In June of 1990, I graduated from Armstrong State College in Savannah, Georgia with a BS in applied mathematics. I intended to become an actuary. Seeking some real insurance experience, I accepted an entry-level rate analyst position. Working in this field, I discovered I could use my understanding of actuarial information and my love of numbers in a position that offers me a broad range of responsibilities and activities.

Currently, I am a product analyst for AIG Specialty Auto (a division of American International Group, Inc., the largest U.S.-based insurance and non-bank financial services organization). A product analyst's main priority is pricing; and pricing insurance is pricing an intangible. It is pricing a future risk. I must have a solid understanding of the interactions of the marketing, underwriting, accounting and information systems departments. Decisions made in any area can directly impact productivity and therefore impact profitability. It is important that I be able to effectively communicate detailed information with different people both inside and outside the company. It is vital that a product analyst have an analytical and questioning mind to be able to gather information from other areas.

We currently market non-standard auto insurance in 26 states and I have responsibility for five. I take great pride in monitoring the results of these states and watching the impact my decisions have on production and profitability. My responsibilities include monitoring productivity, profitability and our competition.