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By Loretta Worters, Vice President, Media Relations, Triple-I
When Karen Griswold graduated with a B.S. in advertising from Penn State College, her first foray into the enterprise world was to turn into an government retail purchaser in a big division retailer. It didn’t take lengthy earlier than she realized it wasn’t a path for her.
She took an informational interview with somebody she knew on the Marine Workplace of America Corp. who prompt she think about taking part of their marine insurance coverage coaching program.
“I didn’t have a maritime background, my household didn’t even personal a ship, what did I learn about marine insurance coverage?” Griswold stated.
“I began as an underwriting trainee assigned to the marine unit,” she defined. “I did 18 months rotating in inland marine, cargo, hull and marine legal responsibility after which generalized insurance coverage coaching by way of their skilled coaching program and was assigned to a cargo unit in New York as an ocean cargo underwriter.”
It was an enchanting journey, in keeping with Griswold.
“As a part of the coaching I realized about mechanical provides, prescription drugs, equipment, and livestock. There was no field you would put your self in, it was altering on a regular basis.”
Cargo itself was completely different, Griswold discovered she needed to have a geopolitical sense.
“In the future China, one other day Brazil, and I had to have a look at how cargo was shipped weighing variables, resembling the worth of freight, the worth of the boat, whether or not it is going to function inland or on the ocean, and the legal guidelines and laws of nations the place the vessel would possibly journey,” she stated. “It was fascinating.”
Her profession spanned all the things from cargo to hull and legal responsibility to tugboat and marine amenities. She realized about completely different lessons of marine enterprise, too.
Thirty years later, Griswold is an government vice chairman in Chubb’s Ocean Marine Division, and she or he nonetheless finds she learns one thing new each day.
“It’s an unlimited insurance coverage world, that’s what I discover so thrilling and attention-grabbing, whether or not it’s the political impacts of delivery, to world commerce legal guidelines, completely different points in distinct ports, it’s consistently altering and evolving,” she stated.
In her present position, Griswold abroad all of it: ocean marine, hull, cargo, liabilities, and marinas enterprise. Relying on the day, one may be extra attention-grabbing than the opposite.
“That’s one of many issues that challenges me probably the most in my place. “I decide up the paper and discover out what’s taking place on this planet, the political complexities, and the way that impacts the way in which we transact enterprise.”
Schooling is essential to Griswold, which is why she has been concerned with the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) for the reason that starting of her profession. She began attending their academic applications as a trainee. Through the years, she has sat on the hull and finance committees and at present serves as AIMU’s Director of Funds.
“AIMU’s President John Miklus has been a fantastic champion of ladies, and for the trade generally,” she stated.
Griswold is also concerned with the Worldwide Union of Marine Insurance coverage (IUMI) and sits on their coverage discussion board committee that screens all the worldwide marine points impacting the trade.
“I imagine it’s a nice privilege to be a girl within the maritime trade; there are usually not quite a lot of us,” she defined. “There’s a pure camaraderie between us. For some time, I used to be the one lady at numerous occasions, completely different organizations, and committees. That has modified all through my profession. It’s an unbelievable subject for folks. The gender variety has elevated over the past couple of years and has been encouraging to see.”
Griswold, who celebrated her twenty-fifth anniversary with Chubb, attributes her success to the mentors and sponsors all through her profession – each women and men.
“We have to elevate girls, not solely within the marine trade however in enterprise general,” she stated. “Simply being a feminine in a closely male-dominated group is a problem. I’ve been fortunate; I’ve been handled pretty, and my expertise has largely been optimistic. Although it has been difficult as a mom, elevating youngsters in a male-driven trade, discovering that steadiness. However I’ve had an amazing quantity of assist.”
Griswold, who spends a good period of time sponsoring girls inside and outdoors the trade, famous that extra variety is required.
“Being a champion is essential, to showcase a few of that expertise,” she stated. “When girls see others like them, it’s extra empowering to have that bond, that skill to see folks like themselves and develop and develop and think about secure areas. It’s essential to showcase these girls and their expertise.”
Whereas Griswold didn’t benefit from sponsorship amongst senior girls, she did have nice male sponsors alongside the way in which.
“These males helped me discover my voice and my path ahead,” she stated. “We should assist different girls to seek out their voices. We should assist one another, empower ourselves, and never create a aggressive surroundings.”
Griswold pointed to the worth of Chubb’s enterprise roundtables, that are worker useful resource teams that supply mentoring and networking.
“We have to discover compatibility, friendship, mentoring teams,” she stated. “Ladies must forge their profession paths and discover their area of interest on this subject. There’s power in numbers.”
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