Meet the team: Emily Reading

Client Service and Analytics Manager

Team                       MarineMar

Segment                 Corporate Risk and Broking

Location                 Ipswich, UK (with one day per week in London office)

Year hired               2018

Personal interests
 
I’m passionate about anything creative. I play a number of musical instruments, enjoy photography and ran a side business as a self-taught chocolatier for a short time.

Can you tell us about your career progression and how it led you to WTW?
 
I formerly worked for a small field marketing company that was outsourced to conduct retail sales for large technology companies. I worked on various accounts for about six years where I managed client relationships and worked to increase sales for the company, and eventually worked my way up to a client service manager role. Through LinkedIn, I was exploring other roles but had not considered one in insurance until I was contacted by a company recruiter. I learned through a phone interview that my skills were transferable, and I was hired as a client service manager. My current role requires making a lot happen in a short amount of time, but the skills I learned in my previous role – staying organized, creating lists, learning systems and processes – prepared me well.

Can you tell us about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job?
 
In my role, I provide market insights to insurers who are my clients, as opposed to the policyholders. As client service and analytics manager, the key responsibilities of my role are to ensure that clients receive their reports and are kept updated through meetings, per their contract agreements. This involves building relationships with both colleagues and client teams to ensure processes are in place and followed effectively throughout the quarter.

What are the key challenges of your role? How have you overcome them?
 
So much of my role depends on building strong working relationships with a large number of colleagues. Being completely new to the company, I’ve spent the last few months meeting and working with as many of these key individuals as I can to ensure that we build a mutually beneficial working relationship.

What training and development opportunities have you received in your role?
 
I will be completing a training course with the Chartered Insurance Institute, which will allow me to earn certifications helpful to advancement within the company. This training provides an entry-level understanding of the insurance market as a whole in London. From here, I can progress to higher levels of certification, which will open me up to other roles within the company.

How would you describe the culture at WTW?
 
The culture here is inclusive, supportive and there is a good work ethic.

What do you like best about working at WTW?
 
The diversity of people and the variety of challenges presented to me are two of my favorite aspects of working at WTW.
Also, there is a much better work/life balance in my current role, since I am not spending the majority of my time on the road, which was required in my previous position in field sales marketing. I’ve learned that I can accomplish a great deal within a reasonable amount of time.

Was there anything that surprised you about your role or the company?
 
I’ve spent most of my career working for much smaller companies so the breadth of benefits and support available here was more than I’d expected.
Also, my move to WTW meant a change in industry for me. I wasn’t aware of how transferable my skills could be from my previous role and how open the company would be to considering them.

What is your hope for your career in the future?
 
My definition of success is to be constantly challenging myself, learning in whatever role I have and enjoying my day-to-day work. I remain open-minded as to what opportunities may present themselves or that I will look to create.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering employment with WTW?
 
Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date – it’s a powerful resource and representation of yourself, even if your experiences don’t necessarily match a position. I’m very grateful that WTW has remained an open-minded and inclusive company when considering applicants. Don’t think that you shouldn’t apply for a job if you don’t already work in that industry – many people that work in field marketing sales like I did may not realise that their skills are transferrable to other kinds of work. Keep yourself open to the possibilities!