Age: 35

Role: Underwriter, assistant vice-president, Excess Casualty, Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd.

What is your job? I am an excess casualty underwriter at Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd., responsible for providing third party liability insurance coverage for Fortune 1000 companies. Although underwriting is the core part of my job, I do have other responsibilities that I share with the rest of the underwriting team, such as: providing on-the-job training to assistant underwriters who will one day be wearing an underwriter hat and developing and updating underwriting guidelines and procedures that are closely evaluated during our underwriting audits. On occasion, I may be called upon to participate in underwriting audits for one of our sister companies in the United States. My job also involves frequent travel to industry related seminars and conferences, educational site visits to client facilities, as well as marketing trips to educate offshore brokers about Endurance's risk appetite and capabilities here on the Island.

What is the favourite part of your job? I have two favourites actually. First I enjoy the challenges that come with underwriting. As I develop greater depth in my underwriting skills, I am assigned more complex risks to underwrite. Second, no two days are ever the same! Some days are spent in the office evaluating the various risks and exposures of an incumbent or prospective insured. Others may be spent at a broking office, actually meeting with an insured's risk management team to discussing their operations and sophisticated insurance programme needs. In that same day, my time may be spent researching emerging issues in the insurance world, reviewing contract wording with our claims department or working on special projects.

What is the least favourite part of your job? The hours and frequent deadlines can be trying. Many of our insurance policies renew on either the last day or first day of each month; this is a real crunch time for the team. Work/life balance and time management is something I strive to perfect daily; one day I will get there.

What is your most interesting experience at work? The client educational site visits have been the highlight of my job to date. I have had the opportunity to visit chemical and automotive manufacturing plants and entertainment enterprises, to name a few. These behind-the-scenes site visits really help put the underwriting submissions into perspective. They allow the client to show underwriters how their risk management and safety protocols are applied in company's day-to-day operations and what sets them apart from their peers.

What would you be doing otherwise? If I could choose another career, I would be an interior designer and architect. Outside of work, I enjoy decorating and structural design; picking out paint colours, furniture and accessories and even restructuring on occasion. But for now, I enjoy what I do for a living and would not change a thing.

Interview by Alex Wright