The People

• Based in Texas
• 8 years at HSB
• Family feel, global footprint

"We're a 3-time-zone company in the US, and when you pull London into the mix, and Munich, we’re a globally dispersed enterprise. Even so, I feel a very close connection to HSB and never feel as if I'm addressing a larger global company. There's absolutely a feeling of family here, in part because so many employees have been with the company for decades, and therefore know each other well.

"When you work with people for five plus years, you're able to get to know them and connect with them. I root for their success and they root for mine.

"Recognizing that we are part of the Munich Re family of companies doesn't mean that our local ties aren’t strong. The connection is first and foremost to HSB, and then to the larger Munich Re group.

"HSB trends a lot closer to a smaller company culture than a larger one. My first insurance job was with a two-hundred-person company. There are a lot of parallels between my experience there and at HSB, which is substantially larger.

"For one thing, both have employees with long employment tenure. Because both are characterized by many years of working together, there is an understanding among employees of the company and where it’s going, and a feeling of camaraderie that comes from being a part of a family."

• Based in Connecticut
• 4 years at HSB
• Exciting new challenges every day

"I've been with HSB for four years, working on risk management within the Internet of Things group. What we're doing here is really cutting edge, bringing new products and new technology to new markets, applying engineering expertise to solve complex problems. I’m working with grad students from local universities at one end and industry experts at the other.

"One example of our work involves a client company interested in purchasing for agriculture. Collecting first-hand data was necessary, so we traveled to Western New York to interview agricultural business owners - orchard farms and dairies.

"One of the things we looked at was a series of refrigeration units for keeping cabbage chilled until it was ready to be picked up for distribution. Based on our observations and discussions, we were able to recommend sensors and algorithms that improved their operation.

"Prior to coming to HSB, I worked for an engineering services firm. The culture there was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. At HSB, especially in my division, we're encouraged to find ways to break things we're working on to make them better. We're constantly re-examining the way we do what we do.

"Lots of companies say, we're a tech company that does banking, or a tech company that does real-estate, but that’s just a facade. To me, HSB really is an engineering company that does insurance.

"I've only been here a few years, and yet I've had opportunities to present to the State Department of Insurance, to travel to field sites, to work with universities on new data models and to run with business development opportunities. If you are passionate and energized to leverage the opportunities HSB presents, every day really can be an exciting new challenge."

• Based in Washington State
  
• 3.5 years with HSB
• Work / Life Balance

"I was a customer of HSB before I became an employee of HSB. The representatives they sent to my company were friendly, knowledgeable, and excellent in their ability to assess my facility, which contributed to my decision to work for HSB.

"I come from a power generation background, where you're always on call. The fact that being on call 24/7 was not the case at HSB was another significant factor in my choice to accept a position here. I saw that it offered me an opportunity to have a life outside of work, which was significant to me.

"Like me, many HSB employees work remotely. Here on the West Coast, we're not required to work East Coast hours. We’re given some core hours when we’re expected to be available. But then we have the flexibility to work according to our own schedule. The company also offers Paid Time Off (PTO) instead of sick leave and vacation.

"Overall, HSB is very respectful of its employees’ time and time off. Which is great because it sets people up for success. People are given a scope of work and the latitude to get it done within their work hours. Also, we try not to bother someone while they're on PTO. We back each other up, so when someone is on vacation, they can enjoy their time off uninterrupted.

"In short, it’s a great company to work for."