WHO WE ARE.
Zack Maxey: The Transition from U.S. Navy to Travelers
Travelers is home to more than 1,000 veterans and former service members in various roles directly related to the skills and knowledge gained during their military careers. This blog is a part of a series that showcases our military employees and their career stories.
As U.S. Navy veteran Zack Maxey approached the end of his 20-year military career, he participated in two veteran programs that afforded him the time and the stability to establish connections and gain valuable civilian work experience. This ultimately led him to employment at Travelers.
Read on to discover how Zack, now a Business Systems Analyst, navigated his transition and the advice he offers those who are approaching or beginning the process of bridging the gap between military service and civilian work.
What is your military background?
“I served just over 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. Throughout my career, I worked on aircraft and personnel-mounted survival gear for five type/model/series aircraft across three platforms at six different duty stations. Additionally, I completed six deployments on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships.”
Describe your current role at Travelers and how the work of you and your team answers the Travelers Promise.
“I am a Business Systems Analyst, currently supporting an Agile team, aligned to the Work Orchestration Circle within the Business Capabilities Office. We deliver key functionality in task management and support to customers, stakeholders and end users, while communicating with business units to ensure a smooth and effective product flow throughout the lifecycle.”
What are some of the skills that you gained in the military that continue to help you in your role at Travelers?
“Some of the easy answers are communication, time management, adaptability, and accountability, but there are many others. Collaboration is one. The military includes people from vastly different backgrounds working closely together. The ability to collaborate effectively, while still accomplishing the larger mission is vital in the military and in any workplace.
Another one is attention-to-detail. Understanding and following instructions and procedures we bring an added dynamic to the team.”
Why do you think insurance is a good career path following military service?
“Insurance is a good career path following the military for many reasons. It offers stability and great benefits for people and their families. Despite being perceived as a ‘hard pivot,’ there are numerous transferable skills from the military to the insurance industry, making the transition smoother.”
Describe your transition from military to civilian workforce.
“During my retirement process, I received approval to enrol in the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge program. The program, designed to facilitate gap coverage as service members transition, allows them to partner with approved host companies for their last six months of active-duty service. It is a win-win because the military member continues to receive their normal pay and health benefits while getting acclimated with a host company to determine if it’s a good career fit. After I was approved for SkillBridge, I enrolled in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Program Office for the Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) Corporate Fellowship Program.”
What’s the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program?
“The Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program partners with transitioning service members through the DoD Skillbridge program, it expands the resources available to members during the separation process. They offer services such as resume writing, interview preparation and assistance in connecting service members with potential host companies in the civilian sector as they prepare to separate.”
How did you learn about working at Travelers and land on a Travelers fellowship role?
“During the screening process, HOH does a mass resume release to potential host companies. I was contacted by the head military recruiter at Travelers who wanted to discuss the possibility of partnering up with me. His first question to me was, “Have you ever considered working in the insurance industry, and what do you know about Travelers?”
Truthfully, I hadn’t considered it. Given my training and experience, I thought that I would end up working as a civilian in the defense industry, but my wife and I knew we wanted to retire to Connecticut, so learning more about Travelers opportunities made sense.
My Travelers recruiter really went above and beyond for me. He reviewed my resume, discussed what I hoped to gain from my second career and then provided me a high-level overview of various positions within the company. I then interviewed with three different Travelers departments to get an idea of what would be interesting and beneficial to my career.”
What’s working at Travelers like? Describe the workplace culture.
Everyone that I have encountered at Travelers, both during my fellowship and since becoming a full-time employee generally cares about the personal well-being of the people at work. There seems to be a collective understanding that we are all important and that we play a part in a much bigger system, but it begins and ends with the individual and how they are feeling.
From wellness programs to financial benefits and adequate time off, people in managerial roles seem to be concerned with the people instead of the bottom-line.
What is your favorite part about working at Travelers?
“The work life balance. This is something that all service members understand and probably seek when it comes to employment after the military. It was extremely high on my list of what I valued when starting another career, and Travelers has more than delivered. Starting with the hybrid work schedule and resources afforded to employees and ending with engaged and caring leadership, this company has gone above and beyond to help me realize what I’ve always known in the back of my mind: that work life balance is an important aspect of professional life.
