People Are The Key to Unlocking 50 Years of Excellence

Everest’s mission is to underwrite opportunity for all of our stakeholders across the globe; our people are chief among them. Over the past five decades, we have built a company that attracts the best in the business and is committed to helping all colleagues establish rewarding, long-term, and transformative careers, recognizing that not all professional paths follow a straight line.

Our President and CEO, Juan C. Andrade often reinforces this fact. The place you begin when you join Everest, rarely defines where you ultimately end up. I know this first-hand.

I’ve been with Everest for more than 30 years, and as I consider my time here, I believe I’m a great representation of the culture of opportunity our company is known for. I started my Everest journey as a Business Analyst in our IT department, and three decades later I am humbled to serve as our Chief Human Resources Officer. How did I get here? I was able to forge my unique path thanks to Everest’s commitment to providing stretch projects, supportive leadership, and development opportunities that gave me new skills and expertise, which resulted in professional growth beyond conventional boundaries.

My transition from IT to HR was a significant turning point in my career. As an IT business analyst, I was privileged to play a key role in a large cross-functional project that required collaboration not only within IT but also across HR, underwriting, and actuarial teams. This was a pivotal experience, giving me a bird’s eye view into various corners of our company and our business.

I loved the work – particularly the HR aspects of the project. And my leaders recognized my aptitude and enthusiasm and offered me the opportunity to move into the HR team. The support and empowerment I received from leaders and mentors along the way helped me learn, evolve, and diversify my skills as I embraced my new role.

It was clear to me 30 years ago, and it remains clear today: Everest embodies a culture that places a premium on adaptability, flexibility, and multifaceted skills – a place where anyone can thrive and contribute to our enduring success. A place where senior leaders invest in your future, believe in you, acknowledge your ambition, and create opportunities to advance professionally. And, ultimately, a place where careers are launched and colleagues who want to move in new directions within our walls are encouraged without ever having to leave the company and culture they love. I have been in this business a long time and rarely is this kind of flexibility and opportunity available anywhere else.

As we celebrate 50 years of being in business, we constantly seek new ways to cultivate opportunities for our colleagues around the world. After all, our people are the bedrock of our organization and drive our success, and it is important that everyone experiences the benefits of our global organization. One exciting way we recently did this was through our “Opportunity World Tour” initiative. Colleagues globally had the chance to enter a raffle to spend an expenses-paid week at an Everest location of their choice and experience new colleagues and cultures in a market different from their Everest home base.

So, what are my words of wisdom to those interested in exploring a new professional path within Everest? Always try to expose yourself to new experiences throughout your career. I am proud to work for a company that provides ample opportunities for people to explore different roles and pursue continuous learning. We also invest heavily in our people and culture, focusing on improving skills, career development, and DEI initiatives. Our commitment to inclusivity and transferrable skills helps us cultivate the next generation of leaders to drive our growth, innovation, and success.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the individual author and do not reflect the views of Everest Group, Ltd. (“Everest”), and its affiliated companies.