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.

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.”

Misty Kuckelman, VP of Business Insurance Middle Market Operations and co-leader of EmpowHER+, said her 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.“We want to go beyond superficial introductions and into conversations that allow for opportunities to share perspectives outside everyone’s typical business area.”

“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.

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.

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.

Amber Abernathy, Account Executive at Travelers, has been awarded with the inaugural ‘Alumni Spirit Award’ by Girl Talk, a nonprofit organization focused on peer-to-peer mentoring with teen girls.

The ‘Alumni Spirit Award’ is the first ever award given by Girl Talk. According to the organization, it is given to a Girl Talk alumna for inspiring confident leaders through the work they have done with the organization.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Amber said. “I got the phone call and was very surprised. I feel so grateful to be honored by an organization that I love and have grown so much with.”

Amber has been involved with Girl Talk since she was in sixth grade, when she worked with a high school mentor. She loved the program and became a mentor when she reached high school. From there, Amber has stayed active with Girl Talk, speaking at their Girl Talk Camp during the summer, working to build out the organization’s alumni network and contributing to other Girl Talk programming.

“Girl Talk is all about leadership, confidence and learning how to be the best version of yourself,” Amber said. “I honestly used to be so shy, I wouldn’t talk to people. I have always been a quiet person, but Girl Talk taught me how to be a quiet leader in the workplace and build confidence in that type of leadership.”

Amber joined Travelers as a Posse Scholar intern in 2017 through the company’s Posse Foundation partnership. After the internship, she was hired full-time as an Underwriting Professional Development Program participant and now serves as an Account Executive. She says Travelers is a workplace that feels like home.

“Travelers has provided me the flexibility and work-life balance to be able to volunteer with organizations like Girl Talk and give back to my community in ways that I am passionate about,” Amber said. “It’s truly an amazing feeling to be celebrated at work for things I do outside of work. The company celebrates me in all parts of my life.”

Travelers is committed to promoting career opportunities to a diverse range of talent in the actuary community. One of the ways where this commitment is apparent is through our partnership with the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA).

Travelers’ strong presence at the recent IABA annual conference demonstrated the company’s commitment to investing in development opportunities for Black actuaries. One attendee was Whittney LeBruce, who was introduced to Travelers when she attended the conference in 2017.

Whittney participated in a pre-conference bootcamp for aspiring actuaries. The bootcamp included a mock interview with Travelers, where she made a connection. Whittney met with five Travelers attendees that year and become convinced the company would be a great fit.

Fast forward five years: Whittney, who is now a recruiting lead for entry-level talent, joined four other Travelers colleagues to share knowledge and lessons through a “cooking show” for this year’s conference attendees. The “chefs” used cooking analogies to demonstrate how building a predictive model is achieved with each “ingredient.”

“I really value promoting diverse talent into this career,” Whittney said. “Maintaining a connection to IABA has been paramount to me. Through my participation, I can help build a pipeline for Black actuaries, celebrate them and help us learn from each other.”

This year, Travelers sent 15 actuaries to the IABA meeting, triple the number Whittney saw when she attended four years ago.

Loren Danielson, VP of Actuarial and Analytics, attended the conference as well and was honored as IABA Mentor of the Year.

“I got comments from multiple people from other companies on how many people Travelers sent to the conference,” Danielson said. “It was definitely recognized that Travelers is a leader, both in the content they presented and the value Travelers sees in sending people to the conference.”

In addition to being a recruiting opportunity, the conference is also viewed as an opportunity to retain talent who attend and return re-energized about their careers in this field.

“I’m very glad that Travelers continues to invest in me,” Whittney said. “And I’m honored that I can now help invest in others.”

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 a talent recruiter from Travelers contacted Allison K. about a role on the Strategy, Planning & Programs team in Digital Enablement (DE), she was a marketing manager at a financial services company and not quite sure about making the leap.

“Given my background in marketing, I felt like I was a long-shot for this role, but during the interview process it was clear that Travelers values the different skillsets and experience people bring to the table, so I was very intrigued,” Allison said.

Allison accepted the position as a Strategic Initiatives Manager in January 2022, where she leads a variety of strategic initiatives focused on portfolio management, operational excellence and organizational engagement.

