In September, our favorite podcast – AIRROC’s The Legacy Life – is back for Season 3! Unlike prior seasons where the interviews highlight career journeys of well-established industry leaders in the legacy (re)insurance space, Season 3 aims to spotlight rising stars among the “NextGen” professionals.
Episode 1 features Megan Kuzniewski, AVP and legal counsel in M&A Corporate Development at Enstar Group. Megan provides legal support to Enstar’s business teams on M&A transactions, which typically involves drafting, negotiating, and reviewing legal documents and transaction agreements, perform due diligence reviews, and conduct legal research when needed. Megan started her career as outside counsel for insurance companies and moved in-house at Enstar about a year ago. She enjoys being closer to highly complex deals and collaborating efficiently with various functional teams at Enstar. Megan believes that there is a wealth of opportunities in the legacy sector, and that with hard work, drive, and commitment, a professional can have a fulfilling career even at a younger age.
With regards to how to attract and retain talents, Megan suggests that the industry needs to make itself more visible. “Legacy sector is great for anyone who is interested in not just insurance, but M&A, Finance, investments… or interested in being involved in a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry, where you are going to be challenged daily.” In addition, she recommends more presence for the industry at “college job fairs, internship opportunities, more outreach programs to underrepresented communities.” On retaining talents, Megan talks about how supportive other professionals in the industry have been, and how important it is to be valued at work. “People want to feel valued at their jobs… Especially the younger generations… [who] are not going to put their time and energy into places where they feel… unfairly challenged or looked down upon.” Megan also shares advice for young professionals – “don’t be afraid to make tough choices and to push yourself beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone,” citing her experience switching from law firm to in-house. Also “don’t be afraid to reach out to people in the industry.”
Episode 2 of The Legacy Life features another rising star, Richard Burrows, Principal Associate at Weightmans LLP. Richard discusses his current role at Weightmans, his career path thus far, his love of emerging risks and some recent initiatives in the UK designed to bring new talent into legal careers. Richard expresses concern about bridging the gap in the insurance industry and the need to encourage younger professionals to enter this market. He explains, “more information needs to be expressed in the market as well as the Universities that there are many career opportunities available in this industry.” He then gives some advice to young professionals, “Keep an open mind with this industry.” Richard also discusses the benefits of joining professional associations. He can speak from experience considering that as of the date of this episode’s release, Richard is the Chairman of the Insurance & Reinsurance Legacy Association Young Professionals Group (“IRLA YPG”).
