Tom Barrett
Director —Environmental/Energy
Everest National Insurance Co.
Liberty Corner, N.J.

Years at company: 3.5.

Training my sights oninsurance: I graduated from Seton HallUniversity in 2005 as a finance major. I had never planned to getinto the insurance industry, but when looking for a job on myschool's career website, I found a training program for the carrierCrum & Forster. It sounded like a fun and interestingopportunity. In this training program, I went through anunderwriting focus, but spent several weeks in claims, losscontrol, and in Property, Inland Marine and Excess Umbrella. Theserotations lasted for six months. After that, we were able to selector rank what department we wanted to work in permanently. I wasable to get my first choice — the Specialty Brokers Division —where I did more training for an additional six months and wroteAuto, General Liability and Workers' Comp through wholesalers.Throughout my training, I was really impressed with how much accesswe had to senior members of the management team. It was a uniqueopportunity to get to know them.

My career path: I knew Iwanted to stay in insurance after about two years. At that time, Ihad gained more responsibility and could work more independently.After Crum & Forster, I joined Markel where I wrote casualtybusiness and tough products liability like pharmaceuticals,nutraceuticals and invasive medical products. In June of 2012 Ijoined Everest as an underwriting manager in the Environmentaldepartment and was promoted to head of the department in May oflast year.

Environmental is broader than youthink: You can look at any account and identify apollution exposure and create a policy or solution for that type ofexposure. A lot of brokers feel that a General Liability policycovers pollution exposure, but many times, there's not anaffirmative coverage grant — meaning most GL policies are silentwith regard to pollution.

Getting involved and recruiting the nextgeneration: I'm a member of the New JerseySurplus Lines Association and NAPSLO's Next Generation. It's aboutgetting to know other young people in the industry and talkingabout our common struggles. The insurance industry is doing abetter job of recruiting the next generation, but additionalactions could be taken. I think more companies have done away withtraining programs, because you get an employee for two or threeyears and then they leave. But if a company really invests in itsretention, and offers development opportunities — both for yourcareer and for leadership, like public-speaking classes — andoffers access to senior management and a good salary, people willstay with the company.

Related: 2015's best insurance pros under40

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