“The impact of insurance makes the world go round”: industry veteran Sabrina Hart

Discussing diversity and inclusion – and more – with IBA finalist

“The impact of insurance makes the world go round”:  industry veteran Sabrina Hart

People

By Chris Davies

We caught up with Sabrina Hart (Executive Vice President – Zurich North America) to talk about her varied career and being a finalist at the upcoming Insurance Business America Awards.

Tell the world about yourself! What’s your ultra-quick biography?

I am an East Coast girl who loves to be near the water, but my work with Zurich has given me the opportunity to live in many places. I am currently based in Chicago but we have always maintained our permanent residence on the East Coast. I’ve lived and worked in Atlanta, New York and even spent three years in Switzerland at our global headquarters. I just celebrated a 20-year anniversary with Zurich and have enjoyed tremendous opportunity during this time – from profit center exec, to CUO of SP and Global Corp to regional exec. Prior to Zurich, I served at Marsh and AIG.

And, yes, I am married – Ron is awesome and super supportive.

What have been the highs and lows of your journey through the industry?

The highs of my professional journey really have to do with the people I’ve worked with over the years and the impact they have had on my life. Some of my best memories are of team mates I have hired, coached, and/or mentored; and watched them grow and develop and have a meaningful impact on our business, and there is nothing better than being on a team, getting united around a common goal and delivering.

I’ve also enjoyed the international opportunities I’ve experienced from living abroad and learning firsthand how our industry operates on a global platform.

The low of my professional journey was on 9/11 when we lost colleagues at Zurich and hundreds of folks in our industry. 

What do you define as success – and how did you get it?

Success! It’s all relative, right? Ultimately, I think we may all define it differently. An obvious definition is often the level of responsibility one has achieved. For me personally, success is the impact I am able to make on the businesses, the people and the communities we serve. 

How? … definitely hard work, a big curiosity, a willingness to take a little risk, being a lifelong learner, and surrounding yourself with the right people... Oh, and never forget the role passion for the business plays. I am passionate about working in an industry that has such an impact on the global economy and on individual lives. 

What does your IBA finalist status mean to you?

It is very exciting to be a part of the first IBA Awards in the US, and I would like to thank IBA and to give a shout out to all the finalists. We are proud and humbled to be among such great companies.  To be a finalist for our diversity and inclusion (D&I) and for our community investment is super cool!

I was a co-founder of the Women’s Initiative within Zurich North America so I have a personal connection with the progress we have made, yet recognize the tremendous opportunity still ahead of us. Also, I am really proud of Zurich’s commitment to community investment and the focus it has placed on giving back to the communities where our employees, our customers, and our broker partners live and work.

Diversity & Inclusion is not just the right thing to do—it’s the right thing to do for our business and a strategic issue. Zurich is focused on creating a workplace environment that helps our people become their best. We believe in the value that diverse and inclusive teams bring to our organization and the insurance industry.

Diverse teams offer companies more problem-solving tools, broader thinking, better solutions and better
results.

D&I also increases employee engagement and improves collaboration, loyalty, talent acquisition, and retention. Being more inclusive and leveraging the diversity of our workforce will help drive better outcomes, including better solutions for our customers and an enhanced brand and reputation in our communities.

I am very proud of Zurich and of all my colleagues for making these issues a priority, and applaud all the other organizations on their progress in D&I and community investment, as well.  We will only really make sustainable progress in these areas when we think and act collectively.

How great does it feel to be part of the insurance community?

I think it’s kinda cool!  It has been a very exciting, rewarding and fun career thus far. It goes back to the impact insurance has on making the world go round.

What are your celebration plans if you win big on the night?

Being named a finalist recognizes the work we do in D&I and community investment so there will be cause to celebrate win or lose. A number of my Zurich colleagues from other parts of the country will be in town so I plan to celebrate – and share the honor with them. As friends and colleagues, we will begin the evening celebrating a few special personal and professional milestones prior to the IBA Awards, so winning will just add to the celebration. I will salute all 14,000 of my Zurich North America colleagues, and will certainly make a proper champagne toast to all of my colleagues who made this possible.


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