Liz Walker Colleague Profile

Meet Liz

I lead a team of actuaries, product development experts, and client delivery colleagues focused on providing data-driven insights that help our clients and colleagues make risk decisions with confidence. Our team creates analytics products that help our clients understand their risk, quantify the risk to which they are exposed, and discover optimal risk financing/insurance program structures that align with their corporate objectives.

This requires actuarial and model development expertise that drives the analytics behind our solutions; training and education strategies to engage our colleagues and clients around the tools we offer and the insights they provide; and product development expertise to work closely with our many business stakeholders and digital developers to ensure our insights are answering the right questions, are easy to understand and digitally accessible.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

My typical day usually begins with hot tea, yogurt, and honey and, if time is on my side, a podcast to get the brain working! I then talk with various stakeholders throughout the organization – members of my team; zone, segment, and practice leaders, advisors, and brokers; HR business partners; client executives, account executives, digital product owners, and developers; and Advisory colleagues.

We discuss matters and make decisions across many different ongoing initiatives: talent development; specific client engagements; product development progress for our various digital analytics tools (Blue[i]); data management; education and engagement for all colleagues around our solutions; and feedback gathering for our team and our products.

As a member of both Marsh’s national and Advisory-focused diversity councils, a typical day also includes conversations and planning to further our diversity and inclusion initiatives and/or mentoring discussions (in which I am either the mentor or mentee).

I also set aside time to reflect on the day's conversations and think strategically about the team's progress and way forward. I then downshift with music at the end of the day before transitioning to family time with my husband and two kids.

What brought you to the insurance industry?

As a former practicing attorney, I represented many insurance companies in coverage litigation and also worked at Zurich Insurance in their Mass Litigation Claims team. I eventually strayed from insurance, joining a large e-commerce company as a general litigator. Given my experience within the industry, I leaned closer and closer to the insurance renewal process over time. After a few years of observing and engaging in the insurance buying process, I shifted my litigation role to become the company’s first dedicated insurance/risk manager. I spent the next several years immersing myself in the insurance industry – including active participation in various industry events, speaking engagements, and eventually assuming leadership roles in the Chicago chapter of RIMS (Risk and Insurance Management Society).

I was hooked by the industry’s breadth, scope, camaraderie, and future. Risk and insurance are fascinating – they touch just about every other industry and influence nearly all aspects of our lives – personal to global/commercial. In addition, our industry is still in the earlier stages of digital transformation. The massive opportunity here is hard to resist!

Tell us something important about your family or background that helped form the person and colleague you are today.

Growing up, I was the only person of color in my household and nearby community and the only girl in my age range in the neighborhood. I became very accustomed to being “the only one in the room” out in the world and at home. This was challenging at times for many reasons, but especially in my younger years, when I always felt on display. Admittedly, this made me a very self-conscious, somewhat anxious child at times, despite a very loving home. But it was also a gift – it forced me to get very clear on who I am and how I want to make others feel (or how I do not want to make others feel). In short, I remember what it was like not to feel a sense of belonging in nearly any environment. For that reason, creating a sense of safety and belonging for those in my life is something I take very seriously.

What is the most meaningful advice you’ve received?

The most meaningful advice and lesson I've learned is to throw yourself into what scares you; the courage will come afterward. I’ve found this to be true. The times I've questioned whether I might be ready for something – be it a speaking engagement, a music performance, or a new role – are some of my life's most rewarding growth experiences so far.

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