Viewpoint: Understanding the Future of Insurance by Studying the Past

One of the things I love about the insurance business is that anyone—regardless of where they start—can build a meaningful, lifelong career. I am proof of that. In our industry, your ability to reach your potential is a function of your curiosity, your work ethic and your willingness to learn and grow.

Recently, as I was writing a book chronicling Crum & Forster’s (C&F’s) 200-year journey, I reflected not only on how much our industry has evolved, but also on how much opportunity still lies ahead. C&F’s history highlighted just how important it is to attract and develop the next generation of talent: people who are curious, focused and eager to lead the industry into the future.

I am looking forward to sharing more of these reflections at the 2025 Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) Global Conference in New York. For now, here are a few thoughts on how the future of work in insurance is taking shape.

Insurance is a Great Career Choice

Preparing the next generation of leaders is one of our greatest responsibilities. To develop future leaders, first we have to attract the best and brightest into our business. Insurance has always had a reputation for being “boring.” One take-away from C&F’s 200-year history is that insurance is a tough business, but it is not boring.

Since most young people are not considering insurance as a career when they graduate high school, the industry has developed extensive self-study programs. While these programs were developed in self-defense, it is interesting that they make the industry accessible to anyone and allow people to chart their own educational paths.

Beyond book learning, we need to provide clear pathways for growth—and a big part of that involves real-world experiences. The most interesting careers are built on the dynamic tension created as progressive levels of experience and training meet increasingly challenging assignments over many years. The good news is that there is always a new challenge to tackle. Even so, young professionals often have a hard time seeing a clear path from the front lines to the C-Suite, while senior leaders may not always have visibility into who is ready to take the next step.

At C&F, I encourage people at all levels to rise above the crowd by developing an interesting “And Plan”—getting involved over and above their day jobs. One example is our Brand Ambassador program. The Brand Ambassadors come from all over the company. They learn about C&F’s extensive product suite, and they work on advanced networking skills. Then we send them out to represent C&F at industry events and on local boards, including through organizations like the IICF. It is a win-win, employees build confidence and leadership skills, and the C&F story reaches a new audience.

Decentralization Creates Opportunity

How do we create “Great Place to Work” energy? Our goal is to make sure that our people have the opportunity to build a meaningful career path at C&F.

One of C&F’s key structural features is our decentralized business unit structure. The idea is to move from a “supply push” model, where the leader dictates the agenda, to a “demand pull” approach, where teams are accountable for solving problems and driving results.

Decentralization puts decision-making power with the people closest to our customers. Our colleagues in the field know their clients’ needs better than anyone. They are also in the best position to identify how innovations like AI can streamline workflows and improve service.

Because we trust our teams and give them real ownership, engagement and retention go up. People are inspired when they see the impact their decisions make, which gives them confidence to take their career to the next level.

Building a Strong Hybrid Work Culture

There is an active debate right now about the future of the hybrid workplace. As much as I am a creature of the office, my perspective is that hybrid work structures are the way of the future. So how do we extend our culture in the hybrid world?

It comes down to intentionality. We are deliberate about creating opportunities for connection. We have an event-driven hybrid culture. We spend some of the savings from our reduced office footprint on meaningful employee experiences: large team gatherings, cross-functional networking opportunities and partner appreciation events. We get people together who would never actually have met in-person in the old days. The events are intense and designed to build relationships while fostering a sense of belonging in a short timeframe.

We also designate high-density office days which create a snowball effect where more people show up because they know the office will be packed. Our quarterly new employee onboarding events are a great example. Bringing new hires from across the country together with colleagues and leaders helps them feel part of something bigger right from day one.

Cultivating Philanthropy

We should all be proud that the insurance industry’s core product provides a social good. We also believe in giving back to the communities where we live and work. Beyond corporate giving, I believe in empowering employees to lead grassroots efforts by encouraging them to choose causes they are passionate about and getting involved in their communities.

We have an employee-led committee that drives our charitable giving and volunteerism, selecting the organizations we support and rallying colleagues to get involved. Initiatives like the IICF’s Month of Giving unite thousands of insurance professionals in service and offer a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together.

Engage and Prosper

What do you see as the future of insurance? I hope you will join the conversation. One lesson I learned from exploring our company’s 200-year history, it is that we are stronger when we work together—sharing ideas, supporting one another and building a brighter future for our industry.

A digital copy of Marc Adee’s book, The Once and Future C&F, can be accessed at https://www.cfins.com/c&fbook.

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