Every specialist team in GrECo consist of truly unique individuals with a consistent passion for their professional mission. One of the teams that we are proud of is our Financial Lines group. Each of its members has a different story about how they got into insurance, what they value about the industry and very different childhood career ambitions. Meet all of them and enjoy reading their unique stories!
Brian Alexander, Group Practice Leader Liability, Financial Lines and Financial Institutions
From wanting to work in a car factory as a boy, to being a research chemist in his teens, Brian moved to London as an adult unsure about what he wanted to do after a short stint as a Staff Lending Officer at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Following a fortuitous meeting with a Lloyd’s of London underwriter in a pub who told him all about the insurance industry, including the social and travelling aspects of the job, the rest is history.
Tempted by the unknown and foreign climes, keen traveller Brian, set his early career sights on the horizon of Central and Eastern Europe at a time when the region was not a fashionable travel destination or insurance market (and especially not a crime insurance market)! A veritable Phileas Fogg, he traversed this new insurance territory as a solo traveller most of the time. 20 years on and many travel adventures later, CEE is now an accepted part of most insurers’ portfolios. To be one of the first to work in this area is one of Brian’s biggest work achievements and sustaining this momentum is what keeps him motivated.
Claim to fame – travelled to 70 different countries worldwide.
Wanted to be – a car factory worker
Stop thinking insurance is boring. You will travel the world and you will work on some amazing issues that others will be fascinated by.
Helen Evert , Account Manager, Financial Lines
It was in school that keen gardener and bookworm Helen unearthed an article about the history of insurance and her interest in the industry began to grow. She dug around at university to find insurance modules to support her economics degree and got her first job with a broking firm in 2006 where she blossomed.
Since joining IIZI in 2012, she’s determined to keep her client’s businesses flourishing and is always looking for the best way to support their growth through clear explanations and innovative business models to match their risks. She will leave no stone unturned to provide them with the very best advice and solutions.
Claim to fame – knitted her first scarf age 5
Wanted to be – a farmer
Insurance may sound boring, but it is a far cry from just ‘reading the small print’. There are many ways to contribute, and if you like trust business, then insurance is the career for you.
Norbert Kováks, Liability and Financial Lines Practice Leader
Former water polo player Norbert initially thought working in insurance would be like working for a bank but his three years at GrECo has blown that idea out of the water! Thriving on brainstorming and applying himself in new and varied ways, he has really made a splash both with his colleagues and clients.
Initially just dipping his toe in the water to see if he liked insurance, Norbert now wholeheartedly declares that working at GrECo is the best decision he ever made and were he to go back in time and talk to his younger self about his career decisions he would say ‘go into insurance right away!’.
Claim to fame – Can swim 100m underwater
Wanted to be – Hercules!
Go into insurance right away! In the words of a famous sport’s brand: Just do it!
Boštjan Mehle, Account Manager
Our resident BFG (Big Friendly Giant), Boštjan took a not so gigantic step 10 years ago from IT QA Management for a large pharmaceutical company where minimising risks was already a part of his role, into insurance. Since joining GrECo he has towered to new heights and now helps us dwarf the competition through his enthusiasm, motivation, and determination to deliver the best service.
Proud father of two, no challenge is a tall order for Boštjan. He prides himself in having a monumental amount of FI and FL knowledge and expertise enabling him to consult our clients on their most testing risks so they can soar to new business heights.
Claim to fame – He’s 2.03m tall!
Wanted to be – F1 racing driver
Keep riding that rollercoaster, the twists and turns will eventually become less extreme.
Karel Popek, Practice Leader Financial Institutions/Financial Lines
Cycling enthusiast Karel first discovered the importance of having the right insurance when he broke his leg age 18 and received almost nothing from his insurance policy. Interest piqued, he went on to attain a Master’s in Actuarial Engineering with a focus on life and non-life insurance maths, and from there he quickly freewheeled into a job as a junior underwriter.
Karel loves to meet new people, learn about their businesses, and understand their risks and values. Geared up to provide the right solutions to ever-evolving risks, Karel guarantees his clients a smooth ride as they navigate the twists and turns of the risk landscape together.
Claim to fame – Karel has ridden a bike across half of Europe!
Wanted to be – A truck driver
Despite digitalisation and AI changing the working world we know today, the insurance industry will continue to exist and will always be seen as an important part of the global economy, offering the younger generation good value job opportunities.
Sandra Lebrun, Competence Center Manager Liability and Financial Lines
Passionate dancer Sandra spun her way into insurance 19 years ago following a career as a legal adviser in her family’s electrical motor export company. At the time she wanted to march to the beat of a different drum and set out on her own. She chose insurance to be her future career dance partner because the constant connection with clients, contracts, and international correspondence in French, German and English meant it was an all singing, all dancing career in which she could really strut her stuff.
Motivated by what she has already achieved and what she can continue to achieve she loves nothing more than to talk about risk, liability, and financial lines with her clients to provide them with a service which will leave them dancing on air.
Claim to fame – as a child she was selected by the Romanian National Opera to perform in the Little Prince by Antoine Saint- Exupery.
Wanted to be – a lawyer
It is a good field, but you need to be patient to learn, to gain experience and to build competences.
Marcin Szternel, Financial Lines and Financial Institutions Director
It was when homebrewer Marcin was a schoolboy that he was first inspired by insurance. He met his dad’s home and car insurance agent and remembers thinking that he had a useful and important job. Since then, he always wanted to have a career in the industry.
Much like making his favourite tipples of IPA and Triple, Marcin believes the approach to Financial Lines and Financial Institutions insurance needs to be unique. Despite the fact the claims might be similar, the story behind each is not and so the recipe to create the perfect risk management solution needs to be handcrafted. With every new client challenge, Marcin grows his knowledge to ensure each one is handled with care and precision. Cheers to that!
Claim to fame – can fly a Cessna!
Wanted to be – a pilot
Insurance is like a promise – a promise for tomorrow, no matter what happens tomorrow, you will be able to continue your business.
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