Insurance Business ReviewNOVEMBER 20238INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS ARE THE MOST DYNAMICBy Michele Adams, Vice President, Walmart Claims Services [NYSE: WMT]This is an article about making a difference, doing good work, and achieving great things. But it doesn't start that way, so bear with me.Recently, an industry acquaintance was referred to as `that claims girl,' and it instantly struck a chord with me ­ and not in a good way. It sounded condescending, misogynistic, and narrow ­ and all too familiar throughout my career; as someone who has spent decades trying not to be defined as a `claims person,' I wanted to unpack why it has always bothered me to have the insurance and claims management profession minimized in this way.Setting aside the misguided use of gender-defining terms, I realized this `claims person' label packages her and everyone like her (and me) into a small and narrow box and does not acknowledge the multi-faceted nature of this admirable career choice. I immediately think of Pixar Animation Studios' The Incredibles. Mr. Incredible, sitting in an ill-fitting cubicle at Insurecare as a miserable claims adjuster by day, with Mr. Huph, his overbearing, greedy, and uncaring boss, questioning every payment he makes.That is the image I want to dispel.While I've had a variety of leaders with an equal variety of dispositions, The Incredibles' portrayal is contrary to my actual career and industry experience. I consider myself lucky to have come up through the industry as we shifted our focus to empathy and advocacy-based claims management, became more aware of the impact of adversarial language, and realized the value of education investment for lifelong professional learning. My years managing claims and working in the insurance industry helped shape me into the person and leader I am today. I would further argue those who work in the claims management profession, 'Claims People,' if you will, are some of the most technically diverse and accomplished people I have had the opportunity to know and work with.Michele AdamsIN MY OPINION
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