Meet Kim Iacocca, Vice President, Financial Institutions, U.S. Insurance
What is your backstory? Tell us about your path to Sompo International.
I started at AIG two weeks after I graduated college. I spent 5 years working on the Management Liability team before leaving to work at Great American to focus on Investment Management risks. I concentrated on Private Equity, Real Estate and Hedge Funds. After 5 years at Great American, I joined Aspen Insurance. After honing in my skills with Professional Lines, I moved to Endurance Insurance, which is now Sompo International, to help launch the US Financial Institutions team in 2013. Since joining Sompo, I have held various roles including managing the west coast and southeast regions, and now focusing on our wholesale broker distribution initiative.
Give us three words to describe Sompo International.
Talent. Opportunity. Commitment (to culture).
What is a trend you feel is impacting the industry and more specifically, your role at the moment?
Diversity and Inclusion are taking center stage and will continue to have a very strong impact on companies, including Sompo International. I serve on the Sompo International Inclusive Diversity Counsel, which has been tasked to further imbed inclusive diversity within our organization. Sompo International is committed to being an inclusive workplace and makes this initiative a priority. I am also on the board of The Bridge, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build an inclusive network that generates connections among financial lines professionals. We aim to advance women in order to increase the number of diverse colleagues in senior roles.
What advice do you have for prospective Sompo International candidates?
I would encourage everyone to network within Sompo International. Try to meet and speak with as many people across our different business units as possible. We are a large company with talented teams across the globe. Our leaders have a vested interest in making sure the next generation of employees find success.
Think back to your college graduation day. What is one thing you would tell yourself then?
I would tell my younger self to stay fearless and know her worth. You will experience failure and setbacks, and it will help you get to where you are meant to be. Do not turn down an opportunity just because it may not be on your personal “career path”. Stay focused on following the things that excite you. You’ll never “have it all figured out”, so just enjoy the journey.
What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?
In another life, I would have been a schoolteacher. I have always had a passion for mentoring and assisting others to help them reach their highest potential. I’ve been able to nurture this this interest in my current career by becoming heavily involved in the Sompo intern program. It’s all very fulfilling for me.
What do you do when you are not working?
My husband and I have an 11-month-old daughter named Madeleine, so most of our free time is spent at parks, music classes and watching Elmo! When I have the chance, I love reading, spending time at the beach and traveling (pre-COVID). I can’t wait to plan a big family vacation when things are normal again.