Meet Fernando Gonzalez, Vice President, Multinational Business Unit
What is your backstory? Tell us about your path to Sompo International.
I joined the insurance industry in Mexico and moved to California to join AIG in 2003. The company transferred me to NYC in 2005, and from 2008 to 2011, I worked for Aon in Miami, FL. Ten years ago, I came back to NYC to join Sompo America’s Strategic Business Development team. We launched several U.S. and Latin America initiatives to expand beyond the Japanese business. Then, in 2017 our Headquarters in Japan decided to acquire Endurance. One year later, when the two operations merged, I joined U.S. Insurance’s Business Development team at what is now Sompo International. In May this year, I moved to the Multinational Business Unit (MBU) because I believe that Sompo’s global expansion will benefit from my international background
Give us three words to describe Sompo International.
Commitment to customer service, long-term vision, and global expansion.
What is a trend you feel is impacting the industry and more specifically, your role at the moment?
Change – As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “the only constant in life is Change,” and we can see it every day. Our industry, and the rest of the world, are changing all the time. Technology and social media are bringing down borders, and the globalization of the insurance business is expanding rapidly. That is why I joined the Multinational Business Unit (MBU). One of Sompo’s goals is to become one of the top ten insurance carriers globally and to achieve that, we need to expand beyond our borders. Currently, Sompo has an extensive footprint worldwide, but we are not operating as a global company yet. At the MBU and with senior management’s support, we aim to bring all those subsidiaries together to create a global insurance service platform for our multinational clients. Change is here, and we are part of it.
What advice do you have for prospective Sompo International candidates?
Sompo International is relatively a young brand name in the U.S., but we have strong brand recognition in other markets globally; by joining Sompo International, you will be part of the team that will build up a global reputation of excellence.
Think back to your college graduation day. What is one thing you would tell yourself then?
“Don’t be afraid of change. Embrace it and become a promotor of it.”
What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?
Japanese language teacher.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
I volunteered to teach Japanese Language for many years while I was living in Mexico. The ability to speak several languages has been a great tool in my professional carrier. That is why I recommend younger generations to expand their horizons by learning foreign languages and knowing different cultures.