Stories

Leaders-for-a-Day at Lloyd’s

 

Marie-Claire Lenhard, 19 years old, student, Germany 

When arriving at Lloyd’s we were warmly greeted and started with a short overview of the company and its impressive history. Afterwards [our leaders] gave us insight into their daily work life. 

[We were told] about unusual risks which were partially quite extraordinary and about cyber insurance and how it differs to others.

Although I’ve learned that Lloyd’s isn’t quite like all the other insurance companies since it’s more of a market place for insurance, this day gave me a great insight into the variety of tasks which are connected with insurances. I got an understanding of how insurance actually works and how Lloyd’s managed to stay where they are since more than 300 years. Especially for someone like me who wants to have her own company one day, this was just fascinating and inspiring.

[My leader] and her daily work inspired me. She told us about the huge variety of tasks she manages and that every day is different and fascinating in its own way. I like that idea of steady change which keeps work interesting. Moreover, all the employees seemed really content about their jobs even after quite some years working there. This day showed me that everybody including me should do something we really are passionate about in order to stay content and enjoy our work.

To me leadership means not only to have a great responsibility but a great possibility, as well. Responsibility meaning that you are in charge and that you have to manage that your employees stay motivated, enjoy their work and that your work pays off. Possibility because you have the power to change something, to make a difference, to establish something new and to conquer new frontiers. 

During my work with Junior Alumni Germany and all the networking events like for example the Europe Conference in 2016, I get to meet so many inspiring young students, entrepreneurs and others who are all eager to share their experiences and stories. Those experiences and stories showed me that there is this huge amount of possibilities for everybody and that life isn’t a straight marathon but an adventurous path with hundreds of other paths. Staying passionate about what you love and motivated is that one thing that helps you navigate through the labyrinth of life.

 

André Pires Alves, 20 years old, student, Germany

This experience gave me the chance to understand the Lloyd’s market and how unique it is. Lloyd´s isn't a normal insurance company; they created their own market (similar to a stock exchange) where underwriters and coverage holders come together to collectively realize and insure bigger projects. It was also interesting to learn about how the insurance sector analyses the risk in each insurance and projects risks that we possibly face in the future.

I had the opportunity to learn much about the industry and the necessary qualifications for a successful start into the insurance sector. We also had very interesting conversations about the future of work and how it will change due to the evolution of technology. This combination gave me a good insight into the skills one needs to succeed.

JA gave me the opportunity to make my first contacts with companies in the private sector. Thereby I was able to gain experience and test out if my abstract idea and expectations of the respective job were right. Thanks to this experience, I was able to shape my ideas about what I want to do in future and in particular what I need to do to achieve that.