NAME: Alexandra Littlejohn
NEW JOB TITLE: Walnut Creek, California-based executive vice president, managing director, specialty broking leader, Alliant Insurance Services Inc.
PREVIOUS POSITION: Walnut Creek, California-based executive vice president, managing director, specialty broking leader, Alliant Insurance Services Inc.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: The industry has been and remains in a period of significant change. The market corrections over the last several years have led to uncertainty and difficult decisions among buyers. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel heading into the quarter in 2021 for some of the core property/casualty programs but expect that the cyber and directors & officers market will continue to harden through the next 12-month cycle.
GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: Connecting markets with clients, solving complex problems for clients across our platform and contributing to the already highly productive teams within Alliant. Imparting my experience and expertise to further develop our team and continue to provide excellent client service.
CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: Inclusion and diversity is a challenge within our industry, and the industry needs to commit to changing the landscape by building diverse teams to gain the benefit of broader thinking. I like the steps Alliant has taken to address and adopt inclusion and diversity training and awareness. Technology advancement within the industry is good within individual organizations but there is little effort made to improve the uniformity of standard requirements from an industry perspective. We need to improve as an industry to attract talent to join.
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: Within two years (1992-94) of leading a property team based in San Francisco, we suffered two major catastrophic events, Hurricane Iniki in Hawaii and the Northridge Earthquake in Southern California. The insurance market fell apart and overnight insurance was harder to find and more expensive to purchase. As a young professional, figuring out how to maneuver a complex market and leading teams was a major milestone in my career.
ADVICE: Use your voice when you have ideas or solutions. Think outside of the box as this industry can benefit from new perspectives. Always know your facts and pay attention to detail. This industry is all about the devil in the detail.
OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: Without a doubt, real estate from investing to renovating I love it all. I also want to spend as much time as I can helping others realize their real estate dream, small renovations at discounted rates, senior citizen upgrades on their homes or apartments to make their lives more comfortable.
COLLEGE MAJOR: Insurance has always been my major.
LOOKING FORWARD TO: Continuing to help build on this already incredible platform. Collaborating with the teams, clients and markets to bring new solutions to solve client problems. Coordinating with the insurance marketplace here and abroad to achieve mutual success for our clients.
FAVOURITE MEAL: My friends will laugh anything with red sauce, red meat.
BOOK: My favorite book of the moment is Green Lights find it to be inspirational and fun to read.
HOBBIES: Home renovating, traveling just about anywhere, wine tasting and long walks/hikes.
TV SHOW: I cannot seem to stay away from the medical drama shows; I do not know why, as I am afraid of most things bloody, but the line-up starts with New Amsterdam followed by Resident finished off with The Good Doctor.
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Walk my dog, spend time in a spa and hang out in my backyard with the family.
