A Day in the Life: Rod-Voltaire Edora
We are taking a look at the typical workday and aspirations of insurance professionals at different companies and in different stages of their career.
In this edition of A Day in the Life, we explore the role of a Product Analyst (Underwriting), Rod-Voltaire Edora.
Background
What is your current position? How long have you been in it?
At Coverys, I have been in this role since the end of January, so about 7.5 months as of the date of this interview.
How did you find it?
I had already spent a couple of years at Coverys as an Underwriter, but I was in regular communications with Product Development for common requests (Manuscript Endorsements, questions about Rules & Rates, etc.) as well as anytime I would come across weird forms in competitor policies that would accompany my New Business Submissions. I have always loved language, and I was a Product Analyst before I even became an Underwriter (I spent 10 years at The Doctors Company before leaving for NORCAL|ProAssurance to become an Underwriter.). When the rare opportunity for an open position on the Product Development Team made itself available, I had to jump at it because I thought it would be a better use of my skill an energy as a language nerd who gained several years of Underwriting expertise with several companies as well as having spent some years developing a good working relationship with Coverys Underwriters and learning the Coverys Way of doing things in this Industry.
Please give a description of your current position, something that explains your role in the insurance marketplace and how you interact with others:
Product Analyst – In the insurance marketplace, my role is to understand the various insurance products offered by my own company as well as what other similar products are available from competitors in the industry. My regular interactions involve collaboration with Underwriting to make sure that what is issued clearly reflects underwriting intent while maintaining the company brand.
What positions have you held to date?
In Medical Professional Liability, I have been a Product Analyst and Underwriter. In Workers Compensation, I worked in both Claims and Finance.
Why did you get into the insurance industry?
As a consumer, I had a feeling that there would always be available work and that the work would be dynamic and ever-changing.
What do you love most about your position?
I enjoy collaborating with Underwriting and Claims.
What skills make someone successful in your position?
It is important to enjoy language and have an almost obsessive attention to detail. It is also important to know how to communicate well.
Daily Structure
Please describe your typical workday.
A typical workday involves checking on Team tickets for Policy needs from Underwriters (e.g. Manuscript Endorsements, Product Questions, etc.) as well as moving forward with any collaborative projects (product research/development with Underwriting or Claims).
What is your favorite part of the day and why?
My favorite part of the workday is anytime I get to do something a little different on a new type of request from Underwriting. I like feeling like I am on the cutting edge of something that might be making its way into the marketplace and feeling like a pioneer leaving a legacy for future generations in this important industry.
What is the most challenging part of your day and how do you tackle it?
I would say the most challenging part of my day comes when multiple projects present themselves as high-priority items. When this happens, I reach out to my colleagues and Management to share my point of view for prioritization and request feedback in case I might need to pivot, re-focus, or share the wealth!
How do you achieve work life balance?
As a fully remote worker, I do have a room dedicated to work. When the day is done, I will clean-up my workstation, and close the door. As a lot of my work applications have made their way into my personal mobile device, I have also scheduled effective silencing of notifications for work-related applications so that I can focus on restoring myself for the next work day. At the core of this practice, I have come to the understanding that the human part of this resource works best when well-rested and relaxed.
What do you do to ensure you are progressing in your career and continuously learning?
I do belong to several different groups and subscribe to various industry publications. I also maintain my active license by completing continuing education requirements.
Aspirations
What professional advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient and present when working with others. Everyone does not move at the same pace, and you may miss something when trying to get to the next point. Taking the time to get a thorough understanding of another point of view is always worth it when moving to achieve a common goal!
What is one of your goals you are working towards and have not yet accomplished?
I continue to work towards attaining an RPLU designation, and I think I still might have the energy for CPCU.
Other Questions
What tools or software do you use daily?
I rely heavily on the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. I regularly use SharePoint, Power BI, and Monday for daily tasks.
Do you work remotely, in-office, or a mix of both?
How does that shape your day? I work remotely. The commute is very easy, to be sure, but I do have to schedule time to build relationships (non-project-related) since accidental water cooler conversations have dropped-off considerably. Also, since I am in CA and most of my Team is outside of my time zone, I do have to schedule all of my collaborative (i.e. meeting) time in the morning, but it does allow for deep focused work later in the day.
What’s one moment or accomplishment you’re especially proud of?
One accomplishment that I am particularly proud of is that I have built a level of professional confidence that allows me to bring more of myself to work. When I started in this industry, I did my best to bring what I thought would please my internal/external customers (coworkers/clients). As I continued in this career, I learned that people really enjoyed what was not on the company’s posted menu and quicky gravitated toward my more quirky unicorn qualities and personality traits.
If you could describe your job in three words, what would they be?
Language. Enthusiast. Collaborative.
