Amanda Kemp | Aon
My career in Asset Management spans over 15 years.
I come from a very working-class background. My father is a Lorry Driver and my mother was a cleaner. I went to a local state school and didn't really have any careers advice. A chance conversation led me to apply my first role with Mellon.
During my early career, I spent a lot of time hiding my background. It wasn't until I took a career break in 2013 that I realised when everything was stacked against me I did achieve so much and that I was a role model for my young children. It is my hard work and can-do attitude that is leading me on the path to success. It was my early years that made me who I am, and is something I need to celebrate. To use my platform to educate others. In 2017 I took the decision to reignite my career. Even though returners are now promoted, I found it quite difficult to get past the "no recent experience". So, I changed tact. Rather than focus on my past, I focussed on my future. I asked myself what is it I bring that is so different. The answer is my "to stubborn to fail" attitude, my values and experiences.
I started at Aon in their investment management business late 2017 - I am a valuable member of the team. My attention to detail and problem-solving attitude means that I can tackle complex tasks and find solution to issues. Always thinking outside the box and have delivered some outstanding solutions both for the business and clients.
I'm always willing to get involved, support others and bring my best ideas to the table. To drive the business forward despite the many headwinds and changing requirements.
I will continue to help those from a disadvantaged background, and career returners find their true potential.
Cissy Chan | BlackRock
Cissy Chan is a quantitative researcher at BlackRock’s Systematic Fixed Income (SFI) team.
She is responsible for driving innovation in research techniques, using machine learning methods and novel data sources to generate new insights for SFI’s hedge fund and long-only portfolios. Her contributions span from building models and signals for alpha generation, to differentiated investment outcomes for real money clients.
Cissy started her career at BlackRock in 2014 after graduating from Imperial College London with a first class honours in Mathematics. Prior to her current role, she has also worked in the Financial Markets Advisory team, where she focused primarily on building non-performing loan valuation and default models for clients in Greece and Italy.
Cissy is also an engaged and devoted member of multiple social and diversity committees within the scope of the Fixed Income and Systematic businesses as well as the wider firm.
Alexandra Faye | Liontrust Asset Management
I am Alex Faye, a multi-cultural and creative investment professional who has often been the only minority in the room during the thirteen years I have been working in financial services.
I have therefore been leveraging my personal experience as well as sales and marketing skills to make the Investment Management industry more inclusive and more responsible.
For the past three years, I have been driving product strategy and innovation for Architas and now Liontrust, working with our clients to bring to market investment funds with a higher purpose. I care about making a difference in people’s lives, especially women and minorities, by empowering them through financial education and inclusion. Building long-term wealth should not be for the privileged few only, especially as access to low-cost and sustainable funds is increasing. As an industry, it is our responsibility to ensure that we use an inclusive language, devoid of jargon and that our values reflect those of the customers that we serve.
When I am not working, I like to enjoy activities that are helping my wellbeing and mental health such as healthy cooking, singing and gardening. I am now the proud parent of 40 plants, all acquired during lockdown!
I hold an MBA from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, the Investment Management Certificate (CFA UK) and the ESG certificate (CFA UK).
Memento Charinga | Legal & General Investment Management
Memento has responsibility for designing, executing and managing multi-asset solutions for pension schemes.
She has over 8 years of experience of working with DB pension schemes, having joined LGIM in early 2018 from Aon where she was a product specialist within the fiduciary management team. Memento has a Master’s degree in Actuarial Finance from Imperial College London and an honours degree from Heriot Watt University. Alongside her professional role, Memento works to drive positive change in the industry through her volunteer roles, mentoring and work on various committees.
Memento is passionate about creating opportunities for others and access to education, she works tirelessly with organisations in the UK and in Zimbabwe to help fund education and provide basic support for less fortunate students.
Harriet Tiplady | Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
In my (relatively) short career in insurance I have excelled across roles in market management, underwriting & personal lines.
I have unusually been able to combine strong big data and analytics knowledge with relationship management and communication skills to reach where I am today. I started my latest role two years ago as a Broker Relationship Manager. I now have overall responsibility for Relationship Management of the portfolios from two of the 5 largest Global brokers, totalling 165M EUR of Complex Global and Specialty premium. I have also recently taken on the role of OJEU Subject Matter Expert for the UK, guiding the business successfully through tenders and adhering to the strict protocols.
