| NOTABLE WOMEN IN REINSURANCE
ANITA AMOS
Claims Manager Argonaut Insurance , Argo Group US
Even a professional who has devoted his or her entire career to reinsurance will admit that some days are more exciting than others . But for people like Anita Amos , the exciting times more than make up for the less-glamorous hours spent behind a desk .
Anita entered the insurance industry right out of college . She attended Illinois State University , just outside of Bloomington , which was ( and still is ) home to State Farm ’ s corporate headquarters . Anita describes herself as “ fortunate ” to have earned an internship with State Farm during college . Two years later , she formally began her career in insurance as a Commercial Claim Representative at Allstate . “ The internship really helped ,” Anita says , and she credits her early exposure to the insurance industry with her ability to rise through the ranks – and ultimately transition into reinsurance – over the next several years .
Having started her career in direct insurance , Anita always saw working in the world of reinsurance as a step up . So when a colleague introduced her to the reinsurance division of CNA Financial nine years later , she jumped at the opportunity . “ I felt privileged to get into the industry ,” she says ; and , after stints at CNA and Kemper , Anita moved to Argonaut Insurance , a division of Argo Group US , initially as a Principal Analyst .
Now a Claims Manager , Anita has more than 22 years of reinsurance experience . This includes prior experience in ceded reinsurance as well as significant experience in assumed reinsurance from her 15 years at Argonaut Insurance . Her day-today activities mainly involve interacting with senior management and handling the division ’ s higher-exposure claims .
When asked what excites her about her work , Anita is quick to point to two related aspects of her career : networking and travel . Anita ’ s work has taken her to London and many wonderful cities . She also loves to personally travel internationally . She is a regular attendee at the Association of Insurance & Reinsurance Run-Off Companies ’ semiannual Commutation and Networking Forums . There , she says , the opportunity to meet with other reinsurance professionals is invaluable . Whether she seeks to expand her network or resolve a claim that has languished for months ( if not years ), Anita finds that meeting with her colleagues in person offers opportunities that simply do not exist when talking over the phone or exchanging emails .
In fact , Anita credits the resolution involving one of her largest accounts with an in-person meeting she arranged at an AIRROC forum . All efforts at resolution had been fruitless – until she decided to set up a meeting with her counterpart during the forum . Although the meeting did not produce a final agreement by itself , it resolved enough issues and provided enough momentum for the long-pending claim to finally close .
Along these same lines , Anita notes that it is important to know when to pick your battles . While certain circumstances may call for you to stand firm , others may lend themselves to a more collaborative approach . When both parties have some room to give , it ’ s an opportunity for a win-win resolution – and this can be successful even if it means that neither party gets to bask in “ all of the glory .”
Asked where she sees herself in five years , Anita says she ’ s not certain , however , she hopes to remain in the reinsurance field . Anita ’ s ultimate priorities are to enjoy her work and have plenty of time to spend with her family – and she says that her current career at Argo Group US provides the balance and flexibility she needs to be happy .
Anita offers these insights to anyone considering a career or pursuing advancement opportunities in reinsurance :
On the industry The reinsurance industry is large ( and growing ); but , the longer you are in it , the smaller it will feel . You will find that many of the players are the same , and that the relationships that you devote the most effort to are those that are likely to serve you best in your career . You never want to burn any bridges , no matter how remote the possibility of working together again may seem , because you never know where your career will take you in the future .
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