Inés María Jiménez Herreros, Intern, Munich, Germany
"Swiss Re has an open environment and people take time to teach you."
Why did you pursue an internship at Swiss Re?
After earning my bachelor’s in business administration, I wanted to gain some work experience before continuing to study. My first job was in the export credit team of a major bank. One of the insurers covering the transactions I saw there was Swiss Re, which caught my attention for its reputation and for the relationship with Switzerland which I developed after finishing my studies at the Swiss School of Madrid and the University of St. Gallen.
What’s your role as an intern?
I mainly work in two teams: Sales and General Aviation. In Sales, I manage the deals portfolio and participate in client events. In the aviation team, I mostly support the team in costing processes.
Has anything about the experience surprised you?
Yes and no. It’s been as interesting as I hoped, but Swiss Re has a more open environment than I expected. People here are accessible and ready to take the time to teach you, and it’s normal to interact across hierarchies and teams.
What are three things you like about your internship?
I like that my dual role gives me a broad view of the insurance industry, with a focus on clients on one hand and involvement in core business activities on the other hand. I also like that my work is appreciated by my colleagues – it’s motivating to know I’m doing something valuable. Finally, I like Swiss Re’s flexible working conditions.
Melisa Aranda, Technical Accounting Team Leader Life & Health Business Management EMEA, Mexico City
"Swiss Re supported my development from an intern to a team leader."
What was your role as an intern?
I supported the analysis and processing of some of our clients in Latin America for the Technical Accounting Team. It was a good way to apply what I was learning in my accounting studies and to get to know the reinsurance industry at the same time.
How does a Swiss Re internship differ from internships elsewhere?
In other programmes, interns often end up getting unimportant assignments. At Swiss Re I felt like I was part of the company right away and was given increasingly complex and meaningful tasks over time.
What was your most important learning?
Everything. I knew nothing about reinsurance, so all the technical things were new to me. I also learned about the business world and success factors in a large organisation, including teamwork and a sense of urgency.
What do you like best about working at Swiss Re?
I really like my work environment and the flexibility of Own The Way You Work, which helps me maintain work-life balance. But probably my favourite thing about working here is all the opportunities I’ve had to grow professionally as well as personally, starting as an intern and now as a team leader.
Timothy Zimmermann, Intern, Zurich, Switzerland
"I never felt treated as "just an intern" but more like a colleague."
How was your experience working for Swiss Re?
I was pleasantly surprised that even during the strange times of COVID-19, Swiss Re was able to provide me with an accommodating and friendly work environment. It was nice working with people from different backgrounds both culturally and education-wise. Swiss Re provided me with the tools to develop and learn in an unhindered manner.
What is it you appreciated most about your internship at Swiss Re, and why?
The employees I talked to were always happy to help and listen to me. I never felt treated as “just an intern” but more like a colleague. Thanks to the deep knowledge within the company, there was always someone I could ask for help with whatever difficulties I was facing. I also liked having the option to work from home or from the office and to decide on short notice which one I preferred. Last but not least, I enjoyed eating cheaply and extremely well at the staff restaurant!
What did you learn about Swiss Re as an employer in the area of IT?
Swiss Re has a advanced IT infrastructure, and to remain competitive, it has to stay on the leading edge of technology. Within a few months as intern here, I was able to see cutting-edge solutions built on technologies I’d previously just read about in IT-related blogs and media. It was mesmerising for me to see real-world applications of such technologies.
Scott David Taylor, Intern, London, UK
"I feel everything I’m doing here is meaningful, even if it’s a small piece of the puzzle."
Why did you pursue an internship at Swiss Re?
Swiss Re is a global leader in an industry I find very interesting. I stand by its corporate values and emphasis on personal development and learning. The internship seemed like a great chance to build on what I’ve learned as an international business student in finance and related fields.
What’s your role as an intern?
I’m supporting a key aspect of risk management – internal risk reports. This has opened my eyes to the role that reinsurance plays in the stability of the wider economy and the importance of risk management to many of Swiss Re’s activities. I feel everything I’m doing here is valuable and meaningful, even if it’s a small piece of the puzzle.
How is this experience relevant to your future endeavours?
A lot of what I’m learning can be transferred to my studies and future career, such as stronger communication skills. My now deeper understanding of risk management will also change how I look at business ventures in the future.
What are three things you like about your internship?
It’s exciting to work with leading experts in the industry. My managers gladly share their knowledge in one-to-one tutorials as well as in the group lectures for interns. There are also opportunities to network outside my team. Finally, I like being exposed to my fellow interns’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives through the Group intern project. This enables the team to develop a wide range of unique and creative solutions.
Katherine Ross, Intern, Armonk, USA
"My internship gave me valuable insight into Swiss Re’s perspective on future trends.“
Why did you pursue an internshipat Swiss Re?
I found this opportunity through a Swiss Re employee who I happened to meet at a conference. I was a little uneasy at first because I don’t have a finance background – I’m working toward my bachelor’s in Quantitative Risk & Insurance. But everyone was really helpful in bringing me up to speed, and I’ve loved the experience so far. I also thought this was a company I could see myself working at full-time after my May 2020 graduation, and that proved to be right! Post-graduation I’ll be joining the Strategic Partnerships Department as an Associate in the graduates@swissreprogramme.
What’s your role as an intern?
I’m working in the credit risk banks & country team of financial risk management, which sets Swiss Re’s exposure limits toward specific banks and countries. In my main project, we’re comparing the testing of the resiliency of banks and other financial institutions to possible financial stressors.
What makes Swiss Re’s internship programme different?
From comparing notes with friends, I know it’s unusual to get broad exposure as an intern. On top of working in credit risk, I’ve been collaborating with Swiss Re’s property and casualty analytics team and five other interns across the country on an analysis of loss drivers in workers’ compensation. This has given me valuable insight into Swiss Re’s perspective on future trends.
What has surprised you?
The challenges of working in a global virtual team have been bigger than I expected. Not only the technologies involved, but the initiative and discipline it takes to make a collaboration work across time zones and roles. My colleagues’ high level of commitment motivates me to deliver for them as well.