We are excited to continue our intern spotlight series! This week we introduce to you Ya-Sine Agrignan, Grant Brunsvold and Kieron Johnson.
Ya-Sine Agrignan
Ya-Sine has joined our IT department and is currently attending the University of Connecticut. With his time at Intact, Ya-Sine hopes to gain experience in software development as well as learn important practices and facets of the insurance industry. “As a student I feel that professional experience is invaluable to the development of my career in the industry. I want to gain skills in software engineering and work with a dedicated development team. I am excited, and I am ready to learn as much as I can,” he says. Ya-Sine is from Bridgeport, Connecticut. What drew him to Intact was the desire to learn how software engineering solutions are applied in the industry.
If he could go anywhere in the world he would go to Ireland because of its landscapes. “There is something calming and peaceful about the landscapes in Ireland and I would like to experience them,” he says. The last novel that he read was Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami which was about moving into adulthood and dealing with past traumas.
Grant Brunsvold
Grant is a Specialty Property and Media Underwriting Intern at Intact. During this internship, he looks forward to working with experienced managers to further his knowledge in the insurance field. He also wants to learn about underwriting using real world scenarios and tasks. “Finally, I am very excited to work with the Intact team and possibly find a future with this company,” he says. Grant is originally from Long Island, New York, but moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota about 4 years ago. Now he resides in Kansas City, Missouri where he is attending Rockhurst University.
Grant was looking for an internship that would allow him to utilize his finance background. He was drawn to the industry because of his friends and family. “Reading about Intact’s underwriting internship brought to light my interests in insurance. Being able to put my skills in the real world while learning side by side with experienced staff is important to me. After researching and learning about Intact through interviews, it became clear that it will be a good fit for me,” he says.
If he could go anywhere in the world he would go to Italy for its beautiful scenery as well as the “amazing food”. The last show he watched was Shark Tank and he continues to watch it every other day because he enjoys seeing new products. He also finds the negotiation aspect fun to watch!
Kieron Johnson
Kieron is also an underwriting intern at our Specialty Property team. With this internship, he wants to gain valuable experience that can help him become a great underwriter, understand how endorsements and exclusions can be applied, and how a company deals with high-property value and high-risk accounts. Lastly, he hopes this internship turns into full time employment. Kieron was born in the Bronx, New York and currently residing in Lithonia, Georgia as he attends Georgia State University.
“During my internship interview, Intact employees Joi Blume and Bend Ward made me feel comfortable about asking questions and they seemed eager to take on an intern to expose them to commercial underwriting. Their willingness to share their knowledge attracted me to the company,” says Kieron. He recently attended the RIMS Conference in California, and would love to go back to explore the various cities. The last show he watched was House of Cards, and the last book he read was Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin.
Best of luck Ya-Sine, Grant and Kieron! We look forward to working with you and being a part of your career development.
(L-R) Kieron Johnson, Ya-Sine Agrignan and Grant Brunsvold