Appendix Women to Watch (by year) 139

About the Authors 151

Index 163

Business Insurance is a publication of Crain Communications Inc. that provides news and information for risk managers, benefits managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services. The publication delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges. Business Insurance covers core risk management and insurance areas such as property/casualty insurance, health insurance, captive insurance and other alternative risk transfer vehicles, and enterprise risk management. Business Insurance is delivered in a multi-media mix, including a bi-weekly print magazine, tablet apps, digital replica, and daily online and mobile news.

For more than a decade, a panel of senior editors at Business Insurance magazine have sat down once a year to vet hundreds of entries from women throughout the commercial insurance, reinsurance, risk management, employee benefits, and related fields to identify the 25 who have had the greatest impact on organizational performance, exercised the most notable influence in the marketplace, and worked the hardest to advance the careers of women in business. These "Women to Watch" have been selected because of their prior achievements and tremendous potential to drive change as part of the 12 percent of women in the workforce who are senior managers and the one percent who are CEOs in the insurance industry. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the award, Words of Wisdom from Women to Watch features the personal stories of 12 past honorees who share how they overcame career challenges to stand out in the commercial insurance industry.

In this inspiring and educational collection of deeply personal essays, 12 exceptional women open up about what it means to be strong, how to build an authentic personal brand, the importance of mentoring, tips for balancing personal and professional lives, and much more. Every self-contained chapter unfolds like a personal conversation with the author, offering encouragement for overcoming professional barriers and hard-earned guidance for how to achieve business and personal success.

Turn to this practical resource again and again for its actionable advice on:

• Transforming your unique talents and experience into a powerful asset for gaining confidence and respect in the professional world.
• Tuning out the second-guessing and self-doubt and seizing every opportunity with courage and worthiness.
• Taking the initiative to find a coach who will develop your own personal strengths and abilities, while enabling you to support other women striving to reach their own goals.

Get the career advice 10 years in the making with Words of Wisdom from Women to Watch.

BUSINESS INSURANCE magazine is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. It provides risk managers, benefits managers, insurers, brokers, and other providers of insurance products and services in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.

QUOTES FROM
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM WOMEN TO WATCH

"The tight rope between 'one of the boys' and 'soft like a lady' is untenable. Just imagine for a moment if every man were told that they needed to be softer, less abrasive, and more like a woman in their performance reviews."
—Ingrid Lindberg, Customer Experience Officer, Chief Customer, 2009 Honoree

"One night, two young men sat at the bar and starting talking about how much they loved their sales jobs. I overheard their lively conversation about fun and travel and money. It sounded glamorous, so I engaged them to find out more. When they told me they worked for a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company, I had no idea what that meant, but I asked if their company was hiring. When they said yes, I asked for contact information to send a resume. They laughed and told me they were not hiring women."
—Artemis Emslie, CEO, MyMatrixx, 2015 Honoree

"There is not one single path to success, and whatever it is, you can't walk it alone. It is absolutely crucial to develop a strong support network, both at work and at home."
—Carolina Klint, President, U.S. South Zone, American International Group Inc., 2013 Honoree

"Not unlike many women in business, I was told early in my career that individual accolades I might receive were not mine alone and must be positioned for the team. Any focus on personal accomplishments would be perceived as bragging, self-promoting, and intimidating to coworkers. Regardless of my male counterparts' use of the word I, for women, the use was viewed as abrasive and indicative of the woman lacking the skill set to be a team player and leader."
—Kimberly George, Senior Vice President, Health Care Adviser, Sedgwick, 2011 Honoree

"As women, we so often believe that we have to be accomplished, perfect in essence, at something before we are good enough even to try and step into the ring."
—Linda Lane, President, Harbor Health Systems, 2015 Honoree

"Do not tell the next generation what to do but rather be there as a guidepost. No one learns when someone else tells them what to do."
—Carol Arendall, Vice President Safety and Risk Management, U.S. Foods Inc., 2007 Honoree