Executive Insights: Erin Dolan pushes for insurance professional education
'Continuing education in this space is very important,' says RSUI Group Senior Vice President Erin Dolan.
Erin Dolan has long been involved with the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) U40 group for young professionals.
But Dolan is far from an insurance rookie.
In the nearly two decades since Dolan joined RSUI Group., Inc., she’s seen the insurance business change and adapt to the world around it. Dolan, who calls Atlanta home, is now RSUI’s senior vice president of Analytics and Communications. She also serves on the WSIA Board of Directors as well as the association’s Education Committee.
PropertyCasualty360 recently caught up with Dolan to discuss current insurance trends as well as her involvement with WSIA.
PC360: Where do you see the most opportunity in the industry?
Dolan: I work on the data and analytics side of things, and that’s one area that is continuing to grow and broaden. Technology in general, since everybody transitioned to remote work. I think many people were very successful at that. There’s also the ability to capture data, and the specialty insurance business has such unique data. The ability to capture and report on that within our organizations is very useful.
PC360: What do you think are some of the benefits of working in the insurance industry?
Dolan: It really comes down to helping individuals in their worst moment or a company in its worst moment. I like how insurance is there to help people when they need help.
PC360: You’re past president of WSIA’s U40 Committee. What has that group been up to this year?
Dolan: We had our first in-person event since COVID in Austin, and it was fantastic. The attendance was down just a smidge, but we still had over 100 folks in attendance, and we had some really great speakers. U40 is really about peer-to-peer learning and getting a chance to network with other folks in the industry, because you’ll spend the rest of your career with a lot of them. U40 is a chance to start those relationships out the gate.
PC360: What were some of the main topics covered at that event?
Dolan: Employment isn’t the right word, but we talked about our age group, and what’s on our minds. This could be job potential or how to navigate the landscape from a leadership perspective. We also talked about the emotional intelligence that comes with transitioning out of COVID and back into the office. We allowed for an open forum. There was good discussion. People are passionate about where we are in corporate America these days and what everybody’s going through.
PC360: As someone who has worked for the same company for nearly two decades, how do you think insurance businesses can promote camaraderie and culture in a remote-work environment?
Dolan: I think it’s about taking time to connect individually. This means having personal conversations on the phone and being respectful of people’s individuality. Some people are more comfortable on the phone, and others are good on emails. Some people prefer Zoom chats. I personally like face to face. So if I can do a Zoom or meet somebody in person, that’s a preference of mine. But I think the main thing is taking time to understand who you’re working with, and work with them in a way that best suits their needs.
PC360: What advice do you have for young insurance professionals?
Dolan: Always keep learning. (The business is) going to change. There are going to be new coverages and new threats. Continuing education in this space is very important.
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