Insurance, at heart, is a numbers game, so it's not all thatsurprising that even though this year's APIW Insurance Woman of theYear–Rebecca C. Amoroso–finished college planning to become a mathteacher, she ended up three decades later as vice chair and U.S.Insurance Industry Group Leader at Deloitte LLP–the first female tohold that post.

It was actually her boyfriend (now husband), Robert, whosuggested the career change when she was attending Lehman Collegein New York as a mathematics major, with dreams of teaching in thefield. Mr. Amoroso–who back then was working at the College ofInsurance, now part of St. John's University–suggested she put hernumbers skills to work as an actuary.

“Go into business–that's where the action is,” she recalls herhusband telling her, later joking during her acceptance speech:“I'm not sure he said that because he wanted me to be a successfulinsurance executive, or because he wanted me to make moremoney.”

In any case, the move worked out for the best, culminating inMs. Amoroso being honored earlier this month with APIW's lifetimeachievement award.

Each year since 1976, the Association of Professional InsuranceWomen “recognizes an exceptional woman who has achieved prominencein her profession and has made significant contributions to theinsurance industry,” and this year's honoree clearly fits thatdescription.

“While Rebecca has certainly set a standard for excellence inserving our insurance industry clients, what distinguishes her as atrue leader in her field is the passion and commitment she hasshown toward developing people,” said Bill Freda, vice chair andU.S. Managing Partner of Deloitte, in a statement.

“Throughout her 20-plus-year career with Deloitte, Rebecca'sefforts to increase diversity and the advancement of women have hada lasting impact, both within our organization and beyond,” headded–citing her recent addition to the steering committee ofDeloitte's National Women's Initiative as merely the latest step inher long campaign to boost women in insurance.

She began her career at the Insurance Services Office at a timewhen computers had not yet replaced more traditional standardoperating procedures–figuring private-passenger auto rate-makinganalyses by hand for three years, while gaining a “technicalbackground” in the business.

After leaving ISO, she worked at American International Group,where she was involved in reserve analyses, the pricing of largecommercial accounts, profitability studies and other areas.

However, her husband–an insurance broker–prompted anothercritical career move when he was transferred to Washington, D.C.The move made sense for the couple, even though it forced Ms.Amoroso to leave AIG after seven years because the company did nothave an actuarial department in her new city.

With an interest in consulting, she looked around for a newopportunity, and Deloitte just happened to have an opening. “When Istarted, I never dreamed that I would one day run the insurancepractice,” overseeing the work of some 2,000 practitioners all overthe United States, she noted.

As insurance industry leader at Deloitte, where she has workedfor the past 22 years, Ms. Amoroso is responsible for developingand executing the company's insurance strategy across thecountry.

Math has remained the bedrock for Ms. Amoroso, who is a Fellowof the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the AmericanAcademy of Actuaries. Indeed, when asked if her past experience asan actuary influences her current position, she quickly noted: “I'malways an actuary. Actuaries have a technical knowledge of theinsurance business. They understand how the business makesmoney.”

One big reason Ms. Amoroso was given APIW's Insurance Woman ofthe Year award is that throughout her career, she has worked tohelp other women make their way in the insurance business, startingwith her own firm. She noted how important it is to have women onsite to recruit other talented women into an organization.

“If you are looking to attract diversity, I think it isimportant that your group look diverse,” she said, noting that shedefines “inclusion” as “achieving diversity of thought.”

Conceding that diversity can be difficult to achieve in anindustry that has been predominately white and male, she noted thatwhen Deloitte realized half their hires out of college were women,but relatively few were moving up the ranks, they decided to beproactive and make some institutional changes. Thus, the firm's“Women's Initiative” was born.

When Deloitte first began the program, they conducted a two-weekpilot training course to identify and encourage women who couldbecome leaders in the organization. Ms. Amoroso admits she was notoverly enthusiastic.

“I went in kicking and screaming, wondering what I was going toget out of this,” she said, confessing in her acceptance speechthat at first she was “too busy studying for actuarial exams toworry about the Women's Initiative.”

“That experience turned out to be the best professional event Iever attended–even as of today,” she said, noting that never beforehad she been in a professional setting with all female executiveswho were her peers. “I finally understood male bonding, and it isokay,” she joked.

Ms. Amoroso began taking the role of mentor very seriouslyherself, believing that professional bonding is pivotal to helpconnect individuals to the organization–especially for women.

“I don't think women naturally promote themselves as much astheir male counterparts,” she said. “This was certainly true of me.I always felt that you work hard, you do a great job and you'll getrecognized. But I learned from that [pilot] program that you needto let people know your aspirations.”

She said she believes this is a learned behavior for many women,and mentors with that in mind. “While [women] still have a long wayto go, we have made enormous progress,” she added.

As a wife, career woman and “proud primary caretaker of twocats,” Ms. Amoroso knows firsthand the complications inherent inmaintaining a work-life balance. The two-career household may notbe as rare as it was when she started in the insurance business,but for women, maintaining balance outside and within a marriageand career is still especially challenging, she noted.

In the Amoroso household, she said, “we have split up the choresbased on what we like to do–or don't hate.” For example, herhusband cooks, while she pays the bills. “I'm fortunate to have amodern man for a husband,” she added.

However, that doesn't mean sacrifice isn't required if a careerin insurance is to be advanced. “There are times that you are goingto have to give something up personally, because something inbusiness takes priority, and there are times on the business sidethat you're going to have to say, 'I can't do that. I have apersonal commitment I have to tend to,'” she said.

To achieve that balance, she said, her husband affectionatelycalls her “Backup Re (Rebecca),” because she seems to always havean alternative plan–noting she takes the same approach in her job.“I make sure I'm never the only one who can answer a client'squestion,” she explained.

Still, despite the progression of women in the workplace, “a lotof men have their career as their number-one priority,” she said.“I think women have a little more of a balancing act.” Pregnancy,parenting of young children and/or caregiving for an elderlyrelative are all career speed bumps still faced primarily by women,she noted.

But there are solutions to keep women–as well as men–on theircareer track without abdicating their family roles, she emphasized.“It might mean working fewer hours for a period of time–but notnecessarily,” she said. “It could also mean allowing work from homefor part of the time.”

Ms. Amoroso has been honored before. Indeed, she was named oneof the Top-50 Hispanic Women In Business, while Working Mothermagazine cited her as one of the top-10 corporate multiculturalwomen. Yet the APIW honor appears to have special meaning for her,coming from her peers in the industry.

“I can't believe that I have been in the insurance business for30 years,” she said during her award reception at New York City'sMarriot Marquis. “Of course, I tell people I started when I wasfive.”