Empowering the next generation of (re)insurance professionals
Life at SCOR
Fostering a sense of community and continuous professional growth among employees is crucial. Recognizing this need, SCOR launched the Young Professionals Network in 2021to provide young employees with opportunities for networking, social connection, professional development, and career growth.
“For me, the Young Professionals Network is a place where I can be with my colleagues in both formal and informal settings. It’s a network where I can go out and have fun but also learn and improve with the support of others,” said Pavlina Pencheva, an HR Trainee and one of the heads of the Young Professional Network in Cologne.
The first Young Professionals Network started in Zurich, where casual networking events eventually evolved into more organized educational events and a forum to influence the workplace culture.
“We aim to provide various types of activities, having a focus on education while also having entertaining events, to help our young professionals connect on a personal level. Additionally, we established the Young Professionals Academy to offer in-depth knowledge about reinsurance and the intricacies of each career,” said Martina Goercke, Head of HR Zurich and Cologne.
Since several large reinsurance companies have offices in Zurich, the Young Professionals Network organizers saw a unique opportunity to extend the reach of the network and promote learning and connections even beyond SCOR employees. In fact, one of the most popular events welcomed over 80 young reinsurance professionals from various companies to learn more about the future of the Swiss reinsurance industry.
The success of the Zurich Young Professionals Network soon inspired our Cologne office to follow suit.
“When I started, I felt there was a gap,” said Pavlina Pencheva. “It wasn’t very organic or easy to meet people. When I learned about the network in Zurich, I reached out to understand how they accomplished their network and what I could take away from their experience. The needs of our office in Cologne are slightly different from those in Zurich, and that’s how we developed our approach.”
Young professionals didn't have feel that they had as many opportunities to meet with each other in an informal setting. The Cologne network, therefore, focuses on creating these opportunities for young employees to get to know each other. The participants particularly appreciate events like game nights and their Christmas Market visits.
Meanwhile, while our Paris office welcomes over 100 interns and apprentices each year, they don’t always have the chance to work together or get to know each other. As the newest of SCOR’s Young Professionals Networks, the Paris network is based on three pillars: formal training on business-related topics, formal training on general topics and career advice, and facilitating social connections and networking opportunities.
In September 2024, the Paris Young Professionals Network was officially launched with a Meet and Greet bingo event that gave young employees the opportunity to get to know each other. A second event was held in October to teach young employees about how to get the most out of LinkedIn at this point in their career and establish their personal brand.
Group of SCOR Young Professionals at a Paris networking event
SCOR sees the value that our young professionals bring to the reinsurance industry with new ideas, ways of thinking, and approaches to industry challenges and the Young Professionals Network is one of the ways SCOR celebrates and supports our young professionals as well as leverages their ambition for the workplace and the industry.
“We have seen that Gen Z brings a diverse skill set to SCOR, including adaptability, agility, tech savviness, fresh perspectives, and creativity, and many more,” said Martina Goercke.
So, are you looking for an internship or apprenticeship opportunity where your integration and success at the company is supported by a network of people like you? Explore our open positions now.
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