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Dom's story

Introducing Dom

Delivery Assurance Lead for the Future at Lloyd’s

Introducing Dom

Delivery Assurance Lead for the Future at Lloyd’s

The attitude that veterans have; the desire to see a job through to completion, not settle for mediocracy and roll their sleeves up and get stuck in with anything is what gives us the competitive edge in any environment.
Dom Sweny

Service and Corps/Regiment, Rank, last day in Military.

PWRR, Major. I left in 2015, went to work on the Rugby World Cup, went travelling and then took part in the LMN Placement Scheme.

What has been your experience of the LMN Placement Programme? How do you feel it has helped with your transition into the insurance industry?

I did my placement with Liberty Speciality Markets and then Marsh; whilst I knew I wasn’t going to be a broker or underwriter, I was keen to get a good understanding of how the Market worked and how the systems all piece together – I think eight weeks was just enough to scratch the surface! I spent a reasonable amount of time on the placement in Lloyd’s, either shadowing brokers or underwriters, and this knowledge of how Lloyd’s operates certainly helped me get my current job, but the main reason I ended up in the Corporation was as a direct result of networking and meeting someone who was able to guide me through the application process and answer any questions I had prior to interview.

Please describe your role and what specific skills you feel you have developed within your military career that assist you in this position?

I was originally hired as a project manager – this is an area where there are a number of crossovers between military and civilian roles, not least being organised, proactive, a good communicator and good at managing people. The attitude that veterans have; the desire to see a job through to completion, not settle for mediocracy and roll their sleeves up and get stuck in with anything is what gives us the competitive edge in any environment and more than offsets the lack of industry specific knowledge.

What is the best bit about your job in the insurance industry and how does that compare to the military?

I enjoy working with people and seeing them develop, on top of my day to day job managing my team I also mentor individuals in the Corporation and support the Talent Acquisition team in their emerging talent scheme. What really motivates is seeing people do well when given the chance; I have hired several veterans into my team and to see them succeed, either within Lloyd’s or in other roles across the Market, makes the extra effort worth it.

What’s been the biggest challenge for you moving from the military to insurance?

When people ask me what I do - people were far more interested when I said I was in the Army than when I say I work in insurance! But the reality is, it in an exciting, face paced industry and you will just get different kinds of responsibilities and challenges.

What is the biggest lesson you've learnt in your time in the insurance industry?

Building relationships is key in any industry; as a project manager it is absolutely essential. If people like and respect you, they are far more likely to help you out – time spent getting to know people is seldom wasted and you never know when you might need to ask them for a bit of advice or to prioritise your project over someone else’s!

What advice would you give service leavers looking to pursue a career within the insurance industry?

Do some preparation; the more you know about insurance and where you might fit in, the easier it is for us to point you in the right direction and support your transition.