Symposium Provides Career Info About High Job Growth in Insurance Industry

By Donna Greenwald

It is estimated there will be 50,000 insurance job openings, including the health care sector, over the next five years. Students had the chance to learn more about these career opportunities at the first annual Insurance and Risk Management Symposium, hosted by the finance department.  The event’s theme was “Industry Trends & Career Opportunities” which featured a panel of seven insurance professionals who shared their career insights with students.

Presenters included

• Brian Bowerman, Westfield Insurance
• Jesse Carnicom, Western & Southern Life
• Jennifer Collister, Medical Mutual of Ohio
• Ben Goff, Brown & Brown
• Patrick Savage, Hylant Group
• Amanda Sklavenitis, Ohio Insurance Institute
• Joe Smith, Prudential Insurance

The main message of the symposium was to inform students about the diversity of careers available in the insurance industry, that sales positions are not the only types of jobs. Job opportunities are available with other specializations offered by the College of Business including accounting, management, marketing, statistics, business analytics, and economics. 

Students learned from the symposium that they don’t have to study insurance to get into the insurance industry, but it is a big advantage if they “speak the language” of insurance.  

The panel discussion was led by the finance department executive-in-residence Rockne Starks, who was the senior vice president, director of insurance for Citizens Financial Group, Inc. from 1990 to 2015.