Additionally, Travelers places a high value on the skills and determination acquired through military service. Our leaders recognize and celebrate the distinct perspectives that veterans bring, appreciating their invaluable contributions to the team.”
What advice would you give to transitioning or currently serving military members thinking about their next career?
“Start planning early. The process to join the military took a lot of paperwork, and leaving the military can seem just as daunting. Fortunately, you can have the time to do it all, but you have to plan ahead. Different branches may have different requirements for members that are separating, but with advanced planning, identifying what needs to happen and working to align your schedule with any personal goals will make the entire process (and all the paperwork, screenings, and physicals) that much easier.”
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Travelers Predictive Modeling Competitions: Bridging Business Trends with Learning Experiences
The Travelers Enterprise Data & Analytics (ED&A) team recently held its ninth-annual Predictive Modeling Competition with record participation, yielding a winning model poised to enhance the understanding of auto bodily injury trends over time.
Hosted by Business Insurance (BI), the competition challenged teams to develop predictive models using internal policy-level and claim-level data. These models were aimed at providing accurate predictions and explanations to elucidate the drivers of trends within the business.
Kevin Zech, Senior Director and Data Scientist for BI, emphasized that the Modeling Competition isn’t just for data scientists.
“It’s a great learning experience for predictive modeling concepts, but also an excellent way to keep on top of the leading tools and technology in the industry,” he said.
Participants were given structured access to necessary tools and technologies, including gitlab repositories, clean datasets and cloud resources, enabling them to focus on the core task of building and refining models.
Claiming the top spot was team “import pandas as pd,” a nod to programming language Python. Consisting of Hansook Choi and Ben Veasey from ED&A, along with Will Duke from Claim, the team’s model identified key words and patterns indicative of complex and often costly claims.
Ben Veasey, Senior Associate Data Scientist with ED&A, highlighted the team’s approach of simplifying their model for easier optimization.
“We focused on delving into the data and crafting features that could better understand and rectify the data, leading to improved prediction of claim payouts,” he explained.
Despite being new to analyzing Claim Notes data, the team leveraged their experience in processing text data and building machine learning models to develop an automated, quantitative method for identifying claim issues.
Elvis Martinez, Director & Data Scientist for Personal Insurance, celebrated winning third place alongside fellow Take it EC teammate High Seng Chai. “The real win for me is the opportunity to collaborate outside my usual scope,” Elvis remarked. “Working with individuals like Chai allows me to learn from diverse ideas and approaches.”
The Predictive Modeling Competition is one of many initiatives hosted by Travelers to foster collaboration and innovation among employees to solve real-world business challenges. Over the years, outcomes from such events have influenced various products and procedures benefiting customers, employees and the insurance industry at large.
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Diversity Network Spotlight: Working Parents/Caregivers & Allies
Travelers recently announced its Working Parents/Caregivers & Allies Diversity Network (WPCADN) as one of its newest diversity networks available to employees.
The Working Parents/Caregivers & Allies Diversity Network (WPCADN) began in 2020 as an employee resource group and has now expanded to provide a forum for amplifying the resources and benefits available to employees who balance their professional roles with parenting, caregiving or both, and for connecting with colleagues in similar life situations.
Lisa Melillo, Group General Counsel of Personal Insurance at Travelers, currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the Working Parents/Caregivers & Allies Diversity Network.
“What we hear from our members is that this is really a community,” Melillo said, “It’s a safe space where people feel as though they can share their unique challenges that they’re going through with their parenting and caregiving responsibilities and know that they’ve got a village behind them that’s facing similar issues.”
The group holds monthly caregiver meetings, a monthly peer-to-peer support group for parents of LGBTQ+ youth as well as special topic speaker events and collaborative events with other diversity networks at Travelers.
“Our members really believe that our events are a combination of educational opportunities to learn about a specific topic and to understand it more deeply so that it can help them deal with their personal situation,” Melillo said.
The group was announced as a formal diversity network in the second half of 2023 and has grown to have almost 2,200 members as of spring 2024.
