The Successful Executive Podcast: Recent Episodes
John J. Bellino, III
The Successful Executive Podcast reveals the insights and wisdom from real executives who've climbed the ladder successfully, so you can learn how they did, and discover their real steps to success, and the detours they wished they'd avoided.
As an actuary at Travelers, Andrew Thompson has taken on plenty of non-traditional roles that exposed him to many different parts of the insurance industry.
He talks about how those experiences have helped him navigate the corporate world and made him a better actuary.
There are three skills in particular he says are vital for any executive in an insurance company… not to mention any organization in any industry. We discuss that, as well as…
- A key strategy for working effectively with teams from different technical backgrounds
- How creativity applies to business problems as technology advances
- Ways the insurance industry must appeal to the Millennial market
- The 3 biggest challenges facing insurance companies today
- And more
Leadership isn’t complicated, but it’s hard to do, says Adam Niebrugge, an actuary and director at GuideOne Insurance.
This is Adam’s second appearance on the podcast and this time around we dig deep into the role of executives as leaders. He shares two things he believes are essential to building effective teams, and it’s not what you might expect.
We also talk about…
- The one thing a good leader never uses to motivate
- Overcoming the challenge in managing intelligent and high-performing people
- Why he doesn’t believe in work/life balance
- The biggest challenges facing the insurance industry in the next few years
- And more
Like with many industries, technology is rapidly changing the insurance world. Adam Niegbrugge, an actuary and director at GuideOne Insurance, has seen the transformation first-hand.
In fact, he says that some coming trends could make the actuary obsolete… at least to a point. He talks about what that means for the profession and the industry as a whole.
We also discuss the number that most actuaries fixate on too much, and why Adam thinks it doesn’t matter, as well as what the wealthy know about insurance that most people don’t.
Tune in to find out…
- How the speed of processing claims impacts the need for actuarial support
- The unexpected impact of sales and marketing on the price of insurance
- Finding the balance between over-reserving and under-reserving
- The power of proactive insurance claims
- And more
When you’re an executive, especially a new one, what must you do to help move the business forward? How can you be most effective?
After 30 years in the insurance industry, Kristen Albright, senior managing actuary at Liberty Mutual, has plenty of strategies toward that goal that she’s learned in the trenches.
But at the core, you must truly understand the business. And that’s not as straightforward as you might think.
Kristen explains how to gain that insight, as well as…
- The first thing to remember when managing large groups
- Who to hire to make your job as an executive easier
- The biggest disruptions coming to the insurance industry in coming years
- Surprising ways to inspire and energize teams as a manager
- And more
David Shafer, vice president and actuary with IAT Insurance Group, has been in the industry a long time. He has a simple philosophy that he credits for his success: provide value. We talk about who you should provide value to (there are three groups)… and why this unselfish act will benefit you in the long term.
He also explains what exactly actuaries do – it’s not just about math… what he’s learned from managing up to 40 people at a time (think layers)… and the biggest issue facing the insurance industry in the near future.
Tune in to find out:
- The best way to make managing a team easier (it should be your first step)
- The 4+ traits you should look for in any potential employee
- Where actuaries really come from
- Why good communication is not just about what you say
- And more