Willis Towers Watson is one of the most distinguished and successful broking companies in Georgia. Notably, 100% of its staff are women, something the country can be proud of. Its role is to act as an intermediary between clients and insurance companies. OK! magazine spoke to Willis Towers Watson's director, Ketevan Pavlenishvili, and finance manager, Ana Todua, to find out more.
Ketevan, what does it mean to be a woman leader, a woman in business leadership, in today's world?
Although a woman leader may not seem unusual today, the statistics show that women are still a minority, even in developed countries. Only 7–8% of Fortune 500 business leaders are women, and in the post-Soviet region the figure is probably even lower.
I don't think it's easy to be a woman leader, but on the other hand it also creates a lot of opportunities.
It's fair to say that in recent years, against a background of male dominance in many fields, women have become more confident and more supportive of each other. We hear stories of successful women in business more and more often. In general, I believe women leaders still face a great many challenges, but attitudes are changing over time and the trend is positive.
How did the idea for the business come about, and where did today's successful company begin?
Starting this business was a shared idea of successful people from different fields. Thanks to their efforts, a French insurance broker decided to enter Georgia. When we started out, we knew exactly what an insurance broker should be and what principles and functions it should establish in the country. Our international partners gave us tremendous support and trust. Although this was a very difficult field, we managed to succeed in this market, and I can confidently say that today we are one of the leading broking companies in the country. I think what makes our company even more interesting is that 100% of our staff are women. It proves once again that a team of women can do excellent work.
The biggest challenge in your profession…
Our work involves many parties. Our main role is to act as an intermediary between clients and insurers and to advise our clients so that they buy products that fit their needs. In my view, the hardest part of this profession is finding the balance between everyone involved. A broker has to analyze and assess different insurers and their terms objectively, and then present all of it to the client correctly. Finding the golden mean in our relationships with insurers on one side and clients on the other is quite difficult.
Three things a woman needs to achieve her professional goals…
That's hard to define, because everyone has their own professional goals, and I think the answer can be different in every case. The qualities needed to succeed are individual. But if we generalize, the three qualities that help anyone on this path, regardless of gender, are in my view: purposeful hard work, the right vision and constant self-development. However, because we live and work in an environment without equal opportunities, a woman needs extra energy, resources and time to reach her goals.
Can you say, "I have achieved what I wanted"?
I'll probably always find that hard to say, because I'm sure that however many goals I reach, I'll always have a new one. New ambitions appear at every stage of life, and perhaps that's what makes everyday life interesting.
Ana, what is it like to be a woman in a senior position in a male-dominated environment?
Probably more confident and more balanced. Practicality and intuition, which I think women have in greater measure, help them make the right decisions.
What does it mean to you to contribute to the country's economic prosperity through your work?
A deep sense of satisfaction. You feel proud when you have been able to contribute, even a little, to something big and good.
Who or what has contributed most to your success?
First of all, my family, who gave me the opportunity to grow professionally and build my career. Also my strong sense of responsibility and my love for my work: I have to enjoy what I do. And of course a great team, the people I've been, without exaggeration, very lucky to work with. In almost 20 years of work I have changed jobs only twice, and I was lucky to find an amazing team. With a team that shares the same goals, success is bound to come.
Can a successful career and family life go together?
Over the past year these two have been very hard to combine. It's almost impossible to work remotely from home with a child there. In my case, my daily schedule changed and I did most of my work at night. It felt as if the working day never ended. Knowing that it was temporary helped me get through it.
In normal, non-pandemic times there are plenty of challenges too, but the two can be combined if you manage your time well so that neither side loses out. You shouldn't do one thing at the expense of the other, or either you or your work will suffer. Above all, you need calm and balance.
Do you have any free time left? How do you spend it?
Of course I make time; it's essential. You can't go without recharging. Most of my free time belongs to my child, then to friends and travel.
What is your motto in life?
"Nothing is impossible." I'm an incurable optimist.
Ketevan, tell us about the company's latest news. How would you sum up 2020? What did the situation hold back, and what did it reveal?
The pandemic created many difficulties in insurance, especially in the retail market, as individuals bought less insurance. As a broker, we mainly work on corporate insurance, so we didn't face major challenges in terms of client numbers.
Overall, only 5% of the entire insurance industry was placed through brokers this year, and before that the figure was even lower.
We can say that demand for brokers is growing in general. Compared with the previous year, our 2020 results show strong growth of 25%. We exceeded our targets, which we think is a very good result given the pandemic. We achieved all of this through teamwork and our love for what we do.
The core values that unite your team…
First and foremost, a strong sense of responsibility towards every policyholder. Every client matters to us. Then, of course, love for what we do, without which the company could never have succeeded. And finally, respect for one another. Ours is not a big team, and after so many years of working together we have become friends as well as colleagues, which helps us create a positive working environment where we all stand by each other.
Tell us about your plans for the future…
As for the future, we are doing everything we can to strengthen insurance broking in Georgia and raise awareness of it: what an insurance broker does and what benefits our involvement brings to the client. For our existing clients, we try to stand by them in this difficult economic situation and offer them the best insurance options. Every one of them is very important to us. They have always been loyal to us, and we in turn try to stand by them during this crisis. Every member of our team is involved in this every day, and everyone works to make our service focused on clients' needs and tailored to their business. I'm confident our work will become even more popular and valued in our country.
#OK! WILLIS TOWERS WATSON: bridging insurers and their clients
