Diary of an Insurer: Aviva’s Twinkle Popat

Monday

The day starts with a banana and hot drink before I log-on to my computer to review my emails, prioritise tasks and get ready for the day’s events.

My role as pricing manager is primarily focused on the integration of Probitas with Aviva’s Global Corporate Speciality (GCS) business, but I also play a part in making sure diversity, equity and inclusion remain on the agenda in Aviva’s General Insurance business by sitting on the GI Inclusion Council.

I spend most of today meeting with the pricing and underwriting teams within Aviva as we work to align processes in the integration, alongside responding to my stakeholders and attending to any urgent matters that come in across the day.

In the afternoon, I support an event at the London office organised by the Origins community. Origins celebrates and encourages cultural harmony at Aviva and is one of six diverse communities that our people can get involved with. It’s a nice way to end the day before heading home in London’s rush hour commute.

Tuesday

Today’s focus is a meeting with the Ethnicity Network, which is tasked with diversity, equity and inclusion for ethnically diverse colleagues within the GI business. 

This meeting time is crucial for discussing ongoing projects such as speed mentoring for diverse employees, which brings them together with senior leaders from across the business to help them secure a long-term mentor. 

Having been both a mentor and a mentee at Aviva, I know connecting with leaders is a fantastic way to help people succeed.

Other projects include our regular fireside chats with diverse senior leaders, where they share their personal experiences and career journeys at Aviva. 

It’s so important that employees see themselves in their leaders and these initiatives not only highlight the value of diversity but also provide career inspiration, as well as opportunities for personal and professional growth through sharing experiences and learning from others.

Wednesday

This morning, I attend our weekly team meeting, it’s a busy time as the first phase of the integration is ending soon. We are joined by two new colleagues, so it’s important they are brought up to speed with the project as quickly as possible.

It’s approaching midday and as usual, the morning has flown by. I always make sure to take a lunch break, so I am prepared and recharged for the rest of the afternoon. 

As I’m in the office today, I take this time to catch up with my teammates in person. Our hybrid working arrangement allows for flexibility but it’s also important to connect with colleagues as it helps foster a sense of community within the office and the company.

My role includes recruiting and after lunch, I prepare to interview a candidate for an analyst position within my team. The interview goes well, and I debrief with my colleague before we head offsite for an external meeting with our Probitas team, which will take up the rest of the afternoon.

Bonding as a team is also important for creating a warm and inclusive work environment and alongside one of my colleagues, I help run the ‘Ministry of Fun’, which means we’re responsible for organising events and socials for the GCS business.

Tonight, we’re attending a quiz night, which is especially popular among the team.

Thursday

I’m working from home today, so I use this time to focus on updating one of our pricing models as coding is an activity that requires concentration. 

With the new lines of business added to GCS, the models must be able to capture the right data and insights so I can prepare performance review reports for the GCS underwriting teams. 

Carrying out these reviews is a critical part of my role as they help ensure the underwriters can price correctly and fairly for customers and support profitable underwriting.

I spend the last hour of my workday prepping for the monthly GI inclusion council meeting tomorrow and reviewing my to-do list before logging off around 5.30 pm. 

Doing something for myself in the evenings is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and I spend it cooking, which is something I enjoy.

Friday

I meet with the General Inclusion council where we debrief on the month’s DEI activities and discuss future initiatives. 

Currently, we’re considering how to engage young people in local communities as part of Aviva’s commitment to helping them get ready for their future careers and are in the process of creating a programme for volunteers to use in local schools.  

The aim is to educate young people about the insurance industry as well as encourage diverse talent to consider careers in insurance.

Programmes like these require a lot of pre-planning as it’s crucial that we execute them properly and first we need to undertake location mapping to understand existing or potential connections with schools across the UK. However, it’s exciting to be working with a group of people who care so much about the future of young people.

Balancing my roles as pricing manager with my responsibilities on the Inclusion Council can make for a busy schedule, but I love that I can deliver in my professional role at Aviva while also helping to drive positive change through embedding DEI values into company culture and creating a more inclusive working environment.