Her Story
About Julianne
Julianne Keeton serves as Assistant Risk Manager at Chamberlain, a subcontractor in the commercial construction industry. In this role, she handles certificates of insurance, reviews contracts, manages general liability, workers' compensation, and auto insurance policies, processes related claims, and oversees the fleet management program. With 10 years of experience in construction, Keeton earned her CRIS certification and completed her bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix in 2020, having previously obtained an associate's degree after initial studies at Mississippi State University. She attributes her success to supportive managers who became mentors and her family, and she values building strong relationships and networks. Keeton advises that attaining goals requires doing the work through education and certifications alongside relationship-building, and she encourages more women to enter construction in roles such as engineers, project managers, or risk managers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Julianne
01What do you attribute your success to?
My manager and my family. The managers in my life have really helped me. They've become like friends and mentors to help me get to where I'm at. I also have had great mentors in my life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If you want to attain your goal, you have to do the work to get there. Education, certificates, and your college degree are wonderful, but it's the relationships that you build and the networking that you do.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
We need more women in construction. Don't let the word construction stop you from wanting to get into this industry. We need all sorts of different women who want to be engineers, project managers, or risk managers. Come in as yourself and bring more women into this industry because it's wonderful.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunity to grow in this industry as a risk manager. The construction industry is one of the leading jobs in the job market. Challenges include working with different vendors and markets, understanding the scope of work, what the contract will look like, and ensuring we can meet those needs while others meet ours. It's like figuring out the puzzle pieces.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is everything and important to me both in work and personal life. God first and foremost. Having key relationships, a good solid team, and being able to depend on those people to help get through the day-to-day.
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