A powerful narrative about embracing life's unexpected career pivots and discovering that detours become your greatest strengths. From journalism to insurance to real estate and back again, this story reveals how resilience, adaptability, and perseverance transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
Her Story
About Amanda
Amanda Pasman, CPCU, is an accomplished insurance and risk management professional with extensive experience in corporate risk management, commercial insurance, and strategic risk mitigation. She serves as Insurance and Risk Manager for North America at Norsk Hydro, a global leader in the aluminum and renewable energy industries. Joining Hydro after serving as the company's insurance broker at a leading global brokerage firm, Amanda transitioned into an in-house leadership role where she now oversees insurance and risk management initiatives across North America. Her expertise encompasses insurance program management, workers' compensation claims, contract review, data analytics, and close collaboration with health, safety, and environmental teams to strengthen operational resilience across Hydro's manufacturing facilities.
Prior to joining Norsk Hydro, Amanda built a strong foundation in the insurance industry through progressively responsible roles. She spent more than three years as an Insurance Broker with Unity Willis Towers Watson, where she managed complex commercial insurance programs, including Hydro's account, before accepting the opportunity to join the company directly. Earlier in her career, she served as an Account Executive at Enscoe Long Insurance Group, LLC, a Customer Service Representative at Peter J. Zikos Insurance Agency, LLC, and a Leasing Analyst at JLL, gaining valuable experience in client service, risk assessment, policy administration, contract analysis, and business operations. Her commitment to professional excellence is reflected in earning the prestigious Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, one of the insurance industry's highest professional credentials, comparable to the CPA designation in accounting.
Amanda earned her B.A. in Communication & Media Studies from Indiana University Indianapolis, where she was a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association's honor society. She is known for her analytical approach, collaborative leadership style, and dedication to continuous professional growth. Working closely with colleagues across North America and corporate leadership in Norway, Amanda is passionate about developing proactive risk management strategies that protect people, strengthen business operations, and support long-term organizational success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
Great leaders who have influenced me and people who encouraged me to challenge myself and push myself out of my comfort zone.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is to never mistake a detour for the end of my story. Throughout my career, I have learned that change and unexpected opportunities are part of the journey, and the ability to adapt is essential for growth. Learning to embrace pivots, remain flexible, and approach challenges with a growth mindset allows you to gain valuable experiences that can prepare you for future opportunities. Even the most difficult chapters can provide important lessons, skills, and perspectives that may become invaluable in the next stage of your professional journey.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the insurance and risk management industry is to remain curious, embrace continuous learning, and never be afraid to ask questions. Be willing to absorb knowledge from every experience and approach each opportunity with an open mind. Seek out mentors who can provide guidance, encouragement, and valuable perspective throughout your career journey. By listening, learning from others, and actively pursuing growth opportunities, you can build confidence, expand your expertise, and create a strong foundation for long-term success.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—in our field is balancing operational excellence with responsible growth. Like many global manufacturers, we are focused on reducing our carbon footprint, maintaining a safe working environment for employees, and navigating increasingly complex trade compliance requirements, including evolving tariff regulations.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of the values I prioritize most in both my work and personal life is being present and fully engaged. In my professional environment, especially while collaborating with a global team, I believe meaningful communication and connection are built through active participation, attentiveness, and showing up for others. I value creating a culture where people feel seen, heard, and involved in the conversation. In my personal life, I carry that same mindset by prioritizing quality time and genuine connection, such as being fully present during meals and shared experiences without distractions. For me, being present demonstrates respect, strengthens relationships, and allows me to appreciate the people and moments that matter most.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Amanda
Not mistaking a detour for the end of your story
How unexpected career changes and life's detours shaped my greatest professional strengths.
The Detours Become Your Greatest Strengths
When I was younger, I imagined my career would look very different.
With a degree in communications studies and plans to work in journalism, I was dreaming big about my future career opportunities. Right out of college, I worked my way into a part-time position at a radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana, believing this was the beginning of the career path I had always envisioned.
But life had other plans.
A Career Pivot I Didn’t Plan For
As a young married couple in the early 2000s, my husband’s career took center stage as he was also building his professional path. We moved frequently for his career, and my journalism dream quickly came to an end.
A second option presented itself: starting a career in the insurance industry.
