In continuation of our intern spotlight series, this week we are pleased to introduce Alec Boland, Brooke Jackson, Erik Dains and Gavin Emenaker – who have all joined our Actuarial department.
Alec Boland
Alec is from Waukesha, Wisconsin and decided to join this internship program because of the “welcoming and compassionate nature of the employees, throughout the hiring process. It was a clear indication of the fun and collaborative culture at Intact. I am excited to be part of a team that supports each other through their careers!” says Alec, who is studying at the University of St. Thomas.
“You can always find me watching Seinfeld, and my most recent read is Dune, by Frank Herbert,” he says.
Brooke Jackson
Brooke is from Hastings, Minnesota and is a student at the University of Minnesota. “I was attracted to Intact because of the friendly faces I met during the hiring process and the amazing opportunities available here to further my actuarial knowledge,” she says.
If Brooke had a chance to go anywhere in the world, she would go to Lake Como in Italy.
Erik Dains
Eric was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but he grew up outside Kansas City, Missouri. He says, “To me, “specialty” is synonymous with “interesting,” so I was decided to join Intact because I like solving interesting problems and learning new things!”
Growing up in the Midwest, Eric became a big fan of thunderstorms. Singapore has the highest rate and density of lightning strikes in the world, so if he ever had a chance to go anywhere in the world, he wants visit Singapore to experience that.
Eric, a student of the University of Kansas, recently finished reading Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Murakami.
Gavin Emenaker
Gavin is from Newton, Massachusetts and is studying Applied Mathematics with an Actuarial Science concentration at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.
“While I was looking for actuarial internships within insurance companies, I was intrigued by the learning opportunities, close-knit culture, and professional experience that Intact offered. That’s why I decided to join Intact,” he says. “I am unique in that I enjoy learning absolutely anything. I’m fond of math and actuarial science, but I also enjoy learning about nursing, architecture, engineering, and more from my friends and mentors,” he adds.
If he could take a vacation anywhere in the world, he would go to Italy. “Several of my friends have studied abroad in Florence, and I think I would love the food there. The scenery and weather would be amazing too!” he says.
Best of luck Alec, Brooke, Erik and Gavin! We look forward to working with you and being a part of your career development.
(L-R) Top to Bottom: Alec Boland, Brooke Jackson, Erik Dains and Gavin Emenaker
We are pleased to continue our intern spotlight series! Over the next couple weeks, we are introducing each our summer interns to learn more about their background and interests. This week we are excited to introduce Meher Papineni, Margaret “Maggie” Battersby, Jared Anderson and Alyssa Ingerson.
Meher Papineni
Meher has joined us as an IT Intern. Originally from the city of Hyderabad, India, she came to the U.S. last year in August to pursue a masters in computer science from Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She decided to join this internship program because of three reasons: career growth opportunities, collaboration and teamwork, and flexibility. “Intact is dynamic and evolving, which means there are ample chances for me to learn new skills, take up challenging tasks and advance my career. I enjoy working in Intact’s collaborative environment and also embrace remote work options as I seek for a better work-life balance,” she says.
If Meher had a chance to go anywhere in the world, she would go see the northern lights in Alaska.
Margaret “Maggie” Battersby
Margaret has joined our IT department in our Canton, MA office. Originally from Carver, MA, she is a student at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. “I was attracted to Intact because the job description was exactly what I was looking for – it offered a wide variety of skills that I could learn and develop,” she says.
Margaret loves traveling and wishes to explore the Mediterranean.
Jared Anderson
Jared is interning as a Catastrophe Risk Analyst in our Actuarial department. He is from Maple Grove, MN and is attending Minnesota State University. “I first learned of Intact from an online career fair posting and signed up to meet with someone from the company. Our interaction allowed me to learn more about Intact and the opportunities it provides. I was on lookout for a meaningful and impactful work experience so I can expand my understanding of the industry,” he says.
The last book Jared read was Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. “If you’re looking for a fun summer thriller, I highly suggest this book!” he says.
Alyssa Ingerson
Alyssa is from Salem, VA and has joined us as an IT Intern – second summer in a row!