“Something’s that really stood out to me is how positive the culture is here and how we’re given flexibility when it comes to different ways of working. I love the hybrid model in that I’m able to interact with colleagues virtually or in person and build strong relationships across the team.”

“I’m making the most of the different learning opportunities afforded to me. I’ve enjoyed contributing to multiple ongoing projects while meeting new people along the way. It’s been an adventure!”

Allison is a great example of how your unique skill set can lead you to a career that’s more than you imagined.

Outside of work, Allison loves to cook, play golf and listen to music with her family. Growing up, one of her passions was diving.

Thanks for sharing your hiring story with us, Allison!

In the first six months of 2022, Travelers Europe planted over 2,000 trees thanks to employees volunteering hours through a partnership with onHand.

onHand is a volunteering platform designed to connect its users with local volunteer opportunities called “missions.” Employee participants earn one tree for their first mission and for every ten missions completed, with the opportunity to earn extra trees by participating in competitions.

Common missions in the app include calling an isolated individual to say hello, running errands for those in need, and making sustainable swaps like choosing reusable coffee cups or opting to air-dry clothes. Each activity completed via the app contributes to trees in the ever-expanding “Travelers Europe forests” – located in regions around the world severely impacted by deforestation including Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Madagascar, as well as reforestation projects in Scotland.

During the past year, Travelers Europe has also purchased additional saplings to boost environmental sustainability efforts, including offsetting carbon produced by several internal events and planting trees on behalf of customers and brokers in gratitude for their continued partnership.

“Working with onHand forms a key part of our sustainability activity,” says Matthew Wilson, CEO of Travelers Europe. “Planting 2,000 trees is a gratifying milestone, and I’m thankful to all of the employees who helped us reach it”.

Over the next six months and beyond, through the continued generosity of our Europe employees, we look forward to larger forests and smaller carbon footprints.

Erin, an Auto Liability Unit Manager in our Corporate Claim department, leads her team with the goal of achieving excellent customer service. Through their management of auto accident injury claims, Erin says they strive to handle all claimant communications with compassion, respect and empathy.

It’s the same culture of compassion, respect and empathy that Erin also finds herself in as an employee at Travelers.

Erin is quietly affected by mental illness, something she only recently realized is considered a hidden disability.

“I suffer from general anxiety, panic attacks, and have faced depression in the past,” Erin said.

She became aware of her anxiety nearly 20 years ago while experiencing her first panic attack in college.  At the time, family struggles, schoolwork, multiple jobs, and the general pressure of being a student were all piling on.

“I was spreading myself too thin. Exaggerated worries, doubt, and negativity consumed my every thought,” Erin said.

Since then, her journey into understanding and living with her mental health has been one of self-discovery. Through counseling, the support of her family, making self-care a priority and working in a caring environment, Erin has found life and career success.

“Even with struggles, you can achieve your goals and become successful if you learn healthy ways to overcome them,” Erin said.

Today at Travelers, she faces challenges using learned coping tools and the support from her mentors, leaders, and friends at work. She says they offer encouragement through public speaking responsibilities, interviews, and taking career risks – all areas where she may have otherwise struggled.

“The collaborative culture at Travelers helps you get to know your peers. Building those interpersonal relationships makes me feel trust, and with that trust, I am more willing to put myself out there,” she said.

Erin’s involvement in Travelers’ Diversity Networks (DN), including the Disability & Allies, Women & Allies and the Black and African American & Allies DNs, has also helped her connect with peers who share the same goals of promoting empowerment, inclusion and allyship.

“The Travelers DNs are a great way to meet professionals you may not have met otherwise,” she said, “It offers a great way to connect with a group of individuals who care about a common mission.”

Benefits and wellness offerings at Travelers have also helped Erin access support when needed. Travelers provides wellness resources, referral services, and confidential counseling services to all employees and their dependents.

“Travelers does a great job offering a safe place to seek support,” Erin said, “There are so many resources available for employees.”

Erin says her whole team may not be aware of the depth of her challenges. Still, she does share openly when she feels anxious and, in her experience, feels her honesty encourages others to feel more comfortable being open at work.

