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 change into an govt 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 advised she contemplate 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 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 line with Griswold. 

“As a part of the coaching I discovered about mechanical provides, prescribed drugs, equipment, and livestock.  There was no field you could possibly put your self in, it was altering on a regular basis.”

Cargo itself was totally different, Griswold discovered she needed to have a geopolitical sense. 

“Sooner or later China, one other day Brazil, and I had to have a look at how cargo was shipped weighing variables, akin to the worth of freight, the value of the boat, whether or not it’s going to function inland or on the ocean, and the legal guidelines and rules of nations the place the vessel would possibly journey,” she stated. “It was fascinating.”

Her profession spanned the whole lot from cargo to hull and legal responsibility to tugboat and marine amenities.  She discovered about totally different lessons of marine enterprise, too. 

Thirty years later, Griswold is an govt vp in Chubb’s Ocean Marine Division, and he or she nonetheless finds she learns one thing new every single day. 

“It’s a vast 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, totally 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 choose up the paper and discover out what’s taking place on this planet, the political complexities, and the way that impacts the best way we transact enterprise.”

Schooling is essential to Griswold, which is why she has been concerned with the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) because the starting of her profession.  She began attending their academic packages as a trainee.  Through the years, she has sat on the hull and finance committees and is at present on the administration committee as effectively.

“AIMU’s President John Miklus has been an awesome champion of ladies, and for the trade normally,” she stated.

Griswold is also concerned with the Worldwide Union of Marine Insurance coverage (IUMI) and sits on their coverage kind committee that displays all the worldwide marine points impacting the trade. 

“I imagine it’s a nice privilege to be a lady within the maritime trade; there will not be loads of us,” she defined.  “There’s a pure camaraderie between us.  For some time, I used to be the one girl at varied occasions, totally different organizations, and committees.  That has modified all through my profession.  It’s an unbelievable discipline for individuals.  The gender range has elevated during the last 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 increase girls, not solely within the marine trade however in enterprise total,” 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 constructive.  Although it has been difficult as a mom, elevating kids in a male-driven trade, discovering that stability.  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 range is required.

“Being a champion is vital, to showcase a few of that expertise,” she stated.  “When girls see others like them, it’s extra empowering to have that bond, that potential to see individuals like themselves and develop and develop and contemplate protected areas.  It’s vital to showcase these girls and their expertise.”

Whereas Griswold didn’t get pleasure from sponsorship amongst senior girls, she did have nice male sponsors alongside the best way. 

“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 setting.”

Griswold pointed to the worth of Chubb’s enterprise roundtables, that are worker useful resource teams that provide mentoring and networking.

“We have to discover compatibility, friendship, mentoring teams,” she stated. “Girls have to forge their profession paths and discover their area of interest on this discipline.  There’s power in numbers.”