This article is part of an ongoing series to highlight our people by showcasing their path to Travelers, as well as their skills, interests and experiences.

Amy Knowles has built an impressive career at Travelers over the past 22 years, guided by a simple but powerful question: “Why not?”

When Amy joined Travelers as an Account Manager in Commercial Accounts in Phoenix, her manager supported her desire to go back to college. “Why not?” her manager would ask when Amy was unsure about taking on a new challenge. Amy finished her degree, supported by the Travelers Tuition Reimbursement Program, and saw new doors open. She also began to think differently: “If a senior leader has confidence in me, I probably should, too.”

When she had the opportunity to become a Director for Small Commercial in the Denver field office (because why not?), she worked as an Operations Director there for five years. And then, when asked if she wanted to move across the country to take on a different experience – Why not!

In one of her recent roles in Hartford, she was Operations Director for Small Commercial, managing six leaders, spanning four business units and 80 colleagues across the country.

“I like to empower my leadership team to ensure that our front-line employees feel supported and advocated for, removing obstacles, aligning our day-to-day operations with objectives and key results, and meeting our customers’ needs,” Amy says.

While changing roles to grow and advance is one method of career advancement, Amy says there are many avenues available at Travelers for employees to develop in their careers. “Your career path here is not just one single line. There are so many different opportunities in front of you. You really own your career, determining your own path based on how driven you are and how much you want to explore, try new things and continue to grow and develop yourself.”

Amy continued to pursue her “why not” themed career journey when she made one of her biggest career jumps in 2023. After 22 years in Operations, she made the leap to the Business Insurance Business Capabilities Office, where she leads the Process Engineering Team.

Aside from the day-to-day work on her team, Amy is a proud member of every Diversity Network and particularly enjoys events that involve cooking and sampling cuisines from different cultures. She also works with the Tech & Ops Leadership Development program, advocating for, coaching and mentoring future leaders.

“The people I work with across the organization are the best thing about Travelers – there’s such amazing talent. It’s great to feel that others are invested in my career as much as I am. The advocacy and support I’ve had here has been fantastic.”

When it comes to her personal timeline, 2001 was a banner year for Amy: It’s when she joined Travelers and when she married her husband, Trip, who was her childhood next-door neighbor. They’ve since had two children, Zach (19) and Ava (13), and live with their two dogs, Sammy and Maverick. The adventurous Knowles family loves escape rooms, taking cruises and traveling anywhere there’s a beach. Amy shares that she’s “very short” (five foot two) yet played volleyball in college.