P&C
alents Look to Make Their Marks
“There are a lot of compliance
requirements relative to insurance and
making sure the underlying assets in a
portfolio have the right levels of coverage.
There is risk to the organization, whether
you’re loss-sharing or taking balance-sheet risk as you fund these loans or
equity transactions.
“Today, we also oversee all the
responsibilities for insurance-monitoring
and insurance reviews around our
portfolios. Coming from the brokerage
environment gives me an understanding
of how the business is done—the technical
aspect of insurance policies and how the
system works.
“My role is overseeing all the audit
functions, and in the last year-and-a-half
we’ve spent time building a framework
for monitoring risk—which is where
my Enterprise Risk Management [title]
comes from.
“We’ve developed an internal risk
committee and we have a solid [process]
for reporting risks into the board. The
first half-hour of every board meeting, in
fact, starts off with a discussion about the
company’s risks.”
insurance classes. I graduated with a risk-
management degree and got a job soon
after graduation with Turner Broadcasting
in Atlanta with the risk-management
department.
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MARKETPLACE
GRADUATE EDUCATION
Companies see the benefit
of having someone in-house who
is dedicated to risk management
as opposed to just tagging it
onto another position.”
Jennifer Matthews, Home Box Office
JENNIFER MATTHEWS
Director of Risk
Management
Home Box Office
“I handle all the
insurance for all of
our television series,
documentaries and
some movies of the week,” says Matthews,
40, who has been at HBO for eight years.
“This means we handle all the insurance
for the cast; we handle any liability
situations; we insure all the vehicles and
all the sets and props and wardrobe—all
the things you see on the screen.”
How did Matthews get into the field?
“I started out at Seton Hall University
in the business department and transferred
in my sophomore year to the University
of Georgia.
“At first I checked out accounting,
and it wasn’t for me, so I took some
“I worked at CNN Center in Atlanta
for a couple of years. When Turner
purchased New Line Cinema and Castle
Rock Entertainment [both in California],
they needed people in risk management to
be on the West Coast because of the time
difference—and because that’s where the
exposure is. So I moved into entertainment
and relocated.”
What does Matthews enjoy about the
profession?
“I’ve been doing this now for 18 years,
and there’s something new every day.”
Walker’s advice for other young
professionals who may be considering a
career in risk?
“Risk management is a dynamic
industry, and there are so many ways
you can go with it. Companies are
looking at risk managers more—it’s more
mainstream now, and companies see the
benefit of having someone in-house
who is dedicated to risk management
as opposed to just tagging it onto
another position.”
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PropertyCasualty360.com
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DEQUAN WALKER
Assistant Vice President
and Business Analyst
Marsh Inc.’s Global
Employee Benefits Practice
“The role of brokers is
changing,” says Walker,
32, who started at
Marsh in 2010. “It’s not just placing risk-
transfer business, but assessing a business’
overall risk exposure. So it’s becoming
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March 12, 2012 | National Underwriter Property & Casualty | 23 March 12, 2012 | National Underwriter Property & Casualty | 1
