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Salmaan Saeed

Salmaan Saeed

January 16, 2023/in Apprentices, Meet Our People Optional /by manikantashetty
MEET Salmaan Saeed

Corporate Risk and Broking (CRB)

Apprentices

Team Corporate Risk and Broking (CRB)
Experience level Intern

Location London, UK

What made you decide to apply to WTW?

My time at sixth form was cut short due to the pandemic, and I didn’t like the idea of not getting the full university experience. Rather than having to study from home for the whole of first year, I decided to look into other opportunities such as apprenticeships. I was fascinated by the fact that I could work in a professional environment, while also studying towards a qualification that directly supports my role.

After looking at various apprenticeship opportunities, I found WTW. It was a company that really stood out to me due to its wide range of business functions and high calibre of clients.

How did you feel when starting your role at WTW?

I was very nervous when I started my role at WTW, however during my first week, I met my manager and new team in person and had the opportunity to get to know everyone. It was also a huge help that on my third day, my department held their ‘Summer Social in September’, where I got the chance to meet many more colleagues face-to-face in a very relaxed environment. It was a great way to settle into the company and everyone around me was quick to help if I had any questions or concerns.

What is your current work style?

My current work style is hybrid. This means that my typical work week involves working from the office as well as at home. I have the flexibility to visit the office some weeks more than others, depending on my schedule. As an apprentice that is also studying for my qualifications where my lessons and examinations are all remote, working from home allows me to maximise my study time.

What do you enjoy most about working at WTW?

One of my favourite things about working at WTW is the opportunity I’ve had to meet and learn from experienced professionals within the industry.
WTW has many initiatives to support colleagues’ continuous professional development, especially people that are just starting out in their careers. For example, I am currently on the WTW Mentorship Programme, which is helping me learn and grow both personally and professionally. Since starting the programme, I have been paired with my mentor, Kirstie, and this has provided me with the chance to work alongside an experienced professional and benefit from an honest and unbiased opinion outside of the department I work in. I really appreciate the guidance I have received from Kirstie and her mentorship has been a great way for me to develop.
Additionally, my department (Financial Solutions) has developed their own new programme called the FS Development Coach Programme where people can choose a development coach and organise meetings and coffee catch ups with.
Another great aspect of working at WTW is the office views. I work in the London office that has 23 floors. On floor 23 there are only meeting rooms, so when clients visit, it is great to book a meeting room where you can see a beautiful view of London.

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since working with WTW?

The biggest challenge I have had to come since working with WTW is public speaking. Working in a role where my manager and I regularly visit insurers at their office, it is important to make sure that any feedback, points of discussion and possible concerns are clearly communicated so that we can develop and increase our working partnership. Working with my manager on developing my own speaking style and learning more about what makes an effective presentation and conversation, I have become a lot more confident.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who is looking to start their career at WTW?

Have a look at the lines of business that WTW are involved in. WTW hires across Property and Casualty, Marine, Financial solutions and many more, have a look at what each area of the business is involved in, their clients and their people. With this, you can begin to see what interests you and go from there. WTW has some great articles on what each area of business is doing, changes within the industry and leadership pieces. These articles may also have the author’s name and email address, so you are able to reach out and ask questions.

MEET OUR PEOPLE

MEET OUR PEOPLE

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Felipe Pradel

Felipe Pradel

November 9, 2020/in Apprentices, Interns, Meet Our People Optional /by
MEET Felipe Pradel

Property & Casualty Intern

(former Property & Casualty Apprentice)

Felipe Pradel

Team Property & Casualty

Segment Corporate Risk & Broking

Location São Paulo, Brazil

Program Apprenticeship program 2018 and Internship program 2019

University Universidade Paulista

How did you come across our Internship program offering?

When the term of my Health & Benefits (H&B) apprenticeship contract was almost finished, the Property & Casualty (P&C) team offered me to join their Internship program.

Tell us a bit about your key responsibilities when you were an apprentice

As an apprentice in the H&B team, I learned how to quote and contract Individual Life and Travel Insurance and manage the relationship with clients. I also provided support to activities in the Life Insurance area.

What were some key things that you have learnt during your Internship program?

As an intern, I am learning how to work with Hub Network Outbound Support & Administration with Latin American countries and local clients. In addition, I’m also learning about internal global communications and the renewal of assistance of customer service provision, amongst other responsibilities.

Do you recall your best memory? Tell us about it!

