Operating the numbers: Ardour for math results in insurance coverage profession

Jenna Kirkpatrick Howard’s journey on the planet of enterprise and insurance coverage is a placing instance of how various experiences and steady studying can pave the way in which to success.

Howard (pictured above) at the moment serves because the senior vice chairman at Lockton Firms and a member of the Northeast Government Committee. Her story is not only about her rise within the company world but additionally about her contributions to the trade, notably by means of her talking engagements, board roles, mentorship of rising expertise, and dedication to range and inclusion.

Howard’s foray into the enterprise realm started along with her ardour for arithmetic, which she pursued at college. This path serendipitously led her to satisfy an actuary, opening her eyes to a captivating intersection between arithmetic and enterprise. This encounter steered her towards a specialization in threat administration and insurance coverage at enterprise faculty, marking the start of her insurance coverage journey.

“After I was considering what sort of profession I used to be occupied with, I actually discovered that the combination between arithmetic and enterprise made quite a lot of sense,” she mentioned.

Initially aspiring to be an actuary, Howard’s early experiences included an internship within the area. Nonetheless, she quickly found that this path was not aligned along with her profession aspirations. Transferring to a brokerage agency after faculty, she launched into a journey in insurance coverage brokerage. Her profession at this stage was characterised by a generalist method, the place she dealt with numerous kinds of accounts, together with working with a personal fairness agency.

“What I actually like concerning the brokerage position is that it is led by curiosity. By asking quite a lot of questions on threat profile and threat tolerance, you will get a powerful understanding of your shoppers’ enterprise. Figuring out threat and the way you handle them is basically enjoyable,” Howard mentioned.

The transfer to Washington, D.C., was a major chapter in Howard’s profession. Right here, she delved into massive building initiatives, putting wrap-up packages for stadiums, arenas, and conference facilities. Nonetheless, the monetary disaster of 2008 necessitated a shift in her focus, resulting in her involvement with numerous kinds of companies.

Becoming a member of Lockton Firms was a turning level in her profession. Over the previous 13 years, Howard has labored throughout a number of verticals, together with building, actual property, and not-for-profit sectors. Her work usually includes tackling advanced points within the property insurance coverage market, particularly in mild of local weather change.

“Oftentimes while you get into nonprofits comparable to social companies and commerce organizations, they do truly personal quite a lot of property, and there is some actually attention-grabbing nuances to how they run their organizations, and it pulls at your heartstrings quite a lot of instances,” she mentioned.

Howard’s most notable contribution to the sector is her co-authorship of “The Development Insurance coverage Information for Attorneys and Different Professionals” for the American Bar Affiliation. The information is at the moment being up to date to incorporate new focuses comparable to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues in building, reflecting the evolving panorama of the trade.

Other than her skilled endeavors, Howard is obsessed with selling range in management roles throughout the monetary companies sector. She chaired the Elite Girls Producer Group at Lockton the place she championed initiatives to extend feminine illustration in senior management positions. Howard emphasised the significance of making a supportive community and offering growth alternatives for ladies within the group.

“We created the Elite Girls Producer Group as a result of there have been so few girls on this position inside Lockton 10 years in the past, and we have been searching for our personal connection and help group within it,” Howard mentioned. “We’ve got since taken that group and developed it into an essential position in recruiting, mentorship, onboarding and ensuring there is a trajectory for fulfillment, not solely on the manufacturing aspect, but additionally inside senior management, working committees, observe chief roles and unit managers.”