“We’ve created a really amazing group,” Melillo said, “Whether it’s quick recipes or places to get cheaper diapers or helping out with some of the baby formula shortages, they’ve found a place where they can feel as though they’re not going through things alone.”
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WHO WE ARE.
Try Something New to Boost Your Wellbeing
The holidays have ended, winter is ramping up and we only see the sun for a short time each day. Because of all that and more, the beginning of the year is a great time to make new goals for your wellbeing.
Instead of trying to make a change, our Europe Mental Health First Aiders recommend adding something new to your routine and life to boost your wellbeing and outlook on the year ahead. If you are looking for inspiration, members of our team shared activities that lifted their spirits. Perhaps their experiences may motivate you to try something new.
Alexa J.: “Learn a new language”
“I’ve been doing an evening course in French – it has been superbe! French was a subject I really enjoyed at school and I have always regretted not studying it further. I love the language, and although we don’t travel there often, I really wanted to be able to understand and converse more when we are there. After thinking about it for 25 years, I took the plunge and signed myself up for a virtual evening class. It’s been a lot harder than I thought, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Mike L.: “Return to an old hobby”
“As Monday night is the only weeknight that I am at home, I decided that I would get back into cycling. Almost every Monday, I get out on my bike with my best mate, and we cycle for 15 miles along the Trans Pennine Trail to Warrington. Then we sit in a pub, have one pint, talk about football and cycle home. It’s particularly brutal weather at this time of the year, but I love it.”
Helen W.: “Make new connections with like-minded people”
“I joined a crime book club last year, which has been lots of fun and got me back into reading fiction. We meet monthly to eat together and discuss a book. The subject matter might be a bit gruesome, but it’s been great meeting other crime fiction fans. Our latest book had a great twist, and next month we are getting a local crime author to come and do a Q&A with us.”
Antony S.: “Celebrate the small wins”
“Last year, I was dealing with some difficult issues with my parents and my son. I worked on being kind to myself and trying to keep challenges in perspective so that they didn’t overwhelm me. Something I found really helpful was enjoying simple pleasures and small wins when I got the opportunity, such as getting my dad out of the house for the first time in months or celebrating my son getting a ‘Shining Star’ award from college.”
Eloise G.: “Travel to a new destination or learn about one”
“My family hadn’t been abroad since before the pandemic, so we decided to go to a French island called Noirmoutier-en-l’Île in August. Even though we didn’t travel far, it felt surprisingly exotic, with beautiful beaches, lovely towns and lots of salt flats. Because the island is so flat, it is great for cycling around, which was a real highlight. My children (aged 11 and 13) absolutely loved it – especially going to the boulangerie every day to buy baguettes and getting a chance to try out their ‘school French’ in real life!”
Travelers Mental Health First Aiders are fellow employees who are professionally trained to provide support to colleagues that may need it. They are knowledgeable about Travelers Europe networks and benefits and can help guide employees as needed. They also offer general education and events to encourage us all to make our wellbeing a priority.
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My Travelers Journey – Amy Knowles
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.
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Travelers EDGE® Graduate Series – Belma Pehratović
In 2022, we marked the 15-year anniversary of Travelers EDGE® (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment). Since 2007, Travelers EDGE has provided a unique, sustainable school-to-career pipeline for hundreds of students. As we mark this milestone anniversary, we look back on the extraordinary achievements our alumni have accomplished and the legacy they have left behind. We reached out to Travelers EDGE graduates to hear their stories and learn about the success they forged for themselves and their families.
“Strength in Diversity” – Belma Pehratović (2020 graduate)
“How you do one thing is how you do everything.”
That’s Belma Pehratović’s piece of advice for future Travelers EDGE scholars. Belma says Travelers EDGE instilled a sense of pride in her that she now carries with her everywhere.
“Travelers takes diversity and inclusion seriously,” Belma said. “And I take that seriously. They don’t just put their name on things and provide financial support – they foster their programs to be inclusive, impactful and helpful to those they affect.”
Belma is a first-generation refugee. She came to the U.S. in 2000 from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has lived in Hartford ever since. She learned about the Travelers EDGE program in her junior year of high school and made it her mission to be selected as a scholar.