“One thing that attracted me to Intact was its values of integrity, respect, customer driven, excellence and social responsibility. I feel these values are extremely important in the insurance world and in life in general. Last summer, I really enjoyed the positive and welcoming atmosphere at Intact and so I decided to join again this year. Everyone is kind and willing to help one another,” she says.
Alyssa is a big fan of dystopian novels and recently read 1984 by George Orwell.
Best of luck to all of you! We look forward to working with you and being a part of your career development.
Top to Bottom (L-R): Meher Papineni, Margaret Battersby, Jared Anderson and Alyssa Ingerson.
We are incredibly excited to announce the continuation of our annual internship program! This summer, we’re welcoming 26 college students who will be working in our Actuarial, Audit, Claims, Finance, IT and Specialty Business departments alongside our teams of experts.
To get to know them better, we’re kicking off this year’s intern spotlight series! Over the next couple weeks, we will be introducing each our interns to learn more about their background and interests.
This week we are pleased to introduce Qingxia “Quellas” Lin, Avinash Gupta, Jack Lafond and DaJonna Richardson.
Qingxia “Quellas” Lin
Quellas Lin is interning at our IT department. A student at the University of California, San Diego, Quellas is originally from the city of Shenzhen – located in the southern region of China. She chose to join Intact because of the opportunity to work on real-world projects as a software developer. “Being able to apply my skills and knowledge in a practical setting is an invaluable experience for me. I like the supportive and collaborative working environment and my colleagues and managers are always ready to lend a helping hand when I need guidance. Their expertise and willingness to share knowledge have been instrumental in my growth as a software developer,” she says.
Quellas is a proud Doberman mom and enthusiast. If she was in a deserted island with food and water and two items of her choice, she would choose to bring a matchbox and her bike!
Avinash Gupta
Avinash has joined our claims team as a law clerk intern. He is studying at the University of California, San Diego and loves to read. The last book he read was The Fall by Albert Camus.
Jack Lafond
Jack is from Sturbridge, Massachusetts and has joined our IT team. He was interested in working at Intact because he felt that starting and growing a career at a global company would greatly benefit his overall professional experience. What made him even more interested was the sense of teamwork and camaraderie that he felt after getting to know the company more and his team.
If Jack had a chance to go anywhere in the world, he would go to Hawaii. “I enjoy nature, especially the beach and hiking, and Hawaii has plenty of opportunities for both. I would also like to try surfing!” he says. A student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Jack enjoys reading and the last book he read was Dune by Frank Herbert.
DaJonna Richardson
DaJonna joins Avinash as a law clerk intern in our claims team. She is a Washingtonian [aka D.C. native] and is studying at the University of Colorado Law School. She was interested in this internship because of Intact’s focus on property and casualty insurance in the global market. “My interests lie in data privacy, international law and civil rights advocacy. Insurance companies are shaping the meaning of compliance in corporate governance, particularly in dealing with privacy laws and cybersecurity. The increased attention toward data theft and cyber insurance allows insurance firms to offer risk management services, which can improve organizational practices and mitigate data breaches. I am excited to be part of the company and learn more,” she says.
DaJonna loves Go-Go music (which has its home in D.C.!) and her favorite song is Welcome to DC by Mambo Sauce. She’s currently attempting to binge watch the show Succession. If she was shipwrecked on a deserted island with food and water and two items of her choice, “I would bring a knife to build an amazing shelter (I’ve seen Amazing Race!) and I would also bring my lion flag to serve as a reminder that I am a warrior and can stand on the neck of my problems. The flag would also serve as a signal for planes and drones flying overhead,” she says.
Best of luck Quellas, Avinash, Jack and DaJonna! We look forward to working with you and being a part of your career development.
Top to Bottom (L-R): Qingxia “Quellas” Lin, Avinash Gupta, Jack Lafond and DaJonna Richardson
As part of our Job of the Week series, we’re pleased to showcase employees’ stories about their career experience and why they love working at Intact. We asked Cathy Feazell, IT QA Manager, the below questions about her professional journey. We hope you enjoy what Cathy has to say.
