My Travelers Journey – Andrew Palmer
From the Canadian Armed Forces to a Technology Career at Travelers
The Latin “dūcimus,” which means “we lead, we guide,” is Andrew Palmer’s mantra.
“Dūcimus” became part of Andrew’s life when he served in the Canadian Armed Forces – it was his infantry company’s slogan. Over his eight years in the “Forces armées canadiennes,” he worked on developing his leadership skills.
Now, at Travelers, he is free to let his “dūcimus” spirit shine at work – leading, networking and building people up every day. The ability to put his military experience into practice at work (he’s a member of the Military/Veterans & Allies Diversity Network), and Travelers’ strong focus on attracting and retaining veterans, brought Andrew to Travelers nearly two years ago.
As he considered the next step in his career back then, Andrew had a wide range of options, given his military experience and 20 years in the financial, insurance, technology and government sectors.
“What really made me choose Travelers was finding a great opportunity at a world-class organization that has a really strong military experience background. Knowing about the strong military community here, I felt that Travelers aligned with my ethics and experience. Military people stick together.”
As Business Information Security Officer/Technology Risk Director, Andrew says, “My role is to monitor, guide and protect Travelers Canada’s cybersecurity posture. New technology-focused regulations come through me as well. It’s a big role – I manage impacts in Canada from a cybersecurity side, a technology risk side and a technology business continuity side.” Andrew addresses both external and internal risks, assessing vendors and ensuring that employees are adhering to the right controls and processes.
“This role is always evolving. There’s no such thing as a quiet day, as there’s always something new happening within the cybersecurity industry.”
One of Andrew’s favorite moments at Travelers was participating in a diversity and inclusion talk at the Canadian Leadership Conference. He also cherishes the ongoing opportunity to serve as a cybersecurity subject matter expert for the Canada Senior Leadership Team.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie surrounding my role – not just within Travelers, but externally, working with cybersecurity centers of excellence and industry experts, working out what’s happening and creating valuable extensive networks.”
Outside of the office, Andrew is into animation, video games, indulging his “foodie” side at new restaurants, experiencing different cultures through travel (he recently vacationed in Greece) and comedy. He volunteers with non-profits, including an organization focused on ethical IT guidelines, and credits the military for instilling in him the desire to give back to the community.
Another way Andrew gives back is by inspiring and coaching colleagues to become the best version of themselves. “On my team, we work together to accomplish greatness together. I always want to improve and support others. Seeing my team members being successful? That’s what makes me happy.”
