WHO WE ARE

Marine veteran Austin Sims didn’t plan on becoming a military dog handler or a senior scrum master in Personal Insurance (PI) Technology at Travelers but both roles ended up shaping how he thinks about responsibility, care, teamwork and change.

In the video, From Marine Dog Handler to Tech Scrum Master: Austin’s Journey at Travelers, Austin talks about how a simple question from his platoon sergeant, “Who here has a dog?” put him on an unexpected path and paired him with his military working dog, a black Labrador named Hy.

During his deployment working with Hy, who outranked him, he shares how much he learned at the young ages of 19 and 20. “I was given this large responsibility because I wasn’t only caring about myself, I was caring for this living creature,” he says. “She was basically like having a child with me while we were in this very dangerous zone.”

Making sure Hy was set up for success and had everything she needed on patrol, the pair watched and observed each other to accomplish their mission every time they went out, paying close attention to her behavior and how it changed when she picked up on something important.

“It was very interesting to watch her change in behavior. When she really found something, her nose would be right on it,” he says.

That ability to read change and respond quickly is something Austin has carried into his civilian career at Travelers. In his experience working in PI Technology over the past few years he has seen how we embrace AI, how we need to adapt as individuals and how Travelers has adapted as a company.

“We have to learn to adapt to the tools and incorporate them into the way we work today, embracing change, which is one of our PI core values,” he says.

He also draws a direct comparison between the level of care he experienced working with Hy and the level of care and priority Travelers places on its customers, noting how Travelers steps in when customers need them most.

“Our customers have dealt with a situation that ripped their world apart, but then we come back to help them piece it together,” he says. “And that’s what I really love about the culture of Travelers. We’re there for our people, just like the Marines are there for each other.”

Austin is one of more than 1,000 veterans who work at Travelers and he notes that it is because Travelers recognizes the unique skill set and passion that military members bring to the company.

“I think it’s great that Travelers hire so many military members. They’re coming in with a fresh perspective that they can draw from to provide solutions for the business and really be all-in all together.”

Watch the full video to hear more of Austin’s story.