From legislation to insurance coverage – how Jodie Kaufman Davis is driving progress and fairness

Jodie Kaufman Davis, H.W. Kaufman Group EVP and Burns & Wilcox Canada president, could not have initially sought to comply with in her household’s footsteps and construct her profession in insurance coverage, however a change of thoughts and a pivot out of the authorized area ended up paying private {and professional} dividends.

“I began my profession as a lawyer,” she recalled. “After about eight years of working towards legislation, I used to be on the partnership monitor and deciding whether or not or not that was the appropriate profession for me.”

Throughout this pivotal second, Kaufman Davis, a mom of three, started to discover different profession paths. The insurance coverage enterprise had at all times been within the background, given her household’s involvement, but it surely wasn’t till 2012, when the corporate expanded to Canada, that she determined to offer it a shot.

Leaping into insurance coverage

In January 2014, she took the leap into the insurance coverage trade, and he or she hasn’t seemed again since. Her transition from legislation to insurance coverage was fuelled by a want for private {and professional} progress.

“I’ve actually loved constructing companies and growing groups of individuals,” she defined.

There have been loads of accomplishments alongside the way in which too. One which stands out is her position in elevating Burns & Wilcox Canada from a small entity to a widely known model throughout the nation. Underneath her management, the enterprise has continued to thrive and set record-setting numbers.

Going past borders

However her ambitions didn’t cease on the Canadian border. She expanded her position, becoming a member of the Kaufman board of administrators, the place she gained a broader perspective on the chances within the insurance coverage trade. This enlargement led to the creation of RB Jones, a specialised insurance coverage entity specializing in property, marine, power, {and professional} legal responsibility throughout america.

“I spotted that, whereas we had been doing nice within the Canadian market, that is one thing that we should always increase on past the Canadian market,” she mentioned.

Past RB Jones, Jodie performs a pivotal position because the chief technique officer for Atain Insurance coverage Firms, a Kaufman firm. There, she’s targeted on strengthening the staff and increasing capabilities, which incorporates growing unique merchandise and specialization to fulfill market wants and implementing a digital charge quote bind system for enhanced expertise.

Kaufman Davis emphasizes that the Kaufman Group is a family-owned and operated group, and associates aren’t simply staff however family members. The enterprise does its greatest to make sure that each affiliate has the assist they want, whether or not it’s private help by the Worker Aid Fund or skilled growth alternatives.

Recruiting high expertise and fostering worker engagement are additionally high priorities. She desires Kaufman to stay a vacation spot for the most effective and brightest within the trade. “Exploring methods to maintain our associates challenged and advancing their profession trajectories” is a key a part of her mission.

Main the way in which on variety and inclusion

One in all Kaufman Davis’s proudest achievements is her position as the chief sponsor for variety and inclusion (D&I) initiatives at Kaufman. She has seen first-hand the optimistic affect D&I has had on the group, bringing collectively associates of all backgrounds to resolve complicated challenges and have interaction in group occasions.

However her dedication to selling variety doesn’t finish at Kaufman’s doorways. She serves because the Canada Chair for the Insurance coverage Supper Membership, a corporation that helps girls within the trade. By this position, she gives alternatives for girls to community with feminine executives and develop the abilities wanted to advance their careers.

Looking forward to the longer term, her aspirations are clear. She desires to concentrate on expertise growth, recruitment, and expertise funding to make sure the continued success of the Kaufman Group. She’s eager on increasing the corporate’s international operations and leveraging the Kaufman platform to supply the most effective options for shoppers.

Within the phrases of Kaufman Davis herself: “Our household values actually are a pillar once we welcome associates to our group. We actually welcome them to our household.”