“I want to show how far we have come with the mental health stigma. A lot more people struggle with mental health than we probably realize and I am here to say that I can relate firsthand to those struggles.”

After losing a family member to mental illness and hearing more mental health-related stories shared by colleagues and leaders at Travelers, Erin felt compelled to share her story.

“I wanted to share to help someone, anyone,” she said, “Anxiety is part of my story, but it is not the whole story. If I help one person, then I am grateful.”

Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 988 or Chat with Lifeline
• Crisis Text Line Text TALK to 741741
• CDC Suicide Prevention

In 2008, Travelers created Diversity Networks — voluntary organizations led by employees dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. Open to all employees, the networks help foster the retention, development and success of our employees through networking, mentorship and community volunteer opportunities.

We recently sat down with members of our Disability & Allies Diversity Network to learn more about the impact of their involvement.

Tara DiBilio

Claim Account Executive Tara DiBilio pours drive and passion into the Disability & Allies Diversity Network (D&A DN) at Travelers. Residing in Dallas, Texas, Tara has left an everlasting mark on the program.

The D&A DN originally caught her attention because of her degree in education and her interest in the neurodiverse community. She is now the Learning and Development Co-Lead for the D&A DN and currently spearheading an American Sign Language program for all eight Travelers Diversity Networks. She also attended the Disability:IN conference where she and two other employees accepted the DEI 100 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion honor for the fifth year in a row on behalf of Travelers. She says the conference has expanded her knowledge and understanding to an even greater degree. Shortly after joining the D&A DN, Tara was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Her personal experience led her to create the MS group within the DN which serves as a support system for herself and other members that have or know loved ones with the condition. She says, “It created the desire in me to become much more involved.”

Since her enrollment, Tara says her involvement has completely changed her perspective on disabilities and everyday life. It’s become important to her to make sure that even newer members within the DN feel included enough to share the same sentiment. She assures, “I have a deeper understanding of the need to spread acceptance, empathy, and a safe place for everyone.”

Saphire Hathorne

State Product Director Saphire Hathorne, from Ricardson, Texas, connects her personal life to her participation in two Diversity Networks at Travelers.

As a black woman, she found a supportive community within the Black & African American & Allies Diversity Network that gave her a platform to discuss and overcome challenges in the workplace. Her firm commitment to our Disability & Allies Diversity Network originated from her desire to learn how to best prepare her son with Williams Syndrome for the corporate and social world post-high school. She says, “After he got out of high school it was very difficult for him to find a job, even though I knew the skillset he had.”

She is constantly inspired by working with others who face similar challenges to her son and do not let their disabilities hold them back from achieving their goals. She says, “I hope to one day see more employers realize that a person’s abilities are far more important in the workplace than their disability.”

Since joining the D&A DN, Saphire has developed strong relationships in and out of the company. She’s had the opportunity to be mentored by senior executives and finds it immensely rewarding to volunteer. She also had the chance to attend the Disability:IN conference amongst her peers.

Saphire reminds us, “We’re all human beings. Everybody has something to contribute to this world. I’m glad I have the opportunity to work for a company that encompasses values of people with different walks of life.”

Alan Wirkman

Though he is a loyal member of all eight Diversity Networks, Alan Wirkman has developed a personal and profound connection with Travelers’ Disability & Allies Diversity Network. Appointed affinity coach of the D&A DN, he is constantly creating new strategies to make a difference.

As a parent with a child that has a neurodiverse disability, Alan was motivated to learn more about how to support his family at home and at work. He says, “You spend most of your days at work and the people that you work with become a part of your family. It’s important to understand the challenges they have and to learn about experiences that you may share.”

Alan’s leadership position within the DN has allowed him to grant and receive incredible opportunities. He recently attended the Disability:IN conference. At the conference, he was able to interview people with disabilities and prepared them for a successful job interview. Alan says, “We have to be understanding of accommodations. We need more people comfortable with sharing the accommodations they need. It’ll change our culture, and we will continue to have some really strong talent.”

Alan continues to grow his awareness within the disability community. As a parent, a colleague, a mentor, and a leader, he understands that his support and compassion towards others can foster change and create a safe place in the world and the workplace for people with disabilities to be unapologetically themselves.