Learn, persist, and adapt to change | The lessons of a challenging project

In this month in which International Women’s Day is celebrated, we have gathered stories that had the central participation of women from our team. Next, we will learn about a pioneering project that relied on the dedication of members Beatriz Schiesari and Vanessa Falco. Check it out!

Horiens’ members Beatriz Schiesari and Vanessa Falco are experienced professionals in the risk and insurance area, with many challenges and overcoming moments in their careers.

One of these challenges, however, is remembered by them in a special way for several reasons: for the pioneering spirit, for the number of obstacles they had to overcome, for the unity and integration of the team, and, finally, for the important result generated for the client.

We are talking about the project that led a large Horiens’ client to be the first Latin American company to become a member of Everen Insurance Limited (formerly OIL), a select group of 63 companies in the energy segment that, together, form a mutual insurance company, with broad coverage for material damages.

In practice, participating in Everen means that each member is a co-insurer of the others, bringing capacity at a more competitive price, which helps to compose a more interesting risk cost equation for those who participate in the group.

Guiding this client through the process of joining Everen was a real mission for the Horiens team, a journey that took about five years. “Being accepted as an Everen member is a complex thing. It is not enough to want to be part of it, you need to adhere to the prerequisites and meet a very demanding underwriting process,” says Vanessa.

“Besides that, because it is an organization with a unique and exclusive format, its operating mechanism and specifics are not known to the market generally. We held various meetings with the insurance market before structuring the insurance program in the new design,” he adds.

From idea to result
Among the natural comings and goings of a project of this complexity, one certainty easily emerges from Beatriz and Vanessa’s memories: the importance of persisting even when the scenario seems too dense.

 “There were countless hours of study, analysis, meetings. At some points along the way, we had to step back to realign points and then be able to move forward,” explains Beatriz.

When the Horiens team brought the idea of joining Everen to the client, they knew they would have to learn and teach all the time, since Horiens played a liaison role in the project, making the necessary bridges with the company, the insurance market and Everen.

“The challenges were many, but I would say that learning to teach was the first of them, always with humility and the wisdom to listen,” ponders Beatriz.

The strength of a plural team

Giving up is not in the vocabulary of this Horiens team. “Our team is very diverse and partnered, starting with our leader, Eduardo Damião. With his serenity and optimism, he was fundamental, always there pushing us to evolve, to give the best of ourselves,” says Vanessa.

“Eduardo envisioned Everen’s idea in a genius way and believed in it contagiously. The whole team got on board and we made it happen, each contributing their knowledge and skills. In 2018, our client was the first company in Latin America to become an Everen member, a position it holds to this day,” adds Beatriz.

“The process and the challenges are continuous, since the insurance program can always be structured with a new format, constantly seeking the best result for our client,” Vanessa concludes.

Learning is opportunity

Beatriz and Vanessa do not hesitate to tell us how much they have learned on this journey. “I would start all over again, the process was very rich, both from technical and personal aspects. Having the opportunity and space to challenge ourselves makes us better human beings and professionals,” explains Vanessa.

For Beatriz, the diversity of opinions and views was an important project characteristic. “I have the opportunity to work in an environment where the diversity of views and visions is valued, and this was very relevant in this project. After all, a process like this is built from many discussions, and in them we always come out with more elements than we went in. It was an important exercise in humility and a great opportunity for development,” he concludes.