Jonah Lee

Name: Jonah Lee
Age: 25
Role: Claims Business trainee
Company: Zurich
Degree/University: Bachelor of Laws, University of Exeter; Master of Laws,
University College London

Why did you choose the insurance industry?

After completing my law degree I wanted to become a solicitor, as this seemed like the most natural career path. By chance I found myself working for a firm of solicitors that provided services to some of the major insurers in the market and I enjoyed that aspect of the job - it sparked an interest in working in insurance claims.

When I returned to university for my Masters, I chose a module in Insurance law to develop my academic understanding of the subject. By the time I finished my degree I was aware of other career options; insurance claims was a definite choice. I found myself able to move through different legal considerations with much more ease than in a legal career and since then I haven't looked back.

The size and wealth of companies in the insurance industry means there are a lot of benefits for employees - not just in terms of remuneration. There's a lot of investment in training and qualifications and a real emphasis on supporting people through their development. Options include industry qualifications, to MBAs, to man-management qualifications and technical legal training. There's a real emphasis on ensuring that everyone has a high standard of training and competency, plus there is no fixed route and this is a real benefit when you're building a career.

What have you done in your career so far?

I'm currently on the Claims Business trainee programme within Zurich's general insurance business. Essentially this means I'm assigned to four different sections of the business, each for six months. While rotating through the company, my development is managed by a central graduate programme and also by my own career manager, who's a senior member of the claims management team who provides consistency in advice and guidance as I move through the business.

The graduate programme has been an excellent first step into insurance. So far I've experienced all lines of business while working with a diverse range of clients - from large global corporates to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The programme enables you to pick on opportunities to build relationships and develop new skills.

My job in the claims function has changed as I've moved through the business. To begin with, I was responding to first notifications of household claims. This was based in a contact centre, which can be a very pressured environment. These types of claims involve restituting people's homes and their personal belongings when fire, flood, theft or other such perils have struck - inevitably very stressful times for the policyholders as an unexpected event has damaged their own private and prized possessions.

Large-scale events, such as the Carlisle floods, mean that the call centre has to "step up a gear" to be able to cope with a surge of policyholders seeking assistance. This means we have to be able to deal effectively with our own loss adjusters and other suppliers to ensure we deliver an effective claims service. To help me understand this element I spent time with members of our loss adjuster panel, to visit policyholder's homes and also to observe the adjuster's own working methods.

After six months in the contact centre I moved to liability insurance claims and motor liability insurance claims. This has meant dealing with claims that are made against commercial or corporate customers when their employees have injured themselves or others at work, or when their drivers have injured people in a motor incident.

What do you do in a typical working day?

The mainstay of my job is handling a portfolio of personal injury claims arising from motor injuries. I work on behalf of global corporate clients, large companies that have insurance needs spanning more than one nation. As such, they often require specialist solutions.

In a typical day, I'd begin by dealing with any priority correspondence that has arrived on my claims. This could be Particulars of Claims (previously called Court Summons) issued by a claimant's solicitors, for example. These particulars require prompt action and I instruct solicitors on a daily basis.

I also work through claims, discussing liability issues with clients. The nature of these claims means I have to assess medical expert reports and evaluate the level of compensation that's required. Once I reach my own decision, I negotiate with the claimants and their solicitors to reach an agreement.

Occasionally I attend court to observe our cases reach their final stages or visit our insured clients to view the locations of accidents.

At the moment a portion of my time is also spent putting together a claims governance manual for the business. This involves meeting managers, deciding on contents and editing the final manual.

What training have you received?

The company supports training throughout the claims function but the graduates are given time and resources to 'accelerate' our development. There are fundamental skills that we all receive training on - negotiation skills, personal presence and impact, interpreting medical evidence, structuring and managing strategic projects. Most of these courses are administered internally but some involve bringing in experts from outside.

I've also been given scope to select the training that I need as an individual. Some of my colleagues have chosen to take courses that supplement their man-management skills while I've chosen to work to develop my technical skills.

As part of my job I have pursued the ACII qualification and I've now been given the ACII designation.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Before I joined the company and began this job, insurance would have been one of the professions I'd have disregarded, as being mundane. But handling claims isn't a simple job and it takes years to become a skilled professional. The law is in a constant state of flux; customer's expectations continually change and the industry is by no means sedate. My job means I move throughout the business experiencing the different types of claims. At the same time I balance in gaining qualifications, additional development work and business projects. There's not enough time for the job to become stale or for me to stagnate, which makes it a very exciting role.

Just in the short time I've been in the insurance industry I've worked with issues and challenges such as climate change and its impacts - and the 'compensation culture' and its growth in the UK. This is just the tip of the iceberg There's a lot that the industry is involved in - our responses to natural catastrophes, how we can manage the threat and risk of terrorism and the emerging risks of new technologies, to mention a few. I know that my role with Zurich has the potential to touch upon these issues should I drive my career path in that direction.