NAME: Jennifer Johnston
NEW JOB TITLE: Rock Hill, New York-based vice president, E&S underwriting, Irwin Siegel Agency
PREVIOUS POSITION: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based senior underwriter, NSM Insurance Group
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: This is an exciting time to be in the insurance industry and the outlook is bright. We embrace the complexity of what the industry has become. I see opportunity to provide creative solutions to the needs of the market.
GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: I want to be creative and think outside the box and provide creative solutions for the hard-to-place risks. I am truly excited to come into this role on the ground floor to continue to grow and expand to meet the needs of the market.
CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: Property, particularly catastrophic events, compounded by the overall inflationary costs driving the cost of claims. In addition, sexual abuse and molestation liability capacity, which is constricting. However, with these challenges, I see opportunity to provide creative coverage solutions that are needed, especially in social services.
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: Cigna, which is now Chubb Ltd., in their international department. Like a lot of people who have been in the industry for a while, I had a family member that worked for the company and was looking for summer interns. I swore I would never stay in insurance and over 20 years later I am still here.
ADVICE: Diversify while also becoming an expert in a particular niche in the industry. There are so many opportunities in this industry that I was not aware of when I started. Build your own personal network and be open to learning new things throughout your career.
OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: High school guidance counselor
COLLEGE MAJOR: Elementary education
LOOKING FORWARD TO: I am looking forward to providing creative solutions for hard-to-place risks and building a strong team to help me accomplish this goal.
FAVOURITE MEAL: I enjoy all types of food, from sushi to homemade pasta.
BOOK: I have always been an avid reader and I enjoy reading all types of books. Some of my favorites are Educated, by Tara Westover; Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens; and Permission to Screw Up, by Kristen Hadeed. I am currently reading Build an A-Team, by Whitney Johnson.
HOBBIES: Reading, fitness and spending time with my family.
TV SHOW: I dont have one show. I usually watch whatever is trending on Netflix. My most recent was Yellowstone.
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: I have two young children, so we are typically on a sports field or in a gymnasium on our weekends.
