Insurance and Risk Management - 218 - Master's Year 2

Current Role

I currently work as a premium auditor, thanks to the training I received in Program 218.  My work mainly involves auditing the accounts of the Life division of a reinsurance company, but I also work on other projects for mutual societies and pension funds.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

Before Program 218, I took two years of preparatory classes in Economics and Quantitative Methods (D2), which then led me to my undergraduate degree in Applied Economics at Dauphine. After my Bachelor's degree, I did a second-year Master’s degree in Applied Economics with a specialization in health (also at Dauphine).

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

I applied for 218 because I wanted to learn about a new sector (insurance) and wanted to get solid training in the basics of finance. I thought that my academic background could have been a hindrance in this new Master’s program, but ultimately it wasn’t -- on the contrary! The program ended up giving me an overview of the insurance sector and allowed me to familiarize myself with accounting practices. I use what I learned during this last year of my studies on a daily basis, and will continue to do so as my career evolves. I am deeply convinced of this.

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

Program 218 is very well known and highly thought of in the insurance sector. The faculty are recognized industry professionals and the curriculum allows students to develop both technical skills and a general awareness of the sector. We have had no problem finding internships which more often than not have resulted in a job offer. Mazars, for example, employs 2-3 program graduates a year.

I didn’t think I had the (accounting and financial analysis) skills required to do auditing, but when you first arrive, what they want from you is for you to do the tasks you’re assigned and have common sense.

 

Advice to Future Students

I would advise students not to underestimate or limit themselves but to be ambitious enough to achieve the goals they set for themselves during the program. And to make sure to contact alumni for advice and information.

 

I’d also tell them to make the most of this year, because it goes by in a flash.

Current Role

I work as a reinsurance broker for the Willis Re Paris office. I work at the P&C branch and my geographic area includes France and Belgium.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

 

I did a Bachelor’s degree in private law and a Master’s in business law at Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II. I then did the second-year ENASS/CNAM Master’s before starting 218 at Université Paris-Dauphine-PSL. 

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

 

Because I wanted to solidify my technical and quantitative knowledge as well as my legal training, and the 218 curriculum was so rich and diverse, it seemed like the ideal program for me. An elite education for people wanting to work in the re/insurance market.

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

 

The program’s reputation on the labor market is second-to-none. Its reputation at home and abroad is a real advantage for its students.

 

The depth of the curriculum provides us with a large array of skills and knowledge that are applicable from day one on the job. 218 is a program designed to help students professionalize, which is evident in the technical expertise of its faculty (all of whom are very well known in the field) and in the skills it teaches its students.

 

I’d add that this program provides its students with robust general knowledge about the re/insurance sector that it very attractive to recruiters during interviews.

 

Advice to Future 218 Students

 

The re/insurance sector is very interesting, and the program offers its students the opportunity to broaden their horizons and stretch their goals.

 

Be curious, make sure you work hard in ALL subjects, and don’t hesitate to reach out to alumni for advice about your career goals.

 

I extend you all a warm welcome to the Risk 218 family!

Current Role

I am an underwriter in the Casualty department of the London office of the reinsurance company Swiss Re. Within the Casualty department, I cover civil liability in the auto, general, medical, corporate, and product markets. Geographically, I am responsible for England, Ireland, Finland, and Norway.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

 

I did a Bachelor's degree in law and a Master’s in business law at the University of Strasbourg. After completing 218, I also did my MSc in Management at Imperial College London.

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

 

I wanted to reorient my career goals in reinsurance to non-legal positions, and 218 seemed to be the perfect program to gain technical understanding while developing a 360 understanding of the re/insurance sector (underwriting, distribution, ALM, risk management…).

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

 

The master's degree sets the bar on the French market and impresses international recruiters with the content of its curriculum, which is a real advantage when you’re looking for a job.

 

The program faculty are senior executives who are well known in the field as well. They offer invaluable advice and professional guidance over the course of the year, and all students are personally mentored by the program director (which is not usually the case)!

 

The Risk 218 alumni association helps students with all aspects of seeking out an internship, with the alumni directory, alumni happy hours, conferences on topics of interest, and presentations about various companies and careers.

 

Finally, I would say that the Master’s program gives us a 360 view and thorough understanding of our industry’s value chain, which differentiates us from other candidates.

 

Advice to Future 218 Students

 

The hardest decision to make when you become a 218 student is choosing which subfield to focus on out of the many offered by the program. So don’t be shy about reaching out to alumni to get a better understanding of what the careers that interest you are actually like.

 

Be curious and make the most of your year, because nostalgia for your time as a student will set in sooner than you might think!

Current Role

I have been embedded with sales teams in my role as a research manager in the Corporate Life department of Gras Savoye for almost three years. I work on a range of projects, supporting customer service managers in the technical and commercial monitoring of major personal insurance accounts. This position includes implementing plan development strategies based on health and welfare costs, participating in audits, creating products, and developing on-demand research instruments.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

 

I did a Bachelor's degree in MASS (Applied Mathematics in Social Sciences) at the University of Nice. I then did the first-year Master’s program in Economics and Financial Engineering at Université Paris-Dauphine - PSL, after which I began Master's program 218 in Insurance and Risk Management.