Throughout my career to date I have experienced, developed & achieved a great deal. My key highlights are:
• Graduating with a First from Loughborough University
• Completing the ACII qualification within 3 years
• Finishing the Zurich General Management Graduate Programme with a permanent role in a high achieving London team
• Leading a 4.4M EUR new business win across multiple countries and lines of business
• Being nominated for AGCS Talent Development Programme by our Regional CEO & AGCS Board Member
• Selected for the CII New Generation Programme 2020/2021
• Managing and coaching internees through internships at AGCS
• Winning gold at the Corporate Games 2019 in Mixed Netball
Throughout all these achievements, I have consistently excelled in my roles; actively looking for my next challenge or development opportunity. I am dedicated to promoting positive change across our industry & inspiring others in the insurance market & beyond.
Zina Saeed | HDI Global Specialty
I am a Professional Liability Underwriter working for HDI Global Specialty. Thank you for the chance to tell you about myself.
My family and I moved to the UK from Iraq when I was 7 years old. I remember my first day of school like it was yesterday, I felt like an alien, not understand a word of English or having any reference points. From that point I have always been fascinated with the sensation of being an outsider looking in but I must stress that I loved school as a kid and I read law at Queen Mary University. Luck more than wisdom led me to insurance industry due to various family commitments i was looking for a role that would give me financially stability but where I would not have to work 18 hour days and could take time off. I started working for Chubb and immediately fell in love with the industry. I was excited to move to Hiscox and get some Lloyd's of London experience, I managed professional liability claims for large U.S based professional services firms, much like the ones I had thought about working for while I was a student. Again looking through the window at how these firms were operating, what was going well, what was going not so well leading to their insurance carriers paying hundreds of millions of dollars was really a thrill.
During my tenure at Hiscox, I met my husband Michael, an American from Chicago office working in London on secondment. for 6 months. When it was time for him to leave we decided I would soon follow, and so I moved to Chicago just before Thanksgiving 2009 and we were married shortly thereafter.
In Chicago I began working for newly formed W.R. Berkley Company, Berkley Select, looking to specialise in Large Law and Accounting Firms they saw the value of hiring someone with London Market experience to manage claims for these clients, most of whom I already knew intimately as well as our quota share market participants/competitors from Lloyd's. It was a wonderful experience being closer to the clients, travelling around the U.S. and being part of a newly formed small company. At the same time I was starting my family and had 2 gorgeous daughters by the end of 2012.
Shortly after I returned from my second maternity leave my boss approached me with the idea of relocating back to London to start writing a reverse flow book of business via a Lloyd's syndicate. It would mean moving to Underwriting side of the business which I had never done before but also meant coming home to my family who I was missing tremendously, particularly as a new mum. Most of the senior underwriters I was working with had a legal and claims background like me, they assured me it would be a great transition and would be there to support me every step of the way so we decided to go for it. We left as a pair but we came back to London in 2014 as family of 4.
I recently spent some time working for a Tysers, an independent London Market wholesale Broker which gave me a fascinating view from the other side of the deal and the opportunity to speak to clients much more intimately about their insurance needs, concerns and views of the market. I feel very lucky to have completed this trifecta, claims, underwriting and broking.
I started at HDI Global Specialty in August of 2020 during the pandemic. I specialise in Underwriting Large U.S. Professional Services Firms as well as distressed risks. Starting at a new firm, while remote working and home-schooling has been a huge challenge but has also opened up massive opportunities for me to see my clients on a much more regular basis, albeit virtually. This shared experience has led them to open up more and the windows into their organisations are opening ever wider for curious underwriters to peer into!
Lucia Syder | Marsh
In September 2017, following her degree in Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University Lucia joined Jardine Lloyd Thompson (now Marsh JLT Specialty) on the graduate scheme in the Credit and Political Risks division.
In her role she fosters relationships with clients, ranging from private equity houses to commodity traders, delivering innovative and achievable risk mitigation solutions. In 2020, Lucia was promoted to Assistant Vice President.
