Federica Pisano is a Senior Solution Consultant at Guidewire, with focus on analytics and claims.
She is passionate about democratising knowledge and leveraging data to make better-informed decisions, while ensuring transparency and explainability of processes. Her background includes stakeholder engagement strategy, change management, market research and financial communications for global players in technology, healthcare and professional services.
Entering an entirely new field such as insurance, and specifically insurtech, can be both exhilarating and nerve-racking.
Depending on your background, there will be at least one aspect where you can feel inexperienced – the complex world of insurance, the hectic pace of technology, the business side with all its specificities. Building your confidence can therefore be challenging – this is something I’ve experienced first-hand.
But the good news is that there are ways to build and maintain confidence, both through your own personal development and support from colleagues and mentors. Everyone’s journey will look different. However, one thing is certain – with enthusiasm, perseverance and self-reflection you have a very good basis to start.
Self-Reflection
A key lesson I learned when starting my career was not to accept rejection at face value. It’s crucial to try and understand the reasons behind a ‘no’ (whenever possible) and use feedback to develop further, keep the discussion open, or both.
Another key aspect to build confidence in the sector for me was being clear about what I am passionate about and the impact I want to make (your ‘why’). Understanding this can take years, given how vast and rich insurtech is. But some of your personal values are already there, and they can be your guide in your career decisions.
Have a few questions that you ask yourself as a regular check-in with yourself, such as: “What is the role I want to play in the industry? How am I playing this role in my current position? What do I need in order to play it better and make a stronger impact?” This helps me keep clarity on my goals and makes me more confident on where I am headed – professionally and personally.
At the start of every career, we tend to be quieter and listen. This is absolutely understandable – still, make sure you value your own perspective and voice it as soon as you feel ready. Expressing your views will not only help you grow, but also help enrich your team and the organisation with perspectives they might not have considered. Your unique way of thinking might be the very reason why you have been chosen for this role!
Be Curious
The fast-paced nature of the insurtech sector, although exciting, means that you’ll need to make efforts to keep up-to-date with the latest news and industry trends, while incorporating what’s relevant into your work. Reading articles, listening to podcasts, and researching relevant topics are some of the ways you can start seeing the patterns of what is happening in the sector. Finding the right sources might be tricky, but I recommend investing some time to find what you value and trust. You can start by asking the colleagues you especially value for their sources, and share interesting content with them whenever you see it.
Training is another way of gaining more knowledge and increasing your confidence on a topic. But before committing to costly and time-consuming courses, I suggest gaining general knowledge of the field using free materials, to help you choose the area to specialise in. Going forward, you could also decide to become more of a ‘generalist’ and make small investments in many different topics. Your preference will likely develop with time.
Your community is key
Even as bright, knowledgeable individuals, we thrive when supported by others. This is particularly true for women in the insurtech sector, where we are still far away from gender balance. Having a community and mentors to refer to is absolutely key in building your confidence, growth and progress.
Attending industry events is not only important to gain valuable insights into market trends and competitor updates; you will also get opportunities to meet new people from your sector. These connections can give you a glance on what other roles can be played, what partnerships can be created, helping you shape your career further.
Mentorship has been the bedrock of my confidence and professional growth, and I can never recommend it enough at every step of every career. Learning through others’ experiences and feedback is invaluable and irreplaceable. If no mentorship program is available at your organisation, you can ask to have one started, or contact a colleague to see if they could mentor you on a more informal basis.
Industry Accountability
Whilst I believe that confidence is built through personal development, it’s crucial to have support from the sector as a whole.
A lot more opportunities are now available for underrepresented professionals to join the industry, and I’m excited to see a higher presence of women both in my team and at events. However, the sector should make a more persistent effort in promoting themselves to potential diverse hires who might not be aware of what insurtech has to offer – or in some cases, that it even exists!
As a sector, we should also increase our outreach to more diverse audiences earlier in their education, such as at high schools. Introducing young people to insurtech and its opportunities is critical to make them aware of roles that require technical skills as well as empathy and strong ethics. This is a field that contributes positively to societal needs and should attract a diverse workforce who values making an impact – in protecting the vulnerable, mitigating climate change and leveraging AI responsibly, just to name a few.
Gaining confidence as a woman in the insurtech sector needs perseverance, continuous learning, a solid community, and personal introspection. The above are some of the valuable lessons I’ve learnt along the way that continue to play a key role in helping me maintain my drive and enthusiasm, as well as improving my skills and knowledge.
