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.”
Want to stay up to date? Have stories sent directly to your email inbox.
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.”
Want to stay up to date? Have stories sent directly to your email inbox.
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.
Want to stay up to date? Have stories sent directly to your email inbox.