Winning the tickets to the BRAZIL x BARBARIANS Rugby game! I am an avid rugby fan and I enjoy playing. Due to my academic and professional responsibilities I haven’t been able to find the time to play anymore. So being able to attend to a game with some colleagues was an amazing experience.

What did you like the most about our culture and values?

The caring treatment towards colleagues, recognizing and reminding us that we are not just numbers but people who are valued greatly.

Which other position(s) have you filled since you finished your Internship program and where? Did you ever imagine you would fill these positions when you were an intern?

I am still in the early careers program, but I feel more confident each day working on global programs’ processes. The range for technical and professional growth is large, which have been my goals since I joined Willis Towers Watson.

How did being an apprentice help you prepare for your current position at Willis Towers Watson?

Being an apprentice helped me understand and keep track of insurance contracting processes, build relationships with clients and foster the relation with my colleagues, all of which served as a basis for most of my current responsibilities.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or who was integral to your experience?

Willis Towers Watson is filled with expert professionals who are always ready to help other colleagues, like me, grow. I would like to thank my mentors: Adilson Dos Santos and Heney Fernandez as well as Paula Campos and Bruno Torres who discovered me and brought me to the P&C team. Also, I’m grateful for my H&B colleagues, Andrea Zaboni, Silvania Cardoso and Pedro Prata, who always supported me.

Lastly, I would like to thank Eduardo Escudeiro and Andressa Stail for the trust and willingness to guide and support me throughout the different stages of the programs.

What advice would you give to someone who’s eager to apply to a Willis Towers Watson Internship program?

Be prepared to join Willis Towers Watson with confidence and willingness to learn and execute. Your good work will be recognized!

Learn more about our early careers programs here.

MEET OUR PEOPLE

MEET OUR PEOPLE

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Emma White

Emma White

January 24, 2019/in Apprentices Optional /by
MEET Emma White

Junior Account Executive

(former level 4 Insurance Apprentice)

Team Global Marine, International Trade and Logistics

Segment Corporate Risk and Broking

Location London, United Kingdom

Experience level Apprentice

Personal interests

Sharing time with friends.

Why did you pursue an apprentice position with Willis Towers Watson?

I found out about the apprenticeship through a government website. Even though I had already started at university, the experience wasn’t for me; so I left and set out to look for an alternative. I found the apprenticeship to be the career experience I was looking for, one that could advance my skills and qualifications.

What training and development opportunities have you enjoyed while at Willis Towers Watson?

I have learned about insurance through shadowing colleagues, various training courses and my certification exams. Additionally, having never worked in an office before, I learned day-to-day office skills such as how to use company systems and office communications. My responsibilities as an apprentice change frequently as I gain more experience and knowledge. I have progressed to where I am now involved in renewals, processing and servicing clients.

Can you share a highlight of your apprenticeship experience?

The highlights so far have been building relationships with my colleagues/underwriters and gaining knowledge that helped me pass my exams. I also enjoy seeing new apprentices coming into the programme and being able to answer their questions and help them feel comfortable.

What is your hope for your career in the future?

In the future, I would like to gain more responsibility in my role and one day be able to move into a management position.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering an apprenticeship at Willis Towers Watson?

Having some previous work experience would be an advantage. I would also say to anyone exploring this route: Don’t rule out university too quickly and don’t rule out the apprenticeship too easily. Explore all your options and try to avoid tunnel vision.

MEET OUR PEOPLE

MEET OUR PEOPLE

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Dominic Ferrari

Dominic Ferrari

January 22, 2019/in Apprentices Optional /by
MEET Dom Ferrari

Actuarial Apprentice

Team Retirement team

Segment Human Capital Benefits

Location Reigate, United Kingdom

Experience level Apprentice

Why did you pursue an apprentice position with Willis Towers Watson?

I knew I wanted a job in the actuarial world, and this programme offered me a path to achieve this without going to university. From my first contact with the job listing, the company came across as professional. The fact that we advise a large number of the Finacial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 companies really impressed me, and this has been echoed in my experiences so far, as I have been involved with a large number of recognisable clients.
My apprenticeship is based in Reigate, which enables me to continue to live at home and still get work experience and education comparable to the university option.

What was your experience of the application process?

I found the process to be quite smooth with very few surprises. The assessment centre had a relaxed atmosphere, and I was given very constructive feedback following my interview.

And of the apprenticeship itself?

My first year as an apprentice has been all about developing a knowledge base for the work I do day-to-day. I’ve been given responsibility to complete regular tasks and take ownership for the quality of my work. As my apprenticeship progresses, I’ve been given the opportunity to help train new apprentices in some fundamentals of actuarial work, including the use of Excel, as well as provide peer support to three recent graduates. I’ve been able to help them learn how our team works and answer any questions they may have.