The lack of knowledge and experience I had in this completely different field felt overwhelming. The path seemed far outside my comfort zone, and honestly, it scared me. But I jumped in.
It was the same industry my husband worked in, and he seemed to enjoy it. I felt confident in my ability to learn, and it offered stability and portability wherever we moved.
At first, I was honestly disappointed when I learned I would be starting in rating. My husband and I had earned the same four-year degree, yet he had started right out of school in underwriting.
Looking back, however, this was one of the greatest gifts my career ever gave me.
As a rater, I learned the foundation of insurance. I learned how underwriters think, how policies are built, and why details matter. Eventually, I worked my way into underwriting, and I believe I was better prepared for that role because of the foundation I built in rating.
Stepping Away to Raise My Family
Just as I was becoming established in my career and beginning my CPCU courses, life brought another pivot.
We were on the move again, and this time it happened shortly after my second child was born. With this move, I decided to step away from my career to raise my family and be home with my children.
They had already experienced so much change through our moves, and I wanted to give them consistency and stability at home.
Rediscovering My Own Professional Identity
Years later, as my children grew older, I was ready to rediscover my own professional identity.
I intentionally searched for something different—something that belonged to me and not just a career path I had originally chosen because my husband was in the industry.
I chose commercial real estate.
Although I was succeeding on this new path, life pivoted again when my marriage ended after 15 years together. I needed a career that could financially support myself and my family.
I returned to insurance—not because it was my original dream, but because it was the industry I knew best. I had an established background, valuable experience, and a level of comfort and confidence there.
I remember a headhunter telling me that, with an eight-year gap from the workforce, I would likely have to start over at the bottom.
At the time, it was difficult to hear.
But I did exactly that.
Starting Over at the Bottom
I accepted a position at a small agency. I resumed my CPCU studies after starting and stopping them several times over the years.
I kept learning.
I kept growing.
Eventually, I accepted a position with one of the world’s largest commercial insurance brokerages.
I thought I had finally reached the place where my career would stay.
I had recently earned a promotion and was feeling confident again. But this time felt different because I had chosen this path. I knew the hard work I had invested had brought me to that moment.
I felt proud of myself and my career.
Another Unexpected Opportunity
Then another unexpected opportunity presented itself.
One of the producers I worked with called me out of the blue. One of his clients, a Norwegian aluminum manufacturing company, was looking to fill the role of Insurance and Risk Manager for North America. He asked me to consider the opportunity.
Once again, fear immediately crept in.
What if I wasn’t good enough?
What if I didn’t know enough?
I didn’t even fully understand what the role required.
He reminded me of where I had started—the small agency—and reminded me that I had expressed the same fears years earlier when transitioning to the large brokerage. At that time, I worried that my limited agency experience and insurer background would not be enough.
He was right.
Every transition I had faced felt intimidating at first. But each time, I said yes. And every time, I proved to myself that I could do it.
Every Role Prepared Me for the Next One
Today, I manage the North American Insurance portfolio for Hydro Extrusions in my role with Hydro Extrusion USA.
This year, I also completed my CPCU.
When I look back, it is incredible to see how my career has taken me through every side of the industry—the carrier (insurer) side, the agency/broker side, and now the client side.
Every role prepared me for the next one, even when I couldn’t see it at the time.
Finishing my CPCU after starting and stopping so many times was not just about earning a credential. To me, it represented perseverance and proving to myself that I could accomplish something I had committed to.
I proved that I was capable.
I proved that I was smart enough.
And, perhaps most importantly, I learned that progress is not linear. It is not about perfection.
Sometimes, progress is simply refusing to quit.
The Detours Become Your Greatest Strengths
There were years when I worked in commercial real estate, waited tables, and drove for Lyft just to make ends meet while still creating meaningful experiences for my boys.
None of those jobs defined me.
They were simply chapters in my journey.
One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that sometimes the detours become your greatest strengths. The skills you gain during life’s unexpected pivots often become the very things that open doors you never could have imagined.
Today, I finally feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
But if life has taught me anything, it is that there will probably be another pivot someday.
This time, instead of fearing it, I will welcome it.
Because I know now that every chapter, every challenge, and every unexpected turn has been preparing me for what comes next.
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