From apprentices and team leaders to divisional leaders and Executive Committee members, we wanted to showcase some of our great talent but also highlight the diverse range of opportunities and specialist areas a career at Gallagher can offer. First, we introduce you to Julie Scott FCII.
Tell us a little about your role at Gallagher:
I work in the Construction Team as an adviser to Contractors, Developers, Owners and Infrastructure Funds for all their construction insurance needs and have worked in the industry for 35 years
What was your very first job and what did it teach you?
I left school at 16 and was a trainee window dresser at Allders of Bromley, on the Youth Training Scheme. It taught me not to be undervalued; I left soon after I discovered I could not take the permanent job they had offered me until the end of my 12 month contract, as the government was paying me and I was effectively ‘free’. I went into insurance soon after…
Did you have a childhood career ambition — and are you prepared to share it?
I wanted to work outside, preferably with horses. Definitely not in an office
How did you come to work in risk management & insurance: choice or chance?
Choice - to leave Allders; and Chance - as my only criteria was to get paid more than £25 per week!
What excites you most about the industry?
Changing attitudes to flexibility and women’s careers; a more inclusive and kinder attitude
What has been your career highlight so far?
Working in a team who I absolutely trust and care about and being in the market at a time of massive change and opportunity
What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self or offer to someone starting out in their career?
That it’s a marathon not a sprint, and the better qualified you can be the more accepted you will be - particularly as a woman
The insurance industry as a whole continues to face the challenge of an under-representation of women at senior level — what do you believe could help ‘move the dial’?
Mentoring for all - not just women. There’s a wealth of great experienced people out there, whether working, retired or taking career breaks. It’s a huge source of untapped resource
Describe what you like most about Gallagher in 5 words…
Honest, Inclusive, Brokers, Integrity and Can-do
What do you see as the industry’s greatest challenge?
Adapting to the challenges that businesses will face, providing effective technology whilst keeping key relationships alive and delivering innovative solutions
Which three inspirational famous people - past & present - would you invite to a strategic offsite to devise a plan to overcome that challenge, and why?
Bill Gates for his technological skills and ability to create change and be philanthropic; Angela Ahrendts for her ability to see a market and expand globally effectively; and Warren Buffet for his ability to think strategically and back the right horse
And finally, tell us something about you which people might be surprised to learn
My first unpaid job was as a Sunday School teacher