What training and development opportunities have you enjoyed while at Willis Towers Watson?

I’ve received great training provided by Willis Towers Watson that has helped me pass two professional exams that are essential to gaining an actuarial qualification.
I’ve also learned that teamwork is the most important part of working within an office — in order to deliver quality work for our clients and also enjoy ourselves in the process.

What can you say you learnt from your fellow apprentices and colleagues and vice versa?

I have learnt that beyond being good at the technical math work, the most important part of my work is the relationships I have built up with my colleagues. By having a tight group of friends, both apprentices and other colleagues, I have been able to enjoy my apprenticeship fully, as well as being encouraged by others to strive in my role.

Can you share a highlight of your apprenticeship experience with Willis Towers Watson?

I’ve appreciated the opportunity to help train new apprentices and go to local careers fairs to promote the Willis Towers Watson apprenticeship programme. I’ve enjoyed meeting college students to discuss their career goals and the possibility of the apprenticeship as an alternative to university.

How did you feel when you came 2nd in the level 4 category of the BPP Apprentice of the Year Awards 2020?

I felt very proud and extremely grateful to those who nominated me. It was actually quite a surprise because I did not know I had been nominated. I think it shows how committed Willis Towers Watson are to ensure their apprentices achieve greatness.

Were you able to experience Willis Towers Watson’s values and culture? If so, tell us about a moment where you were able to live by our values or when you saw a colleague do so?

Two of the values that have impacted me most are Teamwork and Client focus. Willis Towers Watson have fostered an environment where both values constantly feed into each other. I have been part of many teams including a team of apprentices and graduates to complete a high profile project which involved many complicated calculations. Had our team not put in the extra work together we could not have met our deadline, it was a very satisfying and rewarding feeling to collectively complete a difficult task. In terms of client focus, I have been part of a team who have successfully completed projects that generate £100,000s in revenues, and in some cases been able to project manage a team to reach some of these goals.

Willis Towers Watson has an unwavering commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D). Where you able to participate in our different I&D colleague-led initiatives? If so, which one?

I have been given the opportunity on multiple occasions to help set-up and host a team quiz for over 50 colleagues during lockdown. To enter these quizzes colleagues had to donate to our charity partner, the Alzheimer’s Society, and a local charity, Stripey Stork. Overall, we raised around £5,000!  I am very proud to have done this as naturally colleagues were having a tough time due to COVID-19 and by hosting these events I was hopefully able to make a big impact to team moral.

You were part of the Actuarial programme for our Retirement team, is there a specific challenge to this area that you wish to share? How did the apprenticeship programme and your colleagues help you overcome this challenge?

I think that the biggest challenge was that for the first year, the work we were doing was the same difficulty of work as graduates coming out of university. The structure of the apprenticeship programme and our manager were clear in that we were not expected to be at the same level as the graduates, but gave us room to grow and perform at a level above what was expected. This freedom to excel was a perfect environment for myself and I feel that the apprenticeship fostered my growth very well.

What is the next step in your career? How did the apprenticeship programme help you make this decision?

During my apprenticeship, I have been able to go to multiple client meetings and also be the lead on a wide variety of projects. I have been able to use my skills in maths within my career to achieve great results for our clients and for the organisation. By achieving this during my apprenticeship, Willis Towers Watson have recognised this and allowed me to start studying for the actuary exams, with the view to becoming a qualified actuary.

Would you recommend someone to enrol in one of our apprenticeship programmes? Why?

I would say that my apprenticeship has allowed me to make a significant impact within my department within a very short space of time. Following the completion of my apprenticeship, I have been promoted to an actuarial consultant. I am now one year ahead in my career than I would have been if I had entered as a graduate from university, with the bonus of 2 years extra experience. This shows that the apprenticeship, if the person has the right level of commitment, can open the same doors as going to university, and Willis Towers Watson are keen to remove whatever barriers may face apprentices in their career

Based on your experience, what advice would you give someone considering an apprenticeship at Willis Towers Watson?

I would suggest to anyone applying to an apprenticeship at Willis Towers Watson to be proactive; research the company, it will impress the evaluators and make you stand out.

MEET OUR PEOPLE

MEET OUR PEOPLE

Willis Towers Watson
We believe in equal employment opportunities, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive work environment where everyone is respected, valued and appreciated. We do not tolerate any form of unlawful discrimination, nor do we support any action or initiative that infringes upon any human right.
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