Abbie Marlow, client manager at Swiss Re, speaks to Health & Protection about trying to find a vocation which would make use of analytical skills gained at university, not giving up on career goals and why she may have an alternative life as a hen party planner.
How did you get your start in the sector?
When I graduated with a masters in maths with statistics from Nottingham University, I needed to make the four years of spending too much time in the library worth it. Naturally, I looked for a job that utilised my analytical skills and, as an outgoing person, it was important to me that any role involved collaborating with people.
Investigating potential jobs at a careers fair was where I discovered the actuarial profession, and an internship gave me the opportunity to give it a try.
I began my career training as an actuary working in pensions consulting, which then led to working for a direct life office, pricing protection insurance.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
I joined Swiss Re at the start of 2020 as a client manager with costing authority. That might sound complicated but it’s an exciting concept that allows me to blend technical costing and commercial pricing skills.
The best part of my job is holding onto my actuarial roots as well as being able to focus on building relationships with my clients. I love helping a client “end-to-end” – from designing the product, pricing the reinsurance, all the way through to its launch. I really enjoy the responsibility and empowerment and, at the same time, an agile and seamless delivery to our customers can make a big difference.
No one day is the same and the variety of providing commercial and technical expertise to the life and health protection market is both challenging and rewarding.
Who is your role model – in life or in work?
I have the most inspiring group of friends from university; Christine Chu, Era Shah and Parisa Kanabar. All are successful engineers.
These are women who really reach for the stars and have taught me that there is no limit to what you can achieve. We are each other’s biggest supporters.
They actively promote women working in male-dominated industries through social media, radio and word of mouth and are changing the engineering industry before our very eyes. We can learn from that success and translate that energy into the insurance industry.
Who has been your most important mentor in your career so far and why?
I have had so many people in my life give me amazing advice and I have been lucky with my mentors.
Since joining Swiss Re, one of our leaders, Lydia Ahras, has helped me find my strengths, navigate difficult situations and to think about my leadership style and how it can work best in different situations.
She always inspires me to think about the next step and what I can do to reach it and she embodies a “the sky is the limit” mentality.
What advice would you give to people thinking about a career in the sector?
It’s something special to be part of an industry helping to protect people and there is a wide variety of roles within insurance and reinsurance.
My main advice would be asking as many people as you can find about the good (and bad) parts of their roles. By talking to a broad range of people about their roles, you will find out about jobs you never knew existed. Then think about what you really enjoy and what role offers you that.
I always think when you walk away from an interview you have a gut feeling so trust it and take a risk; intuition has never let me down.
What has been your biggest setback and how did you overcome it?
When I left my first role, my actuarial exams weren’t going as smoothly as I liked. The structured study schedule didn’t quite work for the way I studied; I found it difficult to balance work alongside them. For my next role, I interviewed for many non-actuarial roles thinking maybe it just wasn’t for me.
During one interview for a role as a business analyst, the interviewer said to me that I would be an asset to their team, but I should consider the possibility that I was still destined to be an actuary.
This really made me stop and think, maybe I didn’t need to give up, but just needed a change of scene. From there I applied to Royal London and, with the support of my colleagues, I sailed through the rest of my exams and re-discovered the passion for the actuarial profession.
Laugh or cry – what did your most memorable client or case make you want to do and why?
Cry – it’s not a specific client, but it is memorable on those occasions it happens.
When you go on a journey with a client you become emotionally invested in their success. You know you can be their strongest partner and if a deal doesn’t proceed it can be tough to let go.
In these times you have to focus on the positives and how you have worked together as a team – remembering that good relationships exist far beyond individual deals.
What’s your ultimate goal for your career?
My dream is to be remembered for my contribution to the industry and, as a result, having made a contribution to the end-customers we are all trying to protect.
It is important to speak about market issues and share market data. One area that sticks out to me is the differentials between customer benefits by gender and encouraging discussion on this.
For example, is the fact that males have on average higher income protection cover due to the gender pay gap or an inequal distribution of genders across occupations? Either way, we know there is a big difference in financial resilience between men and women and so it is something we must address.
Gender issues span wider than the insurance industry but it’s an area I would like to see real change on – and be part of the discussion.
How would your boss describe you?
I think they would say I was dedicated, reliable, social… and probably that I take too much on my shoulders. I think they also appreciate my willingness to speak up, voice opinions and challenge when I feel it’s right.
What’s your biggest talent away from work?
I think that 2022 turned me into a professional hen party planner. I’ve been lucky enough to be in the bridal party for many of my close friends over the last couple of years and I have everything from personalised prosecco glasses to Mr & Mrs quizzes nailed down.
What mantra do you live by?
“There is always a silver lining” – it keeps me in that positive mindset.
What song would you regard as your theme tune?
Taylor Swift – 22. Because in my head I will forever be 22.