The next summer she succeeded and started her first internship with Travelers.
After being selected as a Travelers EDGE scholar, Belma decided to attend the University of Connecticut (UConn), a Travelers EDGE partner school. Not only was she able to choose a school that was the right fit for her, but the program also helped her to choose without immense financial pressure.
“If it wasn’t for [Travelers] EDGE, I wouldn’t have been able to choose UConn,” she said. “The financial burden was lifted.”
Belma emphasizes that Travelers EDGE opened many doors for her but acknowledges that being a Travelers EDGE scholar is also a lot of work.
“We had to start college classes before everyone else through summer bridge programs,” she said. “We had monthly meetings and we constantly had to revise our resumes to ensure we stayed ready and prepared for the job we wanted.”
The program’s mentoring resources also helped sharpen her professional skills. This guidance helped her navigate her way through the corporate world, not just as an employee, but also as a woman working in technology.
“The mentorship that Travelers EDGE provides is great because it teaches you everything,” Belma said. “When I was in college, I struggled with finding mentors from similar backgrounds, that understood the challenges that come with being from a minority group. Travelers EDGE helped me see that the differences in my background can be my strength. I am happy to be here, and I am grateful to work in a company that celebrates and leverages my diversity.”
Belma now works at Travelers in PI as a Data Engineer on the Machine Learning Operations team within Data and Analytics and says she loves it. She reiterates how low the odds are for first-generation refugees to make it as far as she did. She often thinks about how different her life would have been if she had stayed in Bosnia, or if she had not been introduced to Travelers EDGE. This realization has shaped what success looks like to her.
“I didn’t have professional role models to look up to – now I have little cousins, ages five and eight, who follow everything I do,” she said. “Now, I measure my success in and outside of work by how good of an example I can set for them. You have to believe in yourself, trust your abilities, and set the tone for generations to come.”
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My Travelers Journey – Chi Zhang
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.
Chi Zhang
started his Travelers career as a Senior Software Engineer for Claim Tech in the Technology Value Stream in April 2022 after working for a software company that did business with Travelers.
“I’ve enjoyed how positive the environment is here – I’m always learning and am allowed to try new things – there’s no better way to grow,” Chi said.
His team, called Momentum, recently rolled out an internal product that analyzes the engineering behind applications different teams are working on to test and ensure best practices and standards are applied to enhance the effectiveness of applications that handle customer and internal information.
“With our team being so new, it was great to see how we were able to experiment and learn as we went when developing a finished product that benefits our team and the larger engineering community. And for some of us, we’re using certain types of technology for the first time, which is both challenging and very rewarding.”
Chi credits the focus on learning and collaboration as one of the greatest benefits he enjoys on the team.
“I got my AWS Cloud certification shortly after joining Travelers, and I’m putting what I learned to use every day. We also have dedicated knowledge-sharing time and training sessions where we learn from each other, which is especially helpful for us junior engineers to learn from those with more experience.”
Chi’s team is working on several projects, including an enhancement to the Application Portfolio Management System that will allow for automation and increased accuracy within the tool.
Outside of work, Chi likes to play tennis and basketball. He has also been skiing for the past few years and goes hiking often in the New Hampshire mountains.
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Development and Continuous Learning Through Virtual Networking
More than 250 Technology & Operations and Actuarial & Analytics employees joined a recent speed networking event hosted by Travelers’ internal professional business groups EmpowHER+ and Women in Actuarial & Analytics (WIAA) for employees across the Tech & Analytics organizations.
The virtual event created a networking opportunity between employees and Travelers’ senior leaders to promote collaboration, while enhancing personal and professional growth through upskilling and continuous learning.
“Learning and development are a crucial part of our culture at Travelers,” said Tracey Cournoyer, Vice President, Data Engineering, Enterprise Data & Analytics. “As a leader, it’s important for me to enable and encourage networking opportunities like this for our employees’ career development.”
Participants joined virtual “round robin” rooms with nearly 40 Travelers leaders from all businesses and disciplines and had the opportunity for introductions and question and answer sessions.
