Q&A with Tilden Watson, Head of Education at Zurich Municipal
Tilden Watson discusses how he got into the insurance sector and the importance of listening and having empathy for others.
1. How did you get into the insurance sector?
I spent 20 years working in finance in the public sector, 10 of which were focused on risk for local and central governments. So, then I made a natural jump into Risk Engineering serving Zurich Municipal’s customers. So that's where the journey into the Zurich Municipal came. I spent about 12 years working in Risk Engineering, working with our customers’ leadership and management teams. Before then taking the step into the head of segment role. So, it's been a gradual immersion into the world of insurance. I’ve always taken roles which interested me, I've never been driven by power or money which is why the natural jumps have happened.
2. What have been your career highlights?
In 1993 I was involved in the Braer oil tanker grounding which was very significant internationally due to the oil pollution it caused. The Braer oil tanker ran aground off the Shetland Isles in hurricane-force winds, spilling almost 85,000 tonnes of crude oil. I was living in the Shetland Islands at the time and was part of the recovery team focusing on the financial side. It was years’ worth of work, trying to recover sums and it shaped a lot of thinking around issues such as resilience.
3. What does a typical day look like for you?
There's not a typical day for me. I'm an early riser, so I tend to start fairly early in the morning. I guess the one common thread is I'm talking to a lot of people during the day, whether it's strategic phone calls, problem solving or internal and external meetings. I touch all part of the business from underwriting to sales and marketing. The beauty of this job is that every year it throws up different challenges and that’s part of the fun of it. As long as it keeps challenging you, you keep moving forward.
4. What is the top lesson you’ve learnt?
The most important thing that I have learnt is to listen, to slow down and have a bit of empathy. You can find great ideas by listening to what people are saying. If you stop to listen, you can avoid future problems. Empathy is important too, a lot of times we are horrified when someone misses a deadline, but we should be thinking about what other situations they are in. Listening and empathy will take you a long way.
5. How do you keep ahead of industry developments?
I keep ahead by reading and creating space to think. I don't only read about the education sector, I also keep an eye on current affairs. It’s very important to absorb but creating space to think is just as important. Getting different people's opinions is fundamental. I spend time listening to Ted Talks from people not related to our industry. So there’s not one solution, but reading is probably the key for me.
6. What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
To give more time to planning. The more time you spend planning will serve you better in the long run. Most of the problems I’ve faced, could have been avoided if I’d have sat down and planned properly. Sometimes, you just have to slow down and plan a bit more and then you’ll get a lot more out the other end.
7. What do you love about working at Zurich?
It’s the people. I am truly blessed in this job. I’ve been working for 20 years with some amazing customers. I’ve met a lot of talented people who have also been good fun to work with, it’s healthy to have a little bit of laugh at work. Although I probably laugh too much sometimes.
8. What one thing would people be surprised to know about you?
I grew up in a very small island where I went to school by ferry. I’ve had a beer with Elvis Costello, but I didn’t know who he was at the time and I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats.
