My first impressions are that our teams are extremely talented and we have some of the top experts in the global re/insurance industry. Furthermore, people at Swiss Re are inspired and engaged. They have a deep sense of purpose and are proud to work for the firm.

Three things inspired me to join Swiss Re: firstly, its mission to make the world more resilient for the benefit of our society and environment. Secondly, I am very drawn to the people, whom I find to have that great balance of being competitive, talented and experienced along with a real sense of collaboration, care and respect. Thirdly, I am inspired by the vision and the direction that the company is heading in. I believe I can contribute to the journey ahead and help build a sustainable workplace.

We collectively need to better anticipate the next steps and stay ahead of the curve. That means looking at what is needed for the company in the next three to five years in terms of skills, talent, leadership, footprint and capabilities. Swiss Re is a knowledge company and so, quite simply, Human Resources needs to shape a strategy around attracting, retaining and inspiring the brightest and best employees. We are in a very competitive market and we need to differentiate to remain the global employer of choice.

Promoting a performance-led culture is a big part of our business strategy and Swiss Re’s Human Resources community enables this through every stage of the employee lifecycle. To be successful, the firm focuses on building and nurturing a diverse and inspired talent pool who can learn, grow and drive financial performance.

For people to perform at their best, we need to provide them with the appropriate ingredients to thrive; tell them what is expected and help them to get there through relevant experience, coaching, learning and ongoing care – so that they are empowered to take ownership of their work and be accountable. Continuous open dialogue and constructive feedback between employees and management are key.

The main challenge for the HR community as well as for managers and teams was two-fold: 1) enhancing and promoting the firm’s culture with less in-person interaction and physical gathering (which was even more challenging when we onboarded new employees); and 2) mitigating the global spike in mental health issues as a result of isolation.

We therefore sent out a survey to gauge how people at the company were handling the situation. Based on the feedback, we massively invested in programmes and initiatives to support both managers and employees around mental and physical health, resilience and well-being. One example was our global Swiss ReSilience Day in January 2021, where all of our employees were given the day off and a one-time award of around USD 200 to help them recharge their batteries. At a more specific level, all line managers were invited to webinar trainings called Burn Bright to help avoid burnout and boost their personal resilience. More than 1 100 people took part.

During the course of 2021, where possible, we gradually reopened our offices, while maintaining strict health and safety standards. We also reinforced our Own The Way You Work™ guiding principles to allow each and every employee to make the right choices for them, both personally and professionally.

There are so many! Despite a very challenging situation, we have delivered for our clients and continued to keep strong relationships internally and externally. While face-to-face interaction is important, there are so many other ways to build connections and collaborate with people.

Our employee engagement survey scores were also very high. For example, our leaders were rated as being highly responsive and caring, which is great news given the challenges of the past two years. And of course, we received awards and positive recognition externally.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to any company’s performance. A diverse workforce produces better results by getting the best out of everyone – more creative thinking, more resilience, more curiosity and more humility as well. We reflect the communities we serve. An equitable work environment enables equal access to roles, promotions and pay. It creates a sense of justice and fairness, where everyone can thrive if they perform and embrace the values.

An inclusive culture is a performing and a resilient culture. When it comes to our financial investments, we diversify our portfolio and don’t put all our risk into one asset. It’s the same for people. Companies that are diverse are more competitive and successful.

We cannot expect people to perform if we don’t have all these elements in place.

That’s a hard question, as all these values contribute to a successful company culture much like a symphony. But if I had to pick one, it is the passion to perform. I’m very competitive and I like to win! I believe that success is most often the result of building on things as a team rather than striving for glory in isolation.

What motivates me the most both in my personal and professional life is change. It’s stepping outside of my comfort zone, learning and trying to make an impact. It provides me with a sense of humility and freshness. You can shake up your outside environment while remaining inwardly grounded. Inspiring others to cultivate change is one of the most challenging tasks there is and is therefore a good test of leadership. If you succeed in doing this, I think you can move mountains.

As a family, we have changed countries, homes and cultures almost every three years. By changing your environment, you suddenly look at things differently and you feel reenergised. If you are open to the “new”, you continuously accumulate knowledge, experience and contacts. You get the best from all worlds!

Naturally, I aim to contribute to driving sustainable performance at Swiss Re. To do this, we need to be proactive about getting the best talent into the right jobs at the right time. Our strong purpose and culture of inclusion are a massive differentiator for us as an employer and as an organisation. I want to ensure that we continue to live and breathe them as we further grow and evolve, ensuring our values do not become diluted.

On the personal side, my goal is to continue to learn because when you stop asking questions, you stop making progress. Staying curious is rejuvenating and humbling. I look forward to continuing to work with the talented teams at Swiss Re and a terrific HR team to maintain the high standards that they have set – and, together, to raise the bar even higher.