Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Insights

IBPM Live: Liberty Mutual Global Surety's Interview - Culture Eats Strategy Every Time. How to go from wishing to wisdom when building a winning culture.

Written by BTOES Insights Official | Sep 24, 2021 11:30:00 AM

Read this Interview with Cindy Shaw, from Liberty Mutual Global Surety, one of our Speakers, for the iBPM Live.

 
BTOES Insights Question: Briefly describe your job role in your organization, and what your top priorities are right now?
 
Cindy Answer: 
I'm the Director of Global Business Services within our Global Surety division where I manage a consulting team specializing in project, process and change management for strategic initiatives and another shared service team that facilitates our multinational account bond needs across a global network. Our top priorities are to close out some integration activities after a recent acquisition and build on our foundational operational support for our 18 country field underwriting offices. We're also focused on on-boarding some new team members to backfill some internal promotions and a retirement.
 
BTOES Insights Question: What do you expect to be the most critical initiatives you (or your clients) need to focus on over the next 12 months?

Cindy Answer: 

After a few years of rapid global expansion, it's time to generate more consistency and efficiency as well as continue to enhance customer and employee satisfaction.
 
This will come from things like IT transformations, increased employee training and development and a focus on several profitable growth initiatives. It also means investing more energy in the mundane but critical areas such as enhancing ease of use and access to policies and procedures.
We've also got a continued focus on building our global culture while honoring local expertise, decision making and market practices.
 
I'm personally focused on new ways to keep teams engaged now that we're at the one-year mark of everyone working virtually...Surprisingly, it comes down to doing the essential things well that can sustain engagement, like weekly one-to-one meetings, increased communication and offering flexibility where needed, perhaps more so than another Virtual Happy Hour.

BTOES Insights Question: What do you see as the biggest trends affecting your organizational (or your clients) over the next 12 to 18 months?

Cindy Answer:

Naturally, like everyone, we'll be keeping an eye on the health and safety of employees as we consider our new normal and the right approach to returning to office environments when the time comes.
Additionally, recognizing that it's a journey and not an event, our leadership is also very dedicated to making lasting change through a variety of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts including a robust employee resource group network.
 
Certainly we'll be monitoring effects of COVID19 on the harder hit industry sectors as well as economic impacts around the world that influence customer financial health, foreign exchange rates and more. The Surety industry can often see a 1-2 year lagging effect after the impact from economic upsets. Our large construction clients are impacted in different ways in that there may be more project opportunities with potential government infrastructure spend. Yet, they also face some other industry challenges both pre and post-COVID like skilled labor shortages, materials cost increases and supply chain impacts.
It's not all doom and gloom however as there are opportunities on the horizon to leverage innovative technologies in new ways as they become more widely adaptable and available to improve our customers' operations and our own.

About the Speaker

Cindy Shaw,
Director, Global Business Services, Global Surety, 
Liberty Mutual Global Surety.

With 29 years working for a Fortune 100 Global Financial Service Company, Cindy Shaw, has a passion for global operational excellence, strategic transformations, growth enablement and mentoring.

She leads two shared service teams within Global Risks division of Liberty Mutual Global Surety.

The Program Services Team (PMO) enables achievement of strategic objectives through consulting and facilitation; specializing in process design, program & project management and change management. They have rich experience in new country office start-ups and acquisition integrations.

The Global Service Center brings expert knowledge and service excellence for seamless surety bond placements around the world. They support underwriters and liaise with fronting company partners to enable Global Surety’s cross-border growth.

Cindy’s industry designations include: Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter, Chartered Insurance Operations Professional and Master in Change Management and Consulting.

Cindy has a deep drive for building culture, coaching high-performing teams, mentoring, and the advancement of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

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