Kelsie Damron

I attribute my success to my passion for lifelong learning, and a strong commitment to relationship development and management. I’ve been curious and remained focused on how to get the experience and skills I need for the next step in my career. I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to work for a company that holds these same values and affords us the time to network and develop. Lastly, I’ve had great leaders and mentors that have given me valuable feedback and opportunities to learn and grow. 

The best advice I received was the embrace curiosity and courage. Don’t hesitate to ask the tough questions or embrace stretch assignments – even if you don’t feel fully ready. Taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone is essential for both personal and professional advancement. These habits will help you continuously learn, strengthen your leadership skills, and drive your career forward.

I would say that the insurance field offers many opportunities for growth and learnings, and has more women in all levels than it did 15 years ago. And you don't have to start as an insurance expert to join the field - skills in marketing, finance, legal/compliance, or other areas are very valuable, and you can learn about insurance as you go. I wouldn't dismiss it as a possible career choice just because it might not seem exciting - its a field with lots of potential to grow and is a product/service that everyone needs to protect what's valuable to them.

I will speak from an emerging risks perspective rather than insurance overall. Emerging risks, like gaps in coverage, increasing cyber threats, climate-related risks, and more are rapidly reshaping the landscape of the insurance industry.

Cyber threats, for instance, are continuing to grow in frequency and sophistication; insurers must develop new strategies to help protect clients' sensitive information and manage any fallout from data breaches and ransomware attacks.

Climate related risks are another concern that are impacting more and more people each year and becoming more unpredictable. This in particular calls for more innovative insurance products and advanced risk modeling to help people mitigate and recover from rising losses.

Lastly, the evolving nature of technology creates opportunities for growth, but also new forms of liability and uncertainty (leading to potential gaps in coverage or even "silent" coverage that create liabilities insurers may not be intending to cover with existing policies). As insurers, we must stay ahead of these developments, adapt our coverage and underwriting practices to address the complexities of these evolving risks and either exclude what we're not wanting to cover or create new solutions for those that we are wanting to cover.

A few things come to mind - maintaining my work/life balance, it allows me to show up as my best self both professionally and personally. Not having to "punch a clock" is of huge importance to me - being able to be "clocked in" a little less when things are slow so I can have more family time and work a little extra when things are busy to pitch in.

I'm also a lifelong learner, personally and professionally - I'm always wanting to learn new things. In my personal life, I enjoy baking - trying new recipes and tweaking my favorites to make the "perfect" banana bread muffins or whatever recipe I'm currently making on repeat. Professionally, I'm always wanting to learn more about emerging risks or gaps in the marketplace and most recently obtained my CPCU certification to gain important foundational knowledge on the essentials of underwriting and risk management for different personal and commercial line products.

Lastly, having strong, supportive relationships with friends and family is central to my values, as those closest to you provide encouragement, perspective, feedback, and joy to your life.