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

 

After having studied several different subjects, I was mainly interested in economics and insurance. I ended up choosing insurance and the 218 program, since there were more job opportunities in this burgeoning market. And 218 is one of the top programs in the insurance sector. The courses are very interesting and provide you with a solid general understanding of the insurance market and risk management.

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

 

Because this program’s faculty is comprised almost entirely of industry professionals, you benefit from having high-level contacts in the major insurance companies and consulting firms. The program also has a number of agreements with major insurance players, which helps with the job search process. I personally got my position at Gras Savoye through a job offer that was posted by the program. The program really trains you to become an insurance or risk management executive.

 

Advice to Future 218 Students

 

My advice would be that you should be as engaged as possible in your courses, since they will give you a general understanding of the world of insurance that will be crucial throughout your career. I’d also recommend that you meet with as many people as possible during the study trip, as they will show you what different jobs in insurance are really like. These are often very interesting people with dynamic careers. If you want to work abroad, these trips are also an excellent opportunity to build your contact list. The trips are also designed to introduce you to another country and culture, of course!

Current Role

I have been working for 18 months now as a Pricing Actuary within the French Market Department of SCOR GLOBAL P&C. My job consists of pricing proportional and non-proportional treaties in the French, Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg markets, in Motor Third Party Liability, General Liability, Medical Liability, and in Accidents at Work. From October to January, during the contract renewal season, I work with underwriters who send me treaties to be priced. During the rest of the year, I lead various studies necessary to our pricing methods.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

 

I was at Université Paris-Dauphine - PSL for my entire academic career. After two years of the DUGEAD (now known as the DEGEAD), I did a Bachelor's degree in Applied Economics with a specialization in Economics and Financial Engineering, then a first-year Master’s degree in Economics and Financial Engineering.

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

 

After specializing in financial engineering as an undergraduate, I became very interested in risk management. I was also curious about the insurance market, as I knew nothing about it.

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

 

Some of my 218 classes were essential for me to gain entrance into the business of reinsurance actuarial services. Mr. Champvillard’s course on reinsurance, which introduced me to the foundations of this subject, comes particularly to mind. More generally, though, the entire Master’s curriculum is an introduction to the world of insurance and reinsurance -- or at least as much of an introduction as is possible in a year. For me, 218 prepared me as well as possible for professional life. The curriculum was varied, covering the legal approach, the history of the insurance market, the actuarial approach, accounting, etc., and gave me a much broader understanding than a purely actuarial degree would have. That, in turn, was and remains very useful as I advance in my chosen profession in the reinsurance sector. The presence of so many professionals in the field, both among the faculty and via the many profession/company presentations (by the likes of Deloitte and PWC) on offer, means that students are closer to the world of work and have the opportunity to get their foot in the door during an internship.

 

Advice to Future 218 Students

 

I’d recommend that future students take full advantage of the range of course offerings and not skip over ones that seem too far afield from their chosen career path. A diverse knowledge base is truly appreciated on the job market!  But my last and most important piece of advice is: make the most of it! Your last year of student life goes by very (too) fast!!

Current Role

I have worked as a strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group since April 2012, where I have had the opportunity to work on eight projects so far and to address a range of issues and topics in very different industries (e.g. identifying potential sources of growth in the creditor insurance market by 2020, optimizing the planning and construction of a nuclear power plant in Finland, improving the sales of a pharmaceutical laboratory, managing talent in a cosmetics group, etc.).  It was this variety that attracted me to the position and it makes describing an average day a little complicated! In other words, even though I can identify some intrinsic characteristics of consultancy work that carry over from one project to another, there’s no such thing as a typical day, as the old adage goes.

 

Academic background prior to Program 218

 

I was a student of 218 under the aegis of a dual-degree program with Supélec, the French graduate school of engineering. I began my higher education career with preparatory classes in Rennes, then went to the Supélec campus at Gif-sur-Yvette, where I specialized in Applied Mathematics. I also took a gap year, which I began with 9 months at BCPE before spending another 5 months at EDF Energy in London.

 

Reasons for Choosing Program 218

 

There were so many reasons to do this Master’s program. 218 got rave reviews from my predecessors, but it also had a reputation that went beyond the student community, thanks to the quality of its curriculum and faculty, the fact that it served as a springboard to the professional world, and the fact that big names in the insurance world saw value in it. What’s more, as can by seen from my example and those of many of my classmates, the perspectives the program introduces are useful beyond the insurance professions and the curriculum, particularly when it comes to regulation and risk management, is recognized in many other sectors (such as audit, M&A, and strategy consulting) as well.  

 

How the Program Helps You Enter the Labor Market

 

By structuring its curriculum to be as relevant as possible to current events and real business issues, 218 creates a bridge between theoretical knowledge and the concrete needs of the professional world. This pragmatic approach is not only recognized by companies, it also means that students are better attuned to recruiters’ needs during job or internship interviews.

 

Advice to Future 218 Students

 

Because I was doing the dual-degree program with Supélec, I unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to take all the courses on offer.  But I’d recommend that students make the most of their access to the knowledge and experience of the program’s professors. Indeed, because they are all in high-profile positions with a lot of responsibilities outside of academia, students have unusual access to their expertise and advice! My other piece of advice would be to decide on the type of job or internship you want as soon as possible, since this Master’s year is much shorter than it initially seems.