How long have you been with Intact/your industry? I have been with the company for 37 years. I started in the typing department and moved up to becoming an IT QA Manager. I have been a part of the Operations and IT teams of the company. Working on the business side helped me ask myself what we (IT) can do to help make processes quicker, smoother and more efficient for our business partners.
What do you like most about your job? I like working with my team to make their working experience better every day. I want to give them the chance to grow and have a long-term relationship with the company. Intact offers our employees the opportunity for professional growth, and to have a say in their career development paths. I have the opportunity to cross train my teams on our systems so I can help each person build their knowledge of our systems.
What do you love about working at Intact? I love that upper management wants to be involved with our employees. Our people are important to them, and they reach out to the teams periodically to make sure their voices are being heard no matter what position they have within the company. They take interest in their people and make sure to connect with them frequently. The support that our management gives their people in helping them grow and prosper within the company is one of the things I love about Intact. The company encourages continuing education, and they are there to support and help each person.
Talk about your experience working with your team. I have always had a strong work ethic. Integrity in our beliefs and values is very important to me and I think as management we have to live those values within our teams. I love to see my team grow and pass on their knowledge to other team members. When you adopt Intact’s core values (integrity, respect, customer-driven, excellence, and generosity) the example you set for your team makes for a great working relationship. I want my team to get up in the morning looking forward to their next day and I want to do everything in my power to help them make each day a good day. Intact has wonderful mentors to help employees expand their knowledge and grow within the company. I want to see my team members excel in their work and I love that our company gives recognition and pays for performance. Intact is a great place to work!
As part of our Job of the Week series, we’re pleased to showcase employees’ stories about their career experience and why they love working at Intact. We asked Rachel Schroeder, Senior Reinsurance Consultant, the below questions about her professional journey. We hope you enjoy Rachel’s story!
How long have you been with Intact?
I joined the Intact family through its acquisition of OneBeacon Insurance Group in 2017. I started as an Actuarial Intern at OneBeacon when I was studying Actuarial Science at The University of St. Thomas. I was offered a full time position at the end of the summer and did not hesitate to accept. Throughout my time with the actuarial group at OneBeacon, now Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions, I gained valuable experience through rotations in Reserving and Pricing, as well as non-traditional roles in Corporate Affairs. I now work as a Reinsurance Consultant for IFC’s Reinsurance group, helping to buy our Reinsurance treaties. It’s not uncommon for people across the company to have an actuarial background; many of my team members are credentialed actuaries or have taken some exams. It has always been clear that Intact values actuarial talent; you’ll find actuaries in IFC’s executive team and working in departments such as Marketing, Internal Audit, and Claims.
What do you love about working at Intact?
With 7+ years of experience at the company, I can firmly say that one of the best parts about the company is its recognition of talent and abundance of opportunities. As mentioned, I’ve held several roles with the company working with different teams, now working in a non-traditionally actuarial role within Reinsurance. My colleagues were incredibly supportive in helping me find a role where I would thrive, learn and add value. I find that leadership is open to moving people around the company – between teams, departments and borders in order to maximize engagement. This is made easier with an open-door culture, which allows people to feel comfortable reaching out to colleagues at all levels.
Talk about your experience working with your team.
My favorite part about my role in Reinsurance is my team – many of us are “adoptive children” of Intact, coming from various acquisitions through the years. We may be located across the globe and work in different time zones, but we all come together with the same goal in mind – to purchase Reinsurance, supporting the underwriters, the business leaders, and the actuaries in their roles. It’s an area of the company that can often be overlooked, but it is essential to our operations. I created so many connections in my prior roles in the Actuarial group and Corporate Affairs. Because of that, a lot of people come to me for their Reinsurance questions. It’s gratifying to be able to stay close with my former colleagues and help them better understand our Reinsurance treaties. In addition to my day-to-day work, I have spent the last 4 years heavily involved in Actuarial recruiting and our Actuarial Summer Internship program in the U.S. A significant portion of our newer actuarial talent has come from our summer intern program, so it’s been rewarding to be a part of shaping our department for years to come.
