Ann Haugh – Axis Capital
I fell into this industry almost 30 years ago and while a career is formed of many small achievements, and probably even more failures, I fondly reflect on a few pivotal ones so far. On maternity leave I raised my hand for a promotion and, despite being ‘out of sight and out of mind’, I interviewed for and got the role. I was named the UK CEO for Zurich Global Corporate in 2011 despite vocal scepticism as to whether an American woman could be successful in such a senior role in the London Market.
I was recognised as a Woman to Watch in 2012 which gave me a platform to publicly thank my family for all their support for my global career journey. I have had the privilege to mentor and lead some amazingly talented people over the years, watching them flourish as they took on bigger roles and challenges because I pushed them outside their comfort zones.
embrace failure but recognise the power of resilience
The most valuable career advice I can offer is: be authentic, take risks, balance your EQ with your IQ, work hard but have fun, embrace failure but recognise the power of resilience, never compromise your values, be curious – listen and learn something new every day, and do not be afraid to push boundaries or ask for new challenges
