By Loretta L. Worters, Vice President, Media Relations, Triple-I
In celebration of International Day for Women in Maritime – noticed each May 18 – Triple-I interviews ladies who’ve made a distinction within the maritime discipline. Last 12 months, the Triple-I centered on Isabelle Therrien, SVP-Canada, Falvey Cargo Underwriting.
For so long as Anne Marie Elder might bear in mind, she cherished the ocean. Being the niece of a Merchant Marine officer, she heard her uncle’s tales in regards to the Merchant Marine’s function in World War II. She imagined what it felt like to face on deck and watch the solar mirror on the water’s floor, breathe within the salty air, and take heed to the ocean waves. When she was in sixth grade, her Aunt Margaret instructed her in regards to the first-class with ladies graduating from the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) and inspired her to contemplate USMMA as an choice for faculty.
It was the one school Elder utilized to. She entered in 1984, in a category of about 211 males and 28 ladies. When she graduated, there have been solely 16 ladies – a 43 p.c dropout fee.
As a part of her training, she was required to serve two six-month phrases as a midshipman aboard industrial U.S. Merchant ships. A 20-year-old lady aboard a Merchant ship with 25 males was not all the time nicely acquired. Within the primary few hours on board one ship, the ship’s captain bluntly knowledgeable her that girls didn’t belong at sea and that he didn’t need her on his ship.
“I was given specific orders to leave the bridge any time the captain was there,” she recollects. “I also wasn’t allowed to eat in the mess hall at the same time he ate his meals. This went on the entire time I worked aboard that ship.”
“The captain’s reaction was so ludicrous and unprofessional,” she stated, “I decided to take the high road and refused to let him rob me of a great learning and life experience.”
Elder famous that the primary month aboard ship could possibly be difficult. “Some men gave me a hard time, but once they realized I was there to work and learn, they became more like brothers, looking out for me, making sure I was safe and watched over on the ship and when at a port.” For the primary six months, Elder was the one lady aboard the ship.
“I went there to get an education, and nothing would dissuade me,” she stated. “I was very serious, on the straight and narrow.”
By the age of 21, she had seen extra of the world than anybody she knew.
“They were some of the greatest times of my life,” she stated.
And that ship’s captain? He gave her among the best evaluations she obtained throughout her 12 months at sea.
“He didn’t want me on his ship, but he clearly respected the job that I did.”
Swallowing the Anchor
Elder thought that she would spend a number of years at sea, however there weren’t many crusing jobs on the time of her commencement. She considered going to legislation faculty. But she had a beautiful mentor and instructor at Kings Point: Rich Roenbeck, who was additionally a former Kings Pointer who taught her about marine insurance coverage.
“He was so good, such a great teacher, and it was pretty interesting, so I decided to swallow the anchor – give up the sea life – and try marine insurance,” she stated.
Elder’s Aunt was once more encouraging. “A teacher in NYC and also a nurse at the VA hospital, she was an inspiration to me,” Elder stated. “She was the number one reason I went to Kings Point and got ahead. When I started work, she took me out and bought me an entire wardrobe, so I’d look and feel confident when going to my new job.”
Her first job was with Continental Insurance/MOAC, which employed six marine trainees of their New York workplace – 5 males and Elder — the place she began writing hull and cargo insurance coverage. She additionally grew to become very concerned with the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU).
“AIMU is a hugely important part of marine insurance,” she stated. “They are a wonderful organization that has been around 125 years this year! They provide education in our industry and are involved with issues that are important to our industry.”
She’s additionally concerned with the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and has centered on how information digitization might change marine underwriting.
Elder lives by King Point’s motto she discovered years in the past – Acta Non Verba! – Deeds, Not Words! Today, because of her deeds, she is Global Chief Underwriting Officer, Marine at AXA XL, a division of AXA, the place her job is to develop the technique and handle the portfolio of the corporate’s $1.1 billion e book of marine enterprise, one of many largest marine insurers on the planet.
One of her biggest considerations is the expertise hole the business faces. Not simply within the United States, however the remainder of the world as nicely.
“Companies need to be more creative about bringing people into this industry,” she stated. “They need to think differently, to assess the skillset, not necessarily the knowledge of insurance, but the overall skillset. Companies should compensate them appropriately for those skills and develop them quickly as underwriters.”
What brings Elder the best pleasure is growing individuals.
“You must be the captain of your own ship,” she stated. “You can take that ship anywhere you want, but you must have a plan and develop the skills you need to know where you’re going. If you’re not going in the direction of your dreams, you need to change the course of your ship.”
She famous that girls can typically be much less vocal about their aspirations.
“Women think that if they work hard, they will be given a fair salary and chances to advance, but that’s not necessarily the case. Women need to work hard and develop the skills for advancement, but they also need to make sure that their managers know their short- and long-term career aspirations,” she stated.
“I spent three years in London in marine treaty reinsurance and would never have had that opportunity if I hadn’t spoken up. It put me on people’s radar,” she defined. “You must be positioned and ready for the opportunities. You have to network and vocalize what you want. It also takes a good sponsor which is different from a mentor. A mentor guides and helps you strategize, but a sponsor promotes you to other people to help you advance in your career. You need both. I had someone early on who was looking out for me. It was a man. There were few women leaders when I started,” she stated. “There still aren’t a lot of women in senior positions in marine insurance, but men are doing a better job of recognizing women’s assets.”
Elder famous that ladies and men can have very totally different management types.
“We don’t always think the same way or manage the same way,” she stated. “Having that diversity of thought makes a stronger company. Studies have shown that more diverse companies have higher profits.”
“It’s a great time for women to be in this industry because of all the opportunities out there,” she stated. “I tell women, ‘Take the helm and be that leader.’ I tell them, ‘Full speed ahead, ladies, full speed ahead!’ ”