Chris Lacher

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I'm a commercial underwriter leading a group of about 50 individuals who evaluate businesses with the intent of writing their insurance and determining an appropriate price for their business. These insurance customers range from medium sized to large complex business so the evaluation is very specific to needs of the customer. My team includes specialists that evaluate everything from manufacturers to commercial builders or even trucking industries. Reviewing thousands of diverse businesses can be fascinating and then competing for their business requires negotiation, financial analysis, sales skills, and a broad knowledge of the economy. In almost all cases, none of our team members studied Insurance in school. We come from a very broad range of backgrounds but have a passion for learning, exploring, and trying to understand how things work. That helps us investigate and learn about or customers and problem solve with them.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

People in my life always wanted to push me towards what they felt would be "normal". While I ended up in an large somewhat common industry I have always believed in charting my own way. Out of college I was selected for, and served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. Many friend and family wondered if I should be more focused on my own career and concerned that others in my age group would move ahead faster. Short term they may have been correct, but that time serving and leading projects helped me grow in ways I couldn't have found anywhere else. So while now I'm in a more "traditional" corporate role, I still find ways to satisfy my need for independence, trying new things, and helping others along the way. There is no one way to do anything, we simply have to be honest with the risk vs reward in any situation, and stay true to our own values of who we are. Those values will keep us consistent and help us get to a spot that's right for each of us as individuals.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

Doing things outside of class probably taught me more about myself than the coursework itself. For me, what you learn in school will help us all understand things - history, basic biology, math, etc - all skills we need. This is especially true if choose a field that requires you to be an expert. But it was the work outside of school that taught me about who I am as a person. Some folks find this through sports. Ideas like being part of a team, fairness, rules and discipline, etc. All great lessons. As an average to poor athlete I learned a fair amount of disappointment in team sports but am still glad I participated. For me, getting involved in lots of things helped me stay out of trouble, stay busy, and most importantly learn about others. As an example, if you only spend time with the same people day in and day out - what have you learned? What happens when you spend time with people you would normally not meet - you gain perspective. Right or wrong, understanding others points of view is better than thinking there is only one way to do something. For me, I worked several jobs in high school and college. Grocery stores, fast food, waiting tables, manual labor in construction jobs, and even a some internships in an office. I also volunteered as a tutor with kids in the city, some of which were really struggling and needed special education. In school I volunteered with some other service organizations and helped with several fundraisers. Each of these things were just roles - but they were all different. Some of these were working with people with privileged backgrounds, others with people with lots of struggles or insecurities. The fact that everyone has their own story and opinion is what is important. If I hadn't gone outside my comfort zone and tried new things, my perspective would be much more narrow. I'm better off knowing I'm not the smartest person in the room, but filling that room with people with a wide variety of opinions and backgrounds.