Within Marsh Lucia is a regular sounding board for senior management around social impact and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. Currently spearheading the division’s recruitment of apprentices and a new 8-week Summer internship programme for university students. As secretary for the D&I resource group she monitors the Credit Specialty CEO’s commitments to ensure they are delivered upon. She was also elected as the division’s representative on the Colleague Information Consultation Committee (CICC), a forum to communicate with Marsh senior management on behalf of 160 constituents.
Outside of her day-to-day employment, for 4 years Lucia has been a Volunteer Coordinator at Glassdoor charity’s Monday night shelter at the Chelsea Methodist Church welcoming guests, providing shelter and serving food to support some of London’s rough sleepers. Additionally, she works with the organisation Let's Reinvent as their Diversity & Inclusion Project Lead (Women, Refugees, and Charities) to raise awareness and opportunities globally for women, youth and people of underrepresented backgrounds to thrive in the tech-driven future.
Finally, for some years Lucia has been involved in a week long, annual pilgrimage to France, run by Ampleforth Abbey. This involves taking between 60-80 ‘disabled’ pilgrims to a hospital in Lourdes under the direction of qualified doctors and nurses. As a ‘Group Leader’ she coordinates a group of 20 volunteers ranging from 17 to 80 years old to ensure the group administers care in an appropriate and compassionate manner.
Georgina Robinson | Miller Insurance Services
I started my career in Insurance 13 years ago, initially working as a Lenders' Insurance Advisor at Miller Insurance Services.
After a year or so in this role I moved into the construction team working as an insurance broker.
I have enjoyed growing in my role and am now an Account Executive in the International Construction team. My role involves client management and business development as well as continuing broking and managing underwriter relationships.
I enjoy the variety of my role working with international clients to develop their construction insurance programmes.
I did leave the industry for 2 years after the birth of my second child in 2015. This was not an easy decision but at the time I could not find a solution to juggle child caring responsibilities and working in the City.
I only returned in 2017 after the opportunity became available to work flexibly and re-joined Miller on a job-share basis.
As my children have grown and childcare has become more flexible I have been able to return into my role full time and benefitted from being able to progress in my role, receiving promotion and recognition from Miller for my efforts.
Shu Lee | PwC
I have always been interested in mathematics which naturally led to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in mathematical sciences.
Having decided not to pursue an academic career, I went on to work in various data and analytics departments across different industries, ranging from retail to specialised engineering. I joined PwC as a data and technology consultant in 2019 and I have been working with some of the largest insurers in the UK on data driven strategies. My mathematical training has been invaluable in my working life as it trains me to discover the best logic for possible solutions and relate the data available to problems in hand.
Neeru Verma | PwC
Understanding insights, coupled with the right technology to ensure it is not only providing a robust solution but also an enhanced customer experience, has been the key principal within my career when delivering transformative programmes across the Financial Services Sector.
After graduating from Aston University, I spent a year in retail banking, before joining the IBM graduate scheme, where I started my career in software services sales. I soon decided to specialise within financial services and the world of data, but it was the analytics, and making the difference that really got me excited. Just over 8 years and few small moves in between, I have found my new ‘work home’ at PwC.
Over the last three years my focus has been within the Insurance industry and I have successfully delivered complex technology solutions to insurance clients, changing the status-quo on how they serve their customers through improvements in claims and policy platforms.
I’m fiercely passionate about enabling people to bring their best selves to work every day and I strongly believe a winning team is the key to success. Therefore, with successful delivery being my core goal, I also wear multiple hats where I can invest in my teams and the client through knowledge transfer and mentoring high performing versatile teams across multiple geographies.
Alongside my delivery role it has been very important for me to promote and actively make a difference within Gender and Inclusiveness, particularly regarding cultural awareness. Having come from a BAME background, it is important for me to break down the barriers and perceptions and create a platform for an integrated working environment. I am involved in several activities around the firm: I have worked with leadership to share and lead on gender and cultural differences, and how this can create different behaviours and dynamics. I also play an active role in supporting and co-leading the Tech Associate group for new graduates and supporting the technology careers of many team members, by delivering coaching and training sessions in insurance industry digital technologies and agile delivery methodologies.
Outside of my work life I am passionate about travel, fitness, and family. Travel being so much that I have also qualified and set up as an independent travel agent with an aim to grow a team and provide further career opportunities of my own in the future.