“I appreciate the chance to learn from other Travelers employees and the work they and their organizations do,” said Tracy Patterson, Director, Middle Market Field Operations. “An event like this helps me get a broader view of what is happening around the company. Networking is a very important part of career development.”
Networking opportunities like these allow employees with different responsibilities and duties to connect to gain new insights and a better understanding of how to succeed.
“This event provided access to our most senior leaders, along with an opportunity to meet and learn more about peers and partners,” Steve Palasek, Vice President, Engineering Infrastructure & Cloud Services said. “Networking opportunities like this show that senior leadership is invested in us. They are there to guide, but also learn and listen, which is empowering to the broader organization.”
The overall goal with this event was to go beyond typical networking opportunities and hopefully open the door for employees to connect with leaders and each other further.
“Chatting with leaders from across the company helped boost my own happiness as an employee,” said Hakema Hussein, Data Engineer, Enterprise Data & Analytics. “It was fun and the experience motivated me to achieve more career goals.”
EmpowHER+ is a Technology & Operations group designed to inspire women to achieve their full career potential and drive business outcomes for Travelers. WIAA is an enterprise-wide professional business group whose mission is to increase the influence of actuarial and analytic women at Travelers by enhancing culture and fostering business development.
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My Travelers Journey – Didier B.
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.
When Didier Bouba Ndengue was an analyst at an electronic commerce company, he did not expect that he’d be looking into multiple leadership opportunities when he landed a new job at Travelers.
He began his Travelers Journey as an Operational Decision Management (ODM) Software Developer in 2016 and transitioned to the Technology Leadership Development Program in Claim Tech in 2018. Didier graduated from the program as a Data Engineer in Personal Insurance in the Fall of 2021, a role he continues today.
“Being young in my career, I was all about the exploration,” says Didier. “And my motivation continues to be learning and growing,” says Didier.
Didier leads the BI Data Modernization team and collaborates with groups within Tech & Ops to transfer application data to cloud services. He also works with colleagues in India to address any issues or make updates to applications. Didier enjoys mentoring interns and employees in his leadership role, helping to cultivate the desire for colleagues to grow their careers at Travelers.
“I tell my colleagues: If you want to develop people skills, become certified in applications, learn new coding languages, there are so many classes and resources for you to advance. And people care about your growth – not just your work.”
Didier also gained valuable experience at the 2021 Innovation Jam when his team’s idea for a new telematics solution for Boat and Yacht, Vesse, was a winner. Currently, Vesse is undergoing a Personal Insurance pilot for Travelers employees. Didier and his team have been conducting marketing research on how customers will engage with the product once available.
“It was very rewarding to be part of the team that created Vesse and to go through a 24-hour hackathon to develop it,” says Didier. “There were many talented and brilliant individuals in the team.”
Outside of work, Didier enjoys playing soccer in his free time. He likes to spend time with his family, listen to Congo and Latin music, and he plays soccer with his two-year-old son.
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Travelers Recognized for Military-Friendly Culture
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) recently announced it has once again been named a Best for Vets Employer by Military Times, as well as a Military Friendly® Employer and Military Friendly® Spouse Employer by VIQTORY.
“These recognitions demonstrate our steadfast commitment to creating a welcoming environment for the military community,” said Diane Kurtzman, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Travelers. “Service members and their families add incredible value to our workforce, and we’re proud to support them.”
Travelers offers a robust suite of military-friendly programs and benefits, including:
- An employee resource group focused on building awareness of veterans’ skills and experiences. Since its launch in 2013, the Military and Veterans & Allies Diversity Network has grown to more than 3,100 members.
- A recruiting initiative designed specifically to help military spouses. Since 2020, the company has hired more than 200 military spouses and recently created a forum where they can come together to share tips, exchange resources and offer support to one another.
- A partnership with American Corporate Partners, a national nonprofit that helps veterans discover their next careers. Since 2010, Travelers employees have mentored hundreds of post-9/11 veterans.
- Comprehensive benefits for employees deployed on active duty, which include full benefits that are in addition to supplementing employees’ military pay for up to five years of their deployment.
The company has also signed the Statement of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at both state and national levels and is part of the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. In addition, Travelers was named a 2021 Employer for Outstanding Support by the U.S. Navy Reserve.
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