Colleen Giles-Harris, corporate manager and commercial lines underwriter at R.W. Scobie and Midwest General Agency
Experience: 7 years
College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, '02
How did you determine that insurance was a viable career choice?
The insurance business runs in my family. My great-grandfather, Robert W. Scobie, started RW Scobie Inc in 1932, my grandfather, Gene Giles, was our VP of Underwriting, but is now retired and my father, Robert Giles, is our current President. Although the family connection got me initially involved in the business, it's the challenges, opportunities and excitement of the insurance industry that keep me interested.
What are your future goals in this industry?
I hope to continue to work at RW Scobie Inc and help move our company forward to become even more successful and prominent within the insurance industry. As fourth generation in the family E&S wholesale business, I hope to make RW Scobie Inc a "household name" with the independent insurance agents of the Midwest.
How do you balance work and personal life?
That can be challenging. I typically work about 45 to 50 hours a week, including working at home. However, I do try to spend good quality time with my husband, Chad, step-daughter, Lexi, and our two dogs whenever possible. I do like to work a little on the weekends, but I think it's important to take a day off so I try not to work on both Saturday and Sunday.
How does your office reflect how you work
I would describe my office cubicle as an organized mess. I am a very organized person so I know exactly where everything in my cubicle is located, but I am also a very visual person so I have lots of piles, sticky-note reminders and to-do lists on my desk. All of my sticky-notes and to-do lists help keep me organized and help me prioritize my workload. Looking into my cubicle is like looking at the inside of a clock… it looks really confusing, but in the end everything has its place and everything runs smoothly.
Colleen Giles-Harris was featured in the August 2010 issue of AA&B. She is the president of AAMGA's Under